Next Crewe Alexandra Manager Odds

Crewe Alexandra have parted ways with David Artell following their relegation to League Two after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Doncaster Rovers.

Alexandra had lost 15 of their last 16 matches, seeing the Gresty Road club sit on just 25 points after 42 matches, a mere 13 points from Morecambe in 20th place with just six wins to their name.

The 41-year-old had been Crewe’s manager since January 2017, managing 274 games, winning exactly 100 times, equating to a 36.5% win rate. In the 2019/20 season, Artell managed Crewe to promotion from League Two via a second-place finish and was named as the division’s Manager of the Year.

At present, Artell’s Assistant Manager Alex Morris has stepped up into the Interim Manager role until the end of the season.

Morris, was a former Crewe player himself in his youth career, coming through around the 2004/05 season alongside the likes of David Vaughan and Dean Ashton, but, due to multiple injuries, was forced to take up coaching.

The 38-year-old notably lead Crewe’s Under 18s to the quarter-final of the Youth Cup where they were defeated by Manchester City, as well as leading the Reserve Team to a Cheshire Senior Cup win back in 2017 at the expense of Nantwich Town.

Morris is priced at 5/4 to become Crewe’s next permanent manager.

Former Crewe defender Richard Walker is also in the frame for the manager’s job at Gresty Road.

At present, Walker is Stoke City’s Under 18s manager and notably made 101 league appearances in his time at Crewe between 1999 and 2006 before leaving to join Port Vale.

The 41-year-old has been coaching at youth levels since 2009, meaning that he has arguably earned enough experience and credibility to have a chance of managing his old club when considering that this was also Artell’s first job in management.

David Unsworth has also been rumoured to be of interest to the management team at Crewe.

The 48-year-old recently left his post at Everton as Under 23s manager which has recently sparked rumours and conversations about what will be his next move.

Crewe could be a good destination for Unsworth due to it being in fairly close proximity to Goodison Park, with Unsworth also said to be keen to get into management.

The former Toffees defender has been a caretaker manager in his career on four separate occasions since retiring back in 2009, winning five of his 16 matches in charge, but, his record of bringing through young talents such as Anthony Gordon could be of interest to Crewe as they typically like to promote academy products into their first team.

Michael Jolley is the fourth-favourite for the job at Crewe at 20/1.

The 45-year-old was Burnley’s Under 23s manager between 2014 and 2017 before making the move to Swedish outfit AFC Eskilstuna for the 2017/18 campaign where he was sacked after winning just four of his 18 games in charge of the club.

Since then, Jolley managed Grimsby between March 2018 and November 2019, winning 29 of 79 with the Mariners, but left the club via mutual consent despite being well within the promotion-chasing pack of League Two when he departed.

Jolley’s last managerial reign was nothing short of a disaster at Barrow AFC, as he managed to win just one of his first seven games in charge, effectively forcing the Bluebirds' hand following disagreements with the Barrow board.

West Ham United Assistant Manager Kevin Nolan has also been linked with Crewe’s managerial vacancy.

The 39-year-old Liverpudlian has had a little bit of managerial experience, having managed Leyton Orient as a Player-Manager between January 2016 and April 2016, winning seven of his 15 matches in charge.

Nolan’s last managerial spell came back in January 2017 when he was appointed as Notts County Manager before leaving Meadow Lane in August the following year with 35 wins and 23 draws to his name in 84 matches.

Another former Liverpudlian footballer is on this list in the shape of Robbie Fowler.

Despite an impressive playing career that spanned just short of 20 years, Fowler’s managerial career is yet to take off, with the 47-year-old yet to manage in England.

Fowler has managed three clubs so far in his managerial career, with the most recent being Chennaiyin this year. Prior to this, he struggled to make an impact at East Bengal, winning just three of 20 matches in charge, having previously been a coach at Brisbane Roar where he had more success, overseeing 11 victories in 24 games.

The former England international’s first managerial role came back in October 2011 with Thai club Muangthong United where he managed four wins in 13 matches as a Player-Manager.