Simon Grayson Bookies Favourite For The Axe TSS September 5, 2011 Leeds United 64 Comments Football management is a fickle business. Regardless of how well any manager has done in the past, a few bad results can change the mood rapidly. Despite guiding Leeds United to promotion in 2010 and finishing just outside the Championship play-off positions in 2011, Simon Grayson is now the bookies favourite to be the next Championship sacking after picking up only four points from the opening five games. Leeds United fans will point to three red cards as reason for our poor start, but a poor transfer window leaving the club lacking in depth and the loss of star player Max Gradel means Simon Grayson is facing an uphill battle to turn things around. Factor in Ken Bates, a chairman who has never been afraid to sack an under-performing manager and you can understand why the bookies are shortening the odds. At the time of posting Simon Grayson is 2/1 with Sky Bet, which is by no means an odds on certainty, but his odds are significantly shorter than anyone else in the division. Steve “Under My Umbrella” McLaren of Nottingham Forest is next up at 4/1 followed by Coventry City’s Andy Thorn at 11/2. Whilst I personally think Simon Grayson has been unlucky so far and should be safe, the high level of expectation always present at Elland Road makes the odds understandable – a couple more defeats and pressure will mount for the previously untouchable Leeds boss.