5 potential managers for Aston Villa
It's been a turbulent few months for Aston Villa fans. Following a dramatic play-off final defeat to Fulham, the former Premier League club's future was thrown into uncertainty over the Summer thanks to financial problems, before the club was saved by a pair of billionaires with days to spare.
Their Championship campaign has begun in an equally nerve-wracking fashion, with the club having only won 3 of their opening 10 games so far this season.
Things took another twist at Aston Villa this week when, following a dramatic 3-3 draw with Championship strugglers, Preston North End, the club finally decided to put Steve Bruce out of his misery on Wednesday.
The hunt for a new manager will begin today for Villa, and there are already plenty of exciting names being thrown around by their fans. With their new investment, the club is once again an attractive prospect for potential managers, and with the right backing, a promotion-winning campaign could be on the cards for the Midlands club.
Getting the appointment right is going to be absolutely essential to Aston Villa's success this season, so let's take at the five most likely candidates to replace Steve Bruce at Aston Villa.
#5: Brendan Rodgers
Quite frankly, there are not many jobs as easy in football as managing Celtic. Brendan Rodgers, who arrived at the club in 2016, has won nearly 70% of his games in all competitions in the last two years and has managed to successfully make the gap between Celtic and the rest of the Scottish Premier League even bigger.
While Rodgers is no doubt enjoying his time North of the border, there is every chance that the former Liverpool manager may fancy a return to English football, and Villa could prove to be the perfect opportunity for him.
Rodgers has previous experience in the Championship, helping to mastermind Swansea's first ever promotion to the top-flight back in the 2010/11 season, and he could be seen as a serious contender for the Aston Villa hot-seat.