The bookmakers expect Mourinho to swap Milan for Eastlands

It looks like the folks at SkyBet agree with The Spoiler and its readers with the belief that Mark Hughes’ days are numbered after he received the managerial kiss of death earlier this week. They have opened a market on who Manchester City’s next manager will be and the list is loaded with big names. Here are the five leading contenders to take charge of the billionaires:

Jose Mourinho
It’s only five months since The Special One took charge of table-topping Inter Milan, yet he finds himself in the curious position of simultaneously being favourite to become the next manager of Manchester City and Manchester United. The former Chelsea boss became the first man ever to win the Premier League in his first season, but do City really want a manager who will turn their exciting young attacking talent into flair-free workhorses?

Frank Rijkaard
Two years ago, Rijkaard guided Barcelona to a La Liga/Champions League double, but his stock has plummeted since then and he was axed earlier this year after a run of just three wins in thirteen league games saw Barca finish utterly trophyless. The fact his inexperienced successor Josep Guardiola has instantly taken the Catalan club to the top spot while scoring seventeen goals in their last three home games makes you wonder where the Dutchman was going wrong.

Roberto Mancini
The Italian kindly ended Inter Milan’s seventeen year wait for the title by winning three in a row (the first of which was handed to them after Juventus’ enforced relegation and Milan’s points deduction) but his reward for such drastic over-achievement was the

Is Jurgen finally having to settle his karmic debt for a career of outrageous dives?

From the never less than excellent The Week

“Jurgen Klinsmann’s reputation as one of the greatest figures in German sporting history is under threat, says Ian Hawkey in the Sunday Times. The former Spurs striker has courted ridicule ever since he took over as manager of Bayern Munich, bringing with him some “new-age gimmicks”, from California. Within days of taking over the club, Klinsmann erected four Buddha statues on the roof of Bayern’s training headquarters - including a “mysterious addition” from Burma called Shakyamuni.

Klinsmann, who coached Germany to the semi-finals of the 2006 World Cup, claimed they would “spread positive energy”, although the “porcelain deities” have had a decidedly negative impact on results.

Under-fire Bayern party Bavarian style

Jurgen Klinsmann’s long-awaited arrival at Bayern Munich has had about as much impact on the club as an inspirational Juande Ramos team-talk is having on Spurs at the minute. One point from three games is an awful start to Klinsmann’s reign at the champions, but there is no point crying over spilt lager. At least not when you could dress yourself up like a prize muppet and attend Oktoberfest. The Bayern boss does a mean impression of Roald Dahl’s The BFG.

It is an annual tradition for the Bayern squad to kit out in traditional Bavarian gear and attend Oktoberfest, Munich’s 16-day old school bender. I suppose the Liverpool Christmas party is about as close as the Premier League gets to this. More photos and after the jump.

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