Next Bristol Rovers Manager Odds

Bristol Rovers are on the search for a new manager following the sacking of Joey Barton on 26th October following the Pirates' 1-1 draw with Stevenage on 24th October.

Under Barton, Bristol Rovers suffered relegation to League Two in the 2020/21 season following his appointment on 22nd February 2021, however, the former Newcastle midfielder led Rovers back to League One via a third-place finish in League Two thanks to a dramatic 7-0 win over Scunthorpe on the final day of the season.

Since then, Barton has led the club to a 17th-place finish in 2022/23, while leaving the club in 16th this campaign.

Garry Monk is the early favourite for the Bristol Rovers job with the 44-year-old looking for his first job since being sacked by Sheffield Wednesday in November 2020.

The ex-Swansea City defender has struggled to establish himself in a significant managerial role since his days at Swansea and Leeds United, having earned a 7th-place finish in the Championship with the later, having been sacked by the likes of Middlesbrough and Birmingham City.

Perhaps this would be a good move for Monk to build off, having been out of the managerial game for around three years.

Ian Holloway is a shock second-favourite to return to Bristol Rovers as manager.

Holloway is known for being an enthusiastic manager who has earned sides shock promotions, as the 58-year-old has led the likes of Blackpool to the Premier League in the 2009/10 season, as well as Crystal Palace via the play-offs in 2013, of which the Eagles have remained in England’s top-flight since.

The ex-Blackpool manager coached Bristol Rovers from May 1996 to January 2021, overseeing 247 matches in charge of the club, winning 90 and drawing 70 during this time.

‘Ollie’s’ last job was at Grimsby Town in League Two between 2019 and 2020 where he was blamed by many at the club for their relegation to the National League in 2020/21, so he may be looking to prove people wrong by improving his reputation in the game once again.

Neil Harris is on the search for a new job following his dismissal by Gillingham.

The 46-year-old has a plethora of managerial experience in leagues above League Two, having coached Millwall between 2015 and 2019 where he won the League One play-offs in 2017, as well as managing Cardiff City from 2019 to 2021.

During his time at Gillingham, he managed to win 31 and draw 25 of his 90 matches in charge and was harshly sacked this season with the Gills sitting in eighth place after just 11 matches.

Ex-Shrewsbury Town manager Steve Cotterill has emerged as one of the favourites for the job at Bristol Rovers.

The 58-year-old oversaw a 12th-placed finish with the Shrews during the 2022/23 season and has a decent record at League One level, having guided Bristol City to the League One title and Football League Trophy back in 2014/15.

Cotterill is known for offering sides stability, having managed Cheltenham Town between 1997 and 2002, overseeing two promotions and an EFL Trophy win, while also being held in high regard at Burnley for his spell at Turf Moor between 2004 and 2007 in what were tough times for the Turf Moor side.

Gareth Ainsworth has reportedly been linked with the job at Bristol Rovers following his recent sacking at QPR.

The 50-year-old had a torrid time upon his return to Loftus Road, having only managed to win five of his 28 matches in charge, equating to an 18% win percentage. However, the ex-Preston winger will be hoping that his excellent spell as Wycombe Wanderers manager is favourably looked upon.

Staggeringly, Ainsworth managed the Chairboys 550 times between September 2012 and February 2023, winning 291 and drawing 137 matches, equating to a 40% win percentage while managing to earn promotion from League Two in 2017/18, as well as League One in 2020, leading the club to their first-ever season in the Championship before inevitably suffering relegation back to League One in 2020/21.

Former Portsmouth manager Danny Cowley is also on the lookout for a new job, having had his contract terminated with the South Coast club last season.

The 44-year-old lost his job at Fratton Park in January 2023 having failed to win a league game for over two months, leaving Pompey in 12th at the time, while his overall managerial record of the club lies at 42 wins and 27 draws from 97 matches, equating to a 43.3% win percentage.

Cowley previously managed Huddersfield Town in the Championship for a total of 40 matches, winning 13 and drawing 11, consolidating the Terriers' place in the division during the 2019/20 season.

His three-year spell at Lincoln City will be remembered as his best managerial spell to date, having won two promotions from the National League (2016/17) and League Two (2018/19) by winning each division, on top of this, the Imps also won the EFL Trophy in 2018, while being the first side in over 100 years to reach the quarter-finals of the FA Cup outside of the Football League in the 2016/17 season.

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