Next Birmingham City manager odds: Steve Cooper early frontrunner for St Andrew’s post

Football betting sites have made Steve Cooper the favourite to succeed Wayne Rooney as Birmingham City manager following the ex-England striker’s departure.

Blues decided to move on from Rooney after just 15 games with the club having plummeted down the Championship standings during his brief reign. 

Birmingham were in the play-off positions when Rooney got the job in October, but after just two league wins, most recently losing 3-0 to Leeds, the Midlands outfit finds itself in 20th, six points above the relegation zone.

In an effort to arrest their slump, the club’s new American owners have decided to move on from Rooney, who says he’ll now be taking a break from coaching after becoming the shortest-serving manager in the history of Birmingham City.

Development coach Steve Spooner has been named interim head coach ahead of the FA Cup third round tie at Hull City this weekend, while UK betting sites have been quick to make Cooper the favourite to take charge permanently, despite reports he’s waiting for a Premier League job.

Next Birmingham City manager odds

Steve Cooper – 2/1

Tony Mowbray – 4/1 

Jesse Marsch –  4/1

Gary Rowett – 13/2

John Eustace – 9/1

Lee Carsley – 12/1

Frank Lampard – 12/1

Paul Heckingbottom – 14/1

Cooper keen on top flight return

Cooper is currently unemployed but hasn’t been out of work long having been relieved of his duties as Nottingham Forest boss in December. 

Despite still retaining a lot of backing from the fanbase, the decision was made to part ways with Cooper after a run of one win in 13 games left the Tricky Trees in 17th place in the Premier League.

The 44-year-old had previously enjoyed great success at the City Ground, arriving at Forest in September 2021 when the club were bottom of the Championship. 

He completely transformed the team’s fortunes as they would end that season being promoted to the Premier League via the play-offs. Cooper followed that up by keeping Forest in the top flight last season. 

Birmingham’s ambitious owners would hope Cooper could perform the same trick at St Andrew’s given the team’s current position, although those close to the Welshman suggest he may not be keen on returning to the second tier.

And that’s reflected in Cooper’s price for the Birmingham job with the market having opened with him at odds-on for the job, only for his price to since drift out to 2/1 with William Hill.

Marsch, not Mowbray, made for American owners?

Meanwhile, Jesse Marsch’s price has quickly been trimmed amid reports the club’s American ownership group would be interested in working with the ex-Leeds United boss. 

Marsch, a former USA international, has been out of work since leaving Leeds last February with his job at Elland Road having been his first in English football. 

Marsch had just under a year in charge of the Whites, saving them from relegation in his first season but struggled to repeat his success in the second campaign following a major overhaul of the playing staff that summer.

The 50-year-old, who has previously worked for Red Bull Salzburg and RB Leipzig, was strongly linked with Southampton following his departure from Leeds, only for talks to collapse. 

Having never managed in the Championship before, he would represent something of a risk, certainly compared to an experienced coach like Tony Mowbray, who has split opinion amongst new betting sites.

Mowbray is second favourite at 7/2 on William Hill to be the next Birmingham manager but slightly larger elsewhere amid speculation over a quick return to management following his departure from Sunderland at the start of December.

The former Blackburn, Coventry, Middlesbrough and West Brom boss guided the Black Cats to the play-offs last season and had them sat in ninth before being let go by the Wearsiders.

Trio linked with Birmingham returns

Birmingham’s hierarchy are keen to speak to Marsch and Mowbray about the job, according to Sky Sports, with England Under-21 coach Lee Carsley another name on their shortlist.

Birmingham-born Carsley oversaw the Young Lions' run to the U21 European Championship title this summer and has won 21 of his 26 matches in charge, enhancing his growing reputation in coaching circles. 

As a homegrown talent and a former Birmingham City captain who guided the club to promotion in the 2008/09 season, Carsley would be a popular choice.

Blues’ fans may not be disappointed to see Gary Rowett return either given how well he did in his first stint as Birmingham manager. 

Rowett had two years at St Andrew’s between 2014 to 2016, saving Birmingham from relegation in his first season and had them challenging for the play-offs before his surprise sacking in December 2016 after a change of ownership at the club. 

Rowett is out of work after leaving Millwall earlier this season and has largely been a reliable performer for Derby, Stoke and the Lions since leaving Birmingham. 

John Eustace can relate to Rowett’s shock exit having suffered a similar fate when he was replaced by Rooney.

Despite having done a fine job and been linked with a host of managerial vacancies since then, Eustace remains out of work and is a contender for the position at 9/1.

It’s understood he would be open to a return to Birmingham, although the club's hierarchy is thought to be focusing their search elsewhere at this early juncture.