ONE leading bookmaker has made Ipswich Town boss Paul Jewell the favourite to be the first Championship manager to leave his post.

Stan James believes Jewell is a 4/1 shot to be sacked or quit Portman Road when the new season kicks off next week.

It is, in one sense, understandable given the Blues’ dire run of seven straight defeats last season with only the remarkable turnaround at Barnsley in December preventing – perhaps – insurmountable pressure on Jewell’s head.

The Ipswich manager is entering the final year of his contract and will need to start the 2012/13 season well to ensure he earns a new deal.

But he continues to have the strong support of owner Marcus Evans and while the club’s investment in new players this summer has been small, with one eye on new Financial Fair Play rules, that overall backing is set to continue.

Burnley manager Eddie Howe, Peterborough boss Darren Ferguson and Nigel Pearson at Leicester are also said to be on shaky ground according to the bookmakers while the longest odds isfor Watford manager Gianfranco Zola at 25/1 to leave.

Elsewhere, with Paddy Power, Town are 25/1 to win the Championship and 15/2 to get promoted.

Michael Chopra, who has enjoyed a fine pre-season netting six goals, is 20/1 seventh favourite to be top of the goalscoring charts at the end of the campaign.