Grant favourite for Upton Park job

Avram Grant is the odds-on favourite with Sky Bet to become the next manager of West Ham after Gianfranco Zola was sacked on Tuesday morning. The Hammers narrowly avoided relegation this season by finishing fourth from bottom in the Premier League, five points above Burnley, and owners David Sullian and David Gold have decided a change in manager was needed.Current Portsmouth chief Grant was 5/1 with the Harrogate-based firm on Monday but a run of interest forced his odds to be slashed to 1/4, prior to the news of Zola's departure.Croatia boss Slaven Bilic is next in the betting at 5/1 (cut from 14/1) and Alex McLeish, Martin Jol and Mark Hughes have also been the subject of some interesting market moves.Alan Curbishley (12/1) and Alan Pardew (16/1) can be backed to make a shock return to Upton Park with former England boss Glenn Hoddle (16/1) and Leicester manager Nigel Pearson (16/1) also near the front of the market. Sky Bet's Helen Jacob said: "Although Avram Grant remains short priced favourite, there has been money for a large number of other candidates in what is a tremendously lively betting heat today!"The phone has been buzzing since news of Zola's departure, with some dramatic market moves: Slaven Bilic cut to 5s from 14s, Alex McLeish into 7s from 25/1, Martin Jol 16/1 from 40/1 and Mark Hughes to 8/s from 20s."

Source: Team_Talk