Championship side Bristol City are on the hunt to find a new manager to replace Liam Manning following the 39-year-old’s decision to leave South West England to manage Norwich City.
After five unremarkable mid-table finishes, Manning led the Robins to a top six finish in his first full season in charge, earning a place in the play-offs for the first time since 2007/08 at this level when Gary Johnson was in charge.
The Cider Army ultimately fell in comprehensive fashion in their two-legged semi-final against Sheffield United and are now on the hunt for someone that can take the team a step further and try and stage a push for promotion.
Work is underway within the walls of the High Performance Centre to appoint Manning's successor and City chairman Jon Lansdown has insisted that the Reds have been "assessing all options" in regards to their manager search. The club will hope to get the appointment sorted as soon as possible to give the team ample opportunity to secure transfers, with a number of new players entering the market and fair few other players also securing moves.
In recent times, the club’s been linked with a Liverpool icon, a Championship promotion-winning coach and a former Leicester City hero. But who is the current favourite for the Bristol City manager's job, according to the bookmakers? Here’s all you need to know
1. John Mousinho - 16/1
Ex-Oxford United midfielder John Mousinho has performed very well in his first managerial role with Portsmouth. He notably led the Fratton Park side to the League One title in 2024 and has consoliated them as a Championship outfit with a solid 16th place finish. | Getty Images
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2. Luke Williams - 16/1
Another name whose odds have increased significantly in recent weeks. Luke Williams is credited with leading Notts County to promotion from the National League but had mixed success in his most recent gig at Swansea City. He's been out of work since February when he was sacked by the Welsh side. | Getty Images
3. Steve Cooper - 16/1
Former Leicester City boss Steve Cooper's odds of taking on the Bristol City job have increased significantly in recent weeks amid reports he could take on the Middlesbrough job instead. He's bound to attract interest from Championsip sides after winning promotion with Nottingham Forest and also enjoying a steady one year stint at Swansea earlier in his career. | AFP via Getty Images
4. Lee Johnson - 16/1
Ex-Bristol City boss Lee Johnson led the club to a League Cup semi-final and the club's best season in terms of points since promotion in 2015. He's since had spell at Sunderland, Hibs and Fleetwood Town before taking on a role at Belgian side Lommel in March. | Getty Images