Next Plymouth Manager Odds: Eight names in the frame to replace Steven Schumacher
Gab Sutton runs the rule over eight candidates to replace Steven Schumacher at Plymouth Argyle...
Next Plymouth Manager Odds Sign Up Offer
- Sign up to Parimatch using the link below
- Place a £10 bet on any football market, including the Next Plymouth Manager Odds
- Get £50 in Free Bets
1. Paul Cook
Hard to envisage.
Paul Cook has had a great career in management so far, primarily in the lower leagues with Chesterfield, Portsmouth and Wigan.
The Liverpudlian has had relative success before in the Championship, keeping the Latics in the second-tier and nearly doing it with an incredible run in the second half of 2019-20, when the points deduction scuppered them.
Nonetheless, his main strengths are his passion, and ability to get players running through brick walls for him, which works at a lower level when his resources are often superior to his competitors.
At Championship level, he’d be likely to be found wanting for tactical acumen, although he’s doing a fantastic job with the Spireites in his second stint, and will surely lead them to the National League title.
2. Leighton Baines
It’s difficult to know quite how good a coach Leighton Baines really is, when his playing career had so much to do with the opportunity he’s had at Everton as Professional Development Coach.
Under-23s boss David Unsworth has expressed his approval of Baines’ contribution to the coaching staff, and endorsed his impact on young players – and he’s nurtured talents like Jarrad Branthwaite - but still there’s more questions than answers.
3. John Eustace
Despite having been sacked, John Eustace comes out of his stint with Birmingham with far more credit than he went into it with.
2022-23 expectations at Blues were on the floor, and he dragged a wafer-thin squad to 17th amid a cloud of uncertainty, whilst improving individuals and establishing clearer patterns of play.
The takeover the following season allowed Eustace the funds to significantly improve the squad, and with the right additions, he had them flying high in 6th, beating West Brom 3-1 in his final game.
Under the 43-year-old, the B9 outfit sustained pressure effectively within a responsible shape, and had the capacity to hurt teams on the counter-attack.
Eustace might not be a stylistic visionary, which could be a snag if that’s what Argyle want, but his side’s do play good football in the opposing half.
4. Nathan Jones
Nathan Jones’ greatest strength as a manager has been his ability to create a siege mentality.
The fiery Welshman is a huge personality, and when he gets buy-in from supporters, he can achieve special things, as we saw at Luton – whom he led predominantly from midtable in League Two to the Championship Play-Offs in seven years, across two spells.
Jones’ personality is also a double-edged sword, and he can rub people up the wrong way in a certain context, and while this wasn’t so much the case at Stoke, it was at Southampton.
However, he’s shown the flexibility to build different teams: in his first spell with the Hatters, they excelled with a diamond system, and extremely attacking full-backs, which was a joy to watch.
In his second spell, he had to be more pragmatic given resources at Championship level, and he built more of a direct, crossing side that progressed from being six points adrift of safety when he took charge, to survival, a top half finish, and then a Play-Off Semi-Final defeat to Huddersfield.
5. Michael Duff
Despite a blip at Swansea, Michael Duff should continue to enjoy a wonderful career in management, after meeting or massively exceeding expectations consistently for five years, with Cheltenham and Barnsley.
The Northern Irishman’s sides can mix up their game in possession, and while they’re not as direct as they’re often pigeonholed as – 2019-20 Cheltenham played some lovely stuff, for instance – they’ve tended to like a focal point up top, from Luke Varney, Sam Smith, Kyle Joseph and Kion Etete at Whaddon Road, to James Norwood at Oakwell.
Duff likes his sides to be aggressive against the ball, and he more than deserves an opportunity at this level.
Location could be a minor hitch, if the club want their manager to live permanently in Plymouth and commit to the city, whereas John Sheridan, Derek Adams, Ryan Lowe and Steven Schumacher have all seen their homes to be further afield.
Duff lives in Cheltenham, and said while Swansea manager that he’s not prepared to uproot his family, especially at an important stage for his children, which shows he’s a good person and a responsible father.
At the same time, it doesn’t make the logistical aspect ideal, depending on how important the new Head Coach moving permanently is to the club.
6. Brian Barry-Murphy
If Argyle want a super process-driven, stylistically uncompromising coach with a thirst for development, look no further than Brian Barry-Murphy.
The Irishman did fantastic work at Rochdale, keeping them up from a tight spot in 2018-19, keeping them comfortably safe the following season on a bottom-end budget, whilst getting them playing good football.
2020-21 was a nigh-on impossible job with a wafer-thin squad ravaged by vultures in the summer, with scant resources to bring players in – and even then, while they were relegated, it wasn’t confirmed until the penultimate game, and they still managed to score more goals that season than promoted Blackpool.
Since BBM left for Man City EDS, The Dale suffered a second relegation out of the EFL two years later, as a backlog of issues caused by a toxic former director left them with too much damage to undo.
As such, the fate that was suffered was almost inevitable, and it’s a credit to Barry-Murphy that they weren’t relegated in either of the previous two seasons.
BBM has won two PL2 titles with the EDS, developing some of the top prospects in the world in Rico Lewis, Cole Palmer, Callum Doyle, Tommy Doyle, John McAtee, Liam Delap, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, Fin Burns and Alex Robertson.
He’d take those developmental qualities to Devon, as well as a handy contacts book.
7. Chris Davies
Chris Davies has a well-paid job at Tottenham Hotspur, as assistant to Ange Postecoglou, so this one depends on whether the 38-year-old is prepared to give up that in order to become a number one.
Plymouth Argyle would be as good a starting place as any to do that for a first-time Head Coach, and the Welshman has been influenced heavily by Brendan Rodgers, assisting him at Swansea, Liverpool, Celtic, and Leicester.
The fact he’s followed the Northern Irishman to four different clubs speaks volumes for how highly he’s regarded as a coach.
8. Tony Mowbray
Tony Mowbray is a consistent, 7+/10 Championship manager, with a knack of taking over sides struggling in the bottom half and establishing them as Play-Off contenders over a few seasons.
For this stage of Argyle’s trajectory, the former Sunderland boss’ Championship experience could be valuable, likewise his excellent man management qualities and dignified character.
One of the reasons Mowbray went to the Stadium of Light in the first place, however, was because it allowed him to be closer to his family in the north-east.
A move to Plymouth would be literally the furthest away from his family he could possibly be, in taking an EFL job.
Read More:
Subscribe now for the latest previews, exclusive tips supported by stats, and top offers sent directly to your inbox.
The people behind this page
BettingOdds.com is committed to supporting Reponsible Gambling Initiatives - For additional information visit : GamCare | GambleAware | Gamblers Anonymous
Content on BettingOdds.com is not intended for anybody under 18 years of age.
