*Odds correct as of October 24, 2022

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Steven Gerrard was trading as favourite when it came to the next manager sacked odds before Aston Villa decided to take a change of direction. The players responded immediately with a 4-0 victory against Brentford as the Midlands club now search for a permanent manager. 

The football betting sites initially made Ruben Amorim their favourite and it's easy to see why Villa might want to land a young manager who has been impressing with Sporting CP in the Champions League this season. 

However, Villarreal boss Unai Emery has now shortened in the betting and might be prepared to return to England, while Sean Dyche and Mauricio Pochettino remain among the favourites. It's also interesting to note that Thomas Frank hasn't ruled himself out of the job and the bookies have taken notice.

Emery Linked With a Return to the Premier League

Unai Emery had a difficult act to follow when replacing Arsene Wenger at Arsenal, with the Spaniard taking charge at the Emirates in May 2018. By November 2019, Emery was sacked, although he had previously performed very well with Sevilla and won three Europa League titles.

There was also a spell in charge at Paris Saint-Germain, with Emery steering the team to a Ligue 1 success in 2017-18, with the manager now in charge at Villarreal and the Yellow Submarine had a brilliant run in the Champions League last term when reaching the semi-finals of the competition.

Aston Villa could certainly do a lot worse than approach someone who has been really impressive in Spain, and there were certainly mitigating circumstances as to why Emery didn't perform at Arsenal in a post-Wenger climate.

Amorim Among Favourites to Replace Gerrard

Ruben Amorim isn't well known in England, although he has previously been linked to the Wolves manager's job. The Portuguese is currently in charge at Sporting CP and has done very well with the club, including this season's Champions League exploits.

Amorim is another young manager, with the 37-year-old having been in charge of Braga between 2019 and 2020 before joining Sporting. He won the Primeira Liga with Sporting in the 2020-21 season and has cultivated an attractive style of football.

Some media outlets are reporting that Amorim's release clause has been cut from £20 million to £10 million, with the manager actually in England this week where he will preside over Sporting's Champions League clash away to Tottenham.

Pochettino Could Be Open to Villa Role

Mauricio Pochettino has several years of Premier League managerial experience considering that the 50-year-old had a successful spell at Southampton between 2013-14 before being poached by Tottenham Hotspur and he was able to guide Spurs to a Champions League final during his time at the London club.

Poch eventually fell out with chairman Daniel Levy and left the club in 2019, although he was appointed as the head coach of Paris Saint-Germain and kept the role until leaving the Ligue 1 club in 2022, with the manager now looking for his next opportunity to return to management.

There's likely to be money available to strengthen the Aston Villa squad in January, and perhaps Pochettino would need assurances that he would have a spending budget in order to improve the team.

Michael Beale Could Be In Line For Villa Return

Michael Beale has just turned down the oppportunity to manage Wolves, with the 42-year-old deciding to stay in charge of Queens Park Rangers for the time being. However, his head could be turned by Aston Villa considering that he was on the payroll at Villa Park until last summer when he decided to cut his teeth at Loftus Road.

Beale was assistant to Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa, having also served as part of his backroom staff at Rangers. Many have cited his departure from the Midlands club as a central reason as to why they are underperforming this term. The former Sao Paulo assistant is now trading as one of the betting favourites.

Since arriving at Queens Park Rangers, Beale has the team playing an attractive style of football and they are challenging near the top of the Championship. It will be interesting whether he continues to pledge allegiance to the west London club should Aston Villa make an approach.

Could Villa Swoop for Tuchel After Chelsea Sacking?

Thomas Tuchel began the 2022/23 season as manager of Chelsea, although a 1-0 Champions League defeat at Dinamo Zagreb was the straw that broke the camel's back. The German had previously seen his Blues side lose 3-0 at Leeds as well as toss away a one-goal lead at St Mary's to lose to Southampton.

It has been reported that Tuchel will have to return to Germany to arrange a work permit, although there has also been speculation that the 49-year-old could be open to taking charge of the England national team should Gareth Southgate step down after the World Cup.

Perhaps international management has come too soon for Tuchel and the prospect of returning to England and improving the fortunes of Aston Villa could be an exciting project for someone who made his name at Borussia Dortmund before steering PSG and Chelsea to Champions League finals.

Thomas Frank Emerges as a Potential Contender

Thomas Frank saw his Brentford side soundly beaten 4-0 at Villa Park on Sunday. This was an unexpectedly bad day at the office for a team who had previously held Chelsea to a goalless draw, with the Dane afterwards refusing to rule himself out of the vacant position.

Frank has transformed the fortunes of the Bees by getting them promoted from the Championship before establishing the west London outfit in the top flight, although he specifically refused to quash any rumours and could certainly be open to talks with the Villa board.

Frank could use the interest from Villa as leverage to get a new contract at the Gtech Stadium and it would be a surprise to see him jumping ship at this stage but not completely out of the question.

Dyche Ready to Return to Management

Sean Dyche will surely maintain that he did a sterling job at Burnley considering the relative resources that were at his disposal. The Clarets were regularly one of the lowest-spenders in the Premier League. However, Dyche not only kept the Lancashire outfit in the top flight, but also steered them into Europe.

Dyche is now out of work after leaving Turf Moor towards the end of last season, with the 51-year-old now looking to return to the dugout. It s likely that he's had contact from clubs such as Wolves, West Brom and Middlesbrough regarding the vacant positions that have recently become available.

Many Villa supporters associate Dyche with a direct and pragmatic style of play, although it could be a case of rolling up the sleeves for a Villans side in an attempt to remain in the Premier League this term.

Roy Keane Could Be a Surprise Contender for Villa Job

Aston Villa will explore all avenues should they make a decision regarding Steven Gerrard's future, with Roy Keane someone who could be interested in taking charge at the Midlands club. He was recently linked with the vacant West Brom position and is keeping his eye in by attending a lot of matches.

Keane's most recent times in the dugout has been as an assistant to Martin O'Neill when being part of a Republic of Ireland and Nottingham Forest setups. Perhaps he now prefers the comfort of the TV studio rather than the pressures of management, especially in the top-flight where the stakes are high.

Even so, Villa might want to speak with someone who would command the respect of the players and have some ideas about how an improvement can be found on current efforts.

Parker and Terry Other Potential Names on Villa Shortlist

Scott Parker has been out of work for a couple of months since being sacked by AFC Bournemouth. The former England midfielder has previously steered the Cherries to the Premier League and could be open to talks with Villa.

John Terry has previously been part of Dean Smith's backroom staff at Aston Villa and left the Midlands club to pursue his managerial career, although he hasn't been appointed at any club yet. Perhaps he has decided against football management although it would be a natural fit considering he already knows the club and several of the players.