Next Colchester Manager Odds: Early names in the frame to replace Matthew Etherington
Colchester United are looking for their third different manager of the season after the club sacked Matthew Etherington on New Year's Day.
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Etherington initially took charge of the club on an interim basis following October's exit of Ben Garner.
The 42-year-old impressed in the position, collecting 10 points from four games at the helm. However, results have deserted him ever since he was handed the permanent job: he lost nine of his 11 matches in all competitions, a dire run that includes eight defeats from his last nine.
The 1-0 defeat at home to Gillingham proved to be the final straw for the club's hierarchy, who are now searching for their seventh permanent boss since John McGreal left in the summer of 2020, with the troubled League Two club now one place above the drop zone in 22nd.
Who could Colchester turn to next on what has been a packed conveyor belt of bosses in recent years?
Given the club's poor form and vulnerable position in the table, they must get this next appointment right, with the club now 5/2 to be relegated down into the National League.
Bookmakers BetVictor and Parimatch have installed Wade Elliott (4/1) as the early favourite to replace Etherington.
Elliott has also experienced the sack this season, when he lost his job at Cheltenham in September following a nightmare start to the campaign.
To date, it's Elliott's only permanent post in management, although he has held various coaching posts at Bristol City, Forest Green Rovers, and Stoke.
Ross Embleton and Paul Konchesky follow in the betting at 6/1.
Embleton has been working as Colchester's Head of Recruitment since July 2022 and briefly stepped in as caretaker manager last February between the spells of Matt Bloomfield and Ben Garner.
Konchesky was most recently in charge of West Ham Women who he left in the summer after an 8th-place WSL finish, during a season in which he led his side to the Conti Cup semi-finals.
It may be difficult for Colchester to attract either of the former League Two promotion winners Danny Cowley and Mark Bonner, who were both recently working in League One, into a League Two relegation battle, although both bosses currently feature high up in the market at 8/1.
The experienced duo of Steve Cotterill and Phil Brown can be backed at 8/1 and 12/1 respectively, with Keith Curle at 16/1, ahead of the 25/1 priced Paul Tisdale.
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