Next Sunderland manager odds with early favourite and French candidates linked

Former Birmingham City manager John Eustace is the early favourite to replace Tony Mowbray as Sunderland manager - but the bookies odds illustrate just how open a field it is.

The Black Cats took the big decision to part with Mowbray following the 1-1 draw at Millwall which has left them ninth in the Championship table and with only two wins in their last nine games. However, Mowbray led the club to the play-offs last season and, until recently, had the Wearsiders challenging near the top of the table.

There are suggestions Sunderland will look to the continent for their next manager, and if that is the case, two names stand out on the early list of contenders. Julien Sable is currently assistant manager at Nice, helping to guide the club to second in the Ligue 1 table behind Paris Saint-Germain, and is currently priced at 12/1 to take over at Sunderland. He has twice had spells as interim boss at Saint Etienne.

Eric Roy is also backed at 12/1 - a name more familiar to Sunderland fans following his spell at the club as a player in the 1999-2000 season. He is currently manager of Brest in France, and has guided the club to seventh this term. Otherwise, it's a list of familiar names on the EFL circuit.

Eustace had impressed at Birmingham before being sacked to make way for Wayne Rooney's arrival - with the Blues struggling for form since, and is the 6/1 early favourite, followed by former Luton Town and Southampton boss Nathan Jones.

Jones has been a big hit at Luton Town in two spells, but struggled at the Saints as they crashed out of the Premier League last season. He is priced 8/1 along with former Australian international Kevin Muscat. He is currently in charge of Yokohama F Marinos is Japan having previously taken charge of Melbourne Victory in his native Australia and Sint Truiden in Belgium.

Former Sunderland boss Steve Bruce (12/1) is on the list, of course, having recently expressed an interest to get back into management following his sacking at West Brom, and Neil Warnock is priced at 8/1 having left Huddersfield Town earlier this season.

Next Sunderland manager odds

• John Eustace 6/1
• Nathan Jones 8/1
• Kevin Muscat 8/1
• Neil Warnock 8/1
• Karl Robinson 12/1
• Steve Bruce 12/1
• Julien Sable 12/1
• Eric Roy 12/1
• Lee Carsley 12/1
• Steven Schumacher 12/1
• Paul Heckingbottom 12/1
• Mike Dodds 12/1
• Frank Lampard 14/1
• Garry Monk 16/1
• Gary Rowett 16/1
• Graham Potter 16/1
• Nigel Pearson 16/1
• Kevin Phillips 16/1

Odds correct at time of publication