Sunderland still fancied to avoid drop after Di Canio appointment
Published:Paolo Di Canio’s appointment as Sunderland manager has made little change to their relegation odds.
The Black Cats are holding pretty steady at 7/4 to be playing Championship football next season following the controversial decision to give the Italian the job.
Reading remain the massive odds-on favourites to be relegated at 1/40. The Royals are currently seven points adrift of Wigan in 17th following a run of six straight defeats in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, QPR – who play at Fulham this Monday evening – are also odds-on at a slightly longer 1/9.
With those two sides looking almost certain to be dropping down a division come May, there remains just one other relegation spot up for grabs – and it’s Premier League ever-presents Aston Villa who are looking the most likely to take it.
The Villains suffered their first defeat in three against Liverpool on Sunday and, with Wigan (7/4) showing signs of their traditional Spring spring up the table happening yet again, it’s tough to see beyond those three.
Of course, a lot will depend on the ability of Di Canio to get his players on side in the limited time he has until the end of the season.
His reign at Swindon was allegedly characterised by brutal training regimes and a no-nonsense approach to discipline
With things so finely balanced at the bottom of the Premier League, how his new charges react to his methods could be the difference between success and failure.
However, while he is, as Swindon chairman Jeremy Wray said, “pure box office”, it’s difficult to see his fiery character doing anything other than inspiring the Black Cats – in the short term at least.
