BOOKMAKERS Paddy Power curiously slashed their odds on David Moyes becoming the next Manchester United manager yesterday – apparently after a series of large bets were placed on the current Everton boss.

Moyes is now at odds on 1/2, down from 7/2, to take over from Ferguson – who himself has had his odds of leaving Manches- ter United in 2013 reduced down from 4/1 to 6/4.

A Paddy Power press release said: “2013 looks increasingly likely to be last in the glorious career of Sir Alex Ferguson and fellow Scot David Moyes is now odds on to be his successor. Various factors suggest the move may be made this year with a 20th League Champion- ship in the bag, a statue of Ferguson being unveiled in November and an upcoming hip operation for the Scot in the summer.”

That, however, was at odds with Ferguson’s programme notes ahead of Sunday’s defeat to Chelsea, in which he stressed he was going nowhere.

“This team of champions is not going away – we are here for the long ride,” Ferguson told the United Review.

“We will get better and if we apply ourselves in our normal fashion I see our 20th league title as nothing but the start of another decade of success.

“Whether I will be here to oversee another decade of success remains to be seen, but I certainly don’t have any plans at the moment to walk away from what I believe will be something special and worth being around to see.”