The Dutchman expects to be in charge for the Aston Villa match

Russia coach Guus Hiddink is almost certain to take over as Chelsea manager until the end of the season after telling Dutch radio station 538: ”Within a few days I will go to London. I expect to be on the pitch next week.”

In an interesting development, Hiddink is the 11/8 favourite with SkyBet to take charge permanently in the summer despite pledging to stay with Russia until the World Cup. Milan boss Carlo Ancelotti is 7/2 with Gianfranco Zola (5/1), Frank Rijkaard (7/1) and Jose Mourinho (8/1) all close behind.

UPDATE: Chelsea have confirmed Guus Hiddink’s appointment.

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