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
17. Jamie Hedges - 4/1
Jamie Hedges, 25, a former Bristol Rovers analyst and the current head of recruitment at Aldershot Town, has emerged as a surprise contender with the bookmakers. | YouTube
18. Richie Wellens - 4/1
Former Salford City, Doncaster Rovers and Swindon boss Richie Wellens is currently enjoying the best spell of his managerial career with Leyton Orient. He led the London club to the League Two title in 2023 and just two years later had the club on the brink of the Championship before falling short against Charlton. Wellens is renowned for playing good football and has proven to be a shrewd operator in the loan market in recent seasons. | Getty Images
19. Rob Edwards - 3/1
Former Luton Town boss Rob Edwards is believed to be one of the top two contenders for the Bristol City job but is also thought to be a strong candidate for the Middlesbrough vacancy. He won promotion from this division with the Hatters in 2023 and is also credited with leading Forest Green Rovers to the League Two title earlier in his career. He's been out of work since leaving Luton in January but still has a solid track record at this level. | Getty Images
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20. Gerhard Struber - 17/20
Former Barnsley boss Gerhard Struber has emerged as the favourite for the Bristol City vacancy after being sacked as manager of FC Koln in Germany. Struber is credited with leading the South Yorkshire side to a miraculous great escape in 2019/20 and has since gained experience with New York Red Bulls and Red Bull Salzburg. He was surprisingly sacked by Koln in May with the team in the automatic promotion spots and on the brink of returning to the top-flight. | Getty Images