Either something completely insane is afoot, or, as they say in England, the bookmakers are having a laugh.
Odds have been suddenly slashed for Steve Bruce to leave his post at Hull City and become the next manager at recently relegated side Fulham, setting the rumor mill into a confused state.
Some English oddsmakers have Bruce as low as 5/2 to leave Hull City, and 11/4 to join Fulham, down from as high as 33/1. Those odds would make him the second-favorite for the job behind interim manager Kit Symons.
Felix Magath was sacked on September 18th, and academy manager Symons has been wildly successful in his stead, pulling the Cottagers out of the relegation zone with wins against the likes of Norwich City, Bolton, and Charlton Athletic.
No actual word or printed rumors have been released, and for every correct slash a bookmaker makes another four likely fall by the wayside, so this is for all intents and purposes useless information, but occasionally they know something we don’t and it proves to be prophetic.
Bruce brought Hull City up to the Premier League from the lower levels two years ago, and they enjoyed plentiful success in their first season back in the top flight avoiding the drop and reaching the final of the FA Cup to earn a Europa League berth. He’s also proved last year wasn’t a one-hit wonder, with Hull currently in 10th in the league and putting in some quality showings, especially defensively.
Again, this would be absolutely mad if it happens, meaning it probably won’t. But it’s still worth noting when there is such significant movement. It would be shocking enough if Symons doesn’t get the job given his results and the reaction of the fans to his job thus far, and for Bruce to leave Hull would be a thousand times more ridiculous. It would have to be a Mackay-like situation for that to happen.