Is this a shortlist of 5?

My top 5 would be:

1. Martin O'Neill





2. Alan Curbishley
3. Billy Davies
4. Roberto Di Matteo
5. Mark Hughes

Take Martin out and it doesn't look too good does it? I would go for Di Matteo if pushed.

Mad Dog

I'm slowly getting more convinced about Dave Jones's credentials. The more I think about it, the more I think he could do a good job here.

I'm not so keen on Lee Clark though; his situation is sounding way too much like Holloway's for my liking.

Dunge - Ditto on Clark. Thought he would be good at first but then, after reading what Huddersfield fans said about him, that he seems to have blown it when he had arguably the strongest team in the league. Like a League 1 equivalent of Dave Jones. I'm not too sure about Jones, he would be fairly steady and wouldn't be that bad but his previous failures would worry me. Same would go for Davies.

My list (discounting MON):

Hughes (Done well in the Prem and been in English football long enough to know this league)

Di Matteo (Not sure we could tempt him away from Chelsea but done well with West Brom previously)

Freedman (Doubt we could persuade him away from Palace considering it's a club very close to his heart but he has done well with a club that was previously relegation candidates. Limited management experience though - a risk.)

Curbishley (Not sure if he is keen to get back into management but has done well previously at both getting promotion and staying in the Premier League)

Davies (Done well in the Championship previously and does have the ability to get the best out of his players and get his teams challenging but is more of a nearly man and not done too well when managing in the PL)

Jones (See Davies)

Clark (Done a decent job with Huddersfield but maybe he should have got them up with the team he had and the money he's spent. One of the brightest young managers but hasn't managed in this league. Definitely be a risk)

Would be happy with any of those.

Lee Clark is being talked about like a done deal.

Dennis Wise &Eddie Newton