Next St Johnstone Manager Odds: Lennon Favourite To Replace Ailing Valakari
St Johnstone slumped to another defeat at the weekend and are now nine points adrift at the foot of the Scottish Premiership table.
A 3-1 loss at Rangers was their sixth defeat in seven games and betting sites are starting to contemplate whether the end is nigh for manager Simo Valakari following a winless run which stretches back almost two months.
Once again, their tendency to concede before the break meant they were chasing a lost cause in the second half.
The game was done and dusted by the 25th minute when Jack Sanders’ aimless header allowed Mohamed Diomande to nod in the Light Blues’ third, making it 22 first-half goals Saints had conceded in the opening 45 minutes in 23 league matches
Saints’ 16-year stay in the Scottish top flight looks in danger unless they can turn their season around, but will Valakari get the chance to keep them in the Premiership?
We take a look at potential candidates to replace the Finn and the latest next St Johnstone manager odds.
Next St Johnstone Manager Odds
Manager | Odds | Probability |
Neil Lennon | 7/4 | 36.4% |
Scot Gemmill | 5/2 | 28.6% |
Kris Doolan | 3/1 | 25% |
David Martindale | 4/1 | 20% |
Fredrik Holmberg | 9/2 | 18.2% |
Steven Naismith | 6/1 | 14.3% |
Scott Brown | 13/2 | 13.3% |
John McGlynn | 7/1 | 40% |
Stephen Bradley | 8/1 | 11.1% |
Damien Duff | 10/1 | 9.1% |
Craig Harrison | 14/1 | 6.7% |
Lennon Heads Saints Field
Neil Lennon won every domestic trophy as a player and manager with Celtic, but could he be tempted to lower his sights and take the reins at St Johnstone?
The Northern Irishman won five league titles and as many cups with the Hoops. In between his two spells at Parkhead, he led Hibs to the Scottish Championship title during the 2016/17 season.
However, his last two managerial roles have not been as successful.
Lennon spent a brief spell with Cypriot side Omonia and only lasted three months at Rapid Bucuresti last year, so he will be keen to prove he is not a spent force.
In November, Lennon revealed that he was “actively looking” for his next managerial opportunity, one he admitted could be his last, but for now he is focused on his media work.
The former Leicester midfielder is the 7/4 favourite with betting apps to end up at McDiarmid Park next.
Gemmill May Contemplate Club Switch
Scot Gemmill has been Scotland U21 coach for more than eight years, but he is 5/2 second favourite to take his first steps into club management.
Although he has gone close on a couple of occasions, Gemmill has never led Scotland’s youngsters to the European Championship finals.
However, Gemmill won the English First Division title in the 1997/8 season as a player with Nottingham Forest where he spent nine seasons until joining Everton for a five-year spell.
He may have an excellent reputation for bringing young players through the ranks, but Saints need someone at the coal face and may turn to Gemmill when he has more time to plan for the future.
Would Doolan Desert Beloved Partick?
Partick manager Kris Doolan is a Jags legend, but would he be tempted to coach in the Scottish Premiership should Saints come calling?
Doolan may feel he has unfinished business at Firhill having missed out on promotion to the top flight via the play-offs in the last two seasons.
Partick are well placed to reach the play-offs once again in fourth spot, but cannot afford too many displays like the one against lowly Dunfermline, a 4-1 home defeat which Doolan described as “the worst performance” of his reign.
A 2-1 comeback win at Hamilton narrowed the gap on second-placed Ayr to three points, so there is hope this could be Partick’s year.
Doolan is 3/1 with football betting sites to end up at St Johnstone should the board axe Valakari.
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Martindale In The Frame
Livingston are just above Partick in third place and their manager David Martindale is in the conversation to become the next Saints boss.
Martindale has experience of coaching in the Premiership with Livi where he has been manager since the end of 2020 and despite overseeing the club’s relegation last season, he was offered a new deal.
The 50-year-old Glaswegian is 4/1 in the next St Johnstone manager odds, just ahead of Fredrik Holmberg (9/2), who in 2023 steered GAIS to the Swedish top flight where they finished sixth last season.
Elsewhere, former Hearts boss Steven Naismith is 6/1 and Ayr manager Scott Brown is 13/2.
One name who certainly deserves a mention is John McGlynn, who is bidding to lead Championship leaders Falkirk to back-to-back promotions under his guidance. McGlynn is available at 7/1.
Over the water, Stephen Bradley has won four league titles during his eight and a half years in charge of Shamrock Rovers and is 8/1, slightly ahead of ex-Chelsea winger Damien Duff (10/1), who won the League of Ireland Premier Division for the first time in 18 years last season.
Craig Harrison has won the Welsh Premier Division eight times during two separate spells with TNS and is 14/1 in the next St Johnstone manager odds.
* Reminder: These are hypothetical odds provided by industry experts.
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