Next Morecambe Manager Odds: John Coleman Favourite To Join The Shrimps
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Derek Adams has opted for a return to his native Scotland to take over as Ross County boss following his 18-month stint at the helm of Morecambe, and the best betting sites have lined up a list of potential replacements.
The Scotman’s release clause was met by County earlier this week and he will return for a third spell at Victoria Park following the dismissal of Malky Mackay.
News of his departure has come as a huge blow to Shrimps fans, as they sit just outside the play-off places at the time of writing, with games in hand over all the teams that sit above them.
Given the achievements of Adams across his two spells with Morecambe, there are some big shoes to fill at the Mazuma Stadium and we’ve had a look at all the potential suitors.
Coleman The Number One Target
Despite sitting two places above Morecambe with current club Accrington Stanley, John Coleman is priced at 2/1 with football betting sites to take over the Lancashire club.
The 61-year-old has a strong affinity with the Shrimps having played some of his best football for the club across a six-year spell back in the 1990s, which could play a factor in his potential return.
As the current second-longest serving boss in the EFL, it would be difficult to see why Coleman would depart Stanley after nine years in charge of the club.
However, with the chance to return to a club he has clear affection arising, this could be the perfect swan song for the Englishman.
His work at Accrington is clearly admired by both sets of fans and it would be a catastrophic loss to The Owd’ Reds at this stage of the season, but with Morecambe arguably better positioned with those games in hand, it could be time for Coleman to move on from his beloved Stanley.
Brannan Could Be Set For Full-Time Role
Despite possessing no prior first-team managing experience, interim boss Ged Brannan has emerged as the 9/4 second favourite to take the Morecambe job permanently.
The 51-year-old joined the Shrimps just under three months ago as a first team coach and has been thrown in at the deep end following the exit of Adams.
He has made no secret that his hat is firmly in the ring for this role and positive results against Wrexham this weekend and Newport on Tuesday would do him the world of good.
Brannan stated "“I’ve applied for the job. They have promised me an interview and I’ll see what happens from there."
It's clear he is passionate about the opportunity and his eagerness could put him amongst the frontrunners in the eyes of the Morecambe board.
Artell May Take The Reins
David Artell may have had just one coaching role in the EFL, but his five-year spell as Crewe Alexandra boss saw him achieve promotion to the third tier, which Morecambe fans would love to replicate.
The 42-year-old has a history of overachieving with low budgets and his record of being the only person to win promotion as player and manager of Crewe, saw him engrave his name into the history books.
In 2019-20 when he achieved that promotion, he was named Manager of the Year for League Two, before going on to finish 12th in League One with Crewe - a record high since their Championship relegation back in 2005-06.
Although Artell doesn’t bring notoriety to Morecambe, it allows the Shrimps to go about their business astutely as they look for a return to the third tier at the first time of asking. The former Gibraltar international is available at 8/1 to take the job.
Gary Bowyer Looking For England Return
After leaving Dundee in May, Gary Bowyer could take a role closer to home in his next job and subsequently finds himself amongst a flurry of 8/1 shots on betting apps to take over at the Mazuma Stadium.
Bowyer was sacked by Dundee just days after leading them to the Championship title and he receiving the award of SPFL Championship Manager of the Year, with the former Salford manager reportedly falling out with the board.
Boasting a solid curriculum vitae that spans across both England and Scotland, Bowyer appears a viable option given his free agent tag, and possesses a good depth of experience across the EFL.
He has been linked with a plethora of jobs across the Football League in recent months and a chance to add another promotion to his repertoire with the Shrimps is one that could attract him midway through the season.
Former Newcastle Duo Make Up The Rest
There's an abundance of managers lined up as the outsiders for the role. However, two of the shortest prices come in the form of ex-Newcastle players Lee Bowyer and Joey Barton.
Bowyer recently landed the shock role manager of national side Montserrat, but he is expected to return to England to manage a club in the not so distant future.
The 46-year-old earned promotion to the Championship with Charlton Athletic back in 2022 before taking over at Birmingham, where he lasted just 16 months in charge.
Barton, on the other hand, has recently vacated his position with Bristol Rovers and is searching for his next quest as manager.
The former Fleetwood Town boss left the Rovers with them languishing in 16th place in League One after 13 games, which was viewed as not reflective of the budget offered to him.
With five years experience across two clubs in League One, Barton could be viewed as a solid option and given his free agent status and would be a cheap replacement for Adams.
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