Next Mansfield Manager Odds: Buckingham Favourite If Axe Falls On Clough
Mansfield slumped to a sixth successive defeat in League One with a 3-0 loss at Leyton Orient and betting sites are starting to wonder whether it’s time up for manager Nigel Clough.
The Stags were on the fringe of the play-offs following a 2-1 win at promotion rivals Stockport in the first week of January, but a poor run of form has seen them drop into the lower half of the table.
Clough admitted his injury-hit side are “low on confidence” after the defeat at Brisbane Road and with top scorer Lee Gregory likely to be out for the season, matters could get worse before they improve.
The former Burton boss has plenty of credit in the bank after guiding Mansfield to promotion last season with a third-placed finish, but could Town’s board start looking in a different direction?
Here, we examine some of the contenders to replace Clough should he be shown the door and the latest next Mansfield manager odds.
Buckingham Leads The Way
Des Buckingham experienced the highs of promotion to the Championship with Oxford via the play-offs last season, so he already has an attractive CV.
Buckingham had also enjoyed success with Australian side Wellington Phoenix and the New Zealand U23 team, who were unbeaten during his tenure between 2019-20.
He went on to win the Indian Super League with Mumbai City in the 2022/23 season thanks to an 18-game unbeaten run, the longest in the competition’s history.
Next Mansfield Manager Odds
Manager | Odds | Probability |
Des Buckingham | 7/5 | 41.7% |
Ian Evatt | 9/5 | 35.7% |
Matt Taylor | 5/2 | 28.6% |
Jon Brady | 3/1 | 25% |
Andy Woodman | 4/1 | 20% |
Johnnie Jackson | 7/1 | 12.5% |
Neil Harris | 8/1 | 11.1% |
Erol Bulut | 9/1 | 10% |
Ryan Lowe | 10/1 | 9.1% |
Duncan Ferguson | 12/1 | 7.7% |
However, he could not resist the lure of hometown club Oxford when Liam Manning left to become the head coach at Bristol City.
He secured promotion in his debut season with a play-off final victory over Bolton, but was sacked in mid-December after a poor run of results.
Buckingham has generally done well wherever he has coached and it’s understandable he is the 7/5 favourite with football betting sites to become the next Mansfield manager if Clough leaves Field Mill.
Evatt May Be Back In Saddle Soon
Ian Evatt, like Buckingham, was also recently sacked following a long spell in charge of Bolton.
Evatt steered the Trotters to promotion from League Two with a third-place finish during his debut 2020/21 season and two years later he engineered an EFL Trophy final victory at Wembley.
The former Blackpool and Chesterfield player had also guided Barrow back to the Football League for the first time in 48 years during his second season in charge.
That’s the kind of success the Stags board is looking for and it is no surprise to see Evatt priced at 9/5 in the next Mansfield manager odds.
Time For Taylor To Return?
Matt Taylor has experience of coaching in all three divisions in the Football League, but was most recently in charge of League One club Bristol Rovers.
Taylor’s first success came in the 2021/22 season when he helped Exeter secure promotion to League Two with a runners-up spot which alerted Rotherham to his talent.
The former Grecians centre-back joined the Championship club on a long-term deal in October 2022, but was axed just over a year later with the Millers inside the relegation zone.
He was not out of work for long though as the Pirates came calling, but despite an encouraging start to his tenure, he was sacked in December, just over a year since his appointment.
Taylor still has plenty to offer the game and is 5/2 for the Mansfield job should it become vacant.
Brady In The Frame
Jon Brady is another out-of-work manager that has enjoyed the pleasure of promotion with a Football League club, so could his next stop be Mansfield Town?
In his first full season in charge of League Two club Northampton, the Brady bunch were denied automatic promotion by a freak 7-0 win for Bristol Rovers on the final day of the 2021/22 season.
The Cobblers went on to lose a two-legged play-off to Mansfield, but they finished third in the following campaign to book their place in League One.
Brady spent three and a half years with Northampton, but resigned in December when the club were in the bottom four.
Priced at 3/1 with betting apps, Brady is in the mix for the Mansfield job.
Can Woodman Cut It?
Andy Woodman led Bromley to the Football League for the first time in their history and the 2024/25 season is going well too.
Woodman is 4/1 to step up a division and accept the Stags job, with Johnnie Jackson next in line at 7/1.
The AFC Wimbledon boss may have a decision to make as his side are flying high in League Two and could be promoted this season.
Elsewhere, former Millwall manager Neil Harris is 8/1 and ex-Cardiff boss Erol Bulut is 9/1.
Ryan Lowe left Preston by mutual consent in August and can be backed at 10/1, while Everton legend Duncan Ferguson, who was last in charge of Inverness Caledonian Thistle, is 12/1 in the next Mansfield manager odds.
* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.
