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Mourinho favourite for next England boss
LONDON (AFP) - Former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho is the favourite to be the next permanent England manager, bookmakers said Thursday.
England failed to reach the 2008 European Championships due to Wednesday's 3-2 defeat at home to Qualifying Group E leaders Croatia, with much of the fire aimed at coach Steve McClaren.
Bookmakers made Mourinho, Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill and Portugal boss Luis Felipe Scolari among the front runners to take over from McClaren.
The board of the Football Association (FA), the sport's governing body in England, has called an emergency meeting for 8:30 am (0830 GMT), with McClaren expected to be sacked. FA chief executive Brian Barwick so far has declined to say whether McClaren would be sacked.
"There's lots to think about and talk about tomorrow," Barwick told Sky News television as he arrived home from the match, referring to the meeting.
"I'm very disappointed that we haven't been able to get through to the finals, of course. It's not what we set out to do."
McClaren said after the match he would not offer his resignation.
The odds on McClaren still being in his job at the end of the year are 20/1, according to bookmaker William Hill.
"We went 13/8 for him to be gone within 24 hours at half time of the game but now we believe he has no chance whatsoever of staying in his job so are not prepared to give money away by betting on him to go," said spokesman Graham Sharpe.
William Hill made Mourinho the 5/1 favourite. The Portuguese boss, who won two Portguese league titles and the Champions League with Porto and two English Premier League medals, is out of work after leaving Chelsea in September.
He has stated his long-term ambition is to manage Portugal.
Northern Irishman O'Neill was the second favourite at 11/2, with Scolari -- the man who turned down the England job last time, leaving the FA to appoint McClaren -- third at 6/2.
The Brazilian led his home country to win the 2002 World Cup.
Russia took the second and final Group E qualifying spot, finishing a point ahead of England. Russia boss Gus Hiddink was 7/1 and England under-21s boss Stuart Pearce was at 10/1/.
Paddy Power had Mourinho at 7/2, followed by O'Neill at 9/2, Scolari at 6/1 and Hiddink at 8/1. Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce and Fabio Capello, the former Real Madrid, Juventus, AC Milan and Roma boss, were 14/1.
Former England bosses were also listed, with current assistant coach Terry Venables at 40/1, Kevin Keegan at 100/1 and Bobby Robson at 250/1.
Coral quoted Mourinho at 7/2, O'Neill at 5/1, former England captain Alan Shearer and Reading boss Steve Coppell at 10/1, with Scolari at 12/1.
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