Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
Door now open for Championship manager
Tuesday 21st February 2012, 12:30PM GMT.
Brian McDermott’s emergence today as a possible candidate for the Wolves manager’s job has opened the door for a non-Premier League boss to stake their claim for the Molineux hot-seat.
With interest seemingly cooling on Steve Bruce, the 50-year-old Reading chief is a surprise name in the race to become Mick McCarthy’s successor.
But he has guided the Royals to third place in the Championship this season on a shoestring budget, which is bound to appeal to chairman Steve Morgan and chief executive Jez Moxey as they seek the right man to share their vision of taking Wolves forward on a sensible financial footing.
One-time Arsenal winger McDermott lost star players Shane Long and Matt Mills to Albion and Leicester for a combined £9m last summer.
Replacements Kaspars Gorkss and Adam Le Fondre cost just £900,000 and £350,000 respectively, and he has shown an ability to get the best out of players discarded by others.
Like McDermott, Blackpool manager Ian Holloway is also on a year’s rolling contract. There is mutual appeal in handing a chance to Holloway, who has recently moved out of his rented house in Burnley.
He has the added bonus of recent Premier League experience and has produced entertaining football teams in the top flight and Championship on a League One-sized budget.
An old disagreement at boardroom level between Blackpool chairman Karl Oyston and Moxey could be a potential stumbling block to any deal, however.
Malky Mackay completes the set of Championship contenders.
After leading Cardiff to the thick of a promotion race not to mention a Carling Cup final in his first season, the ex-Watford boss is only just getting stuck into the job in south Wales.
Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola has been mentioned in some quarters as a fringe candidate.
The Italian has kept a house in Kent from his time in charge of West Ham and is understood to be brushing up on his coaching badges.
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