Coventry manager Iain Dowie is the early favourite to succeed Gary Megson as Leicester boss, who is poised to join Bolton.
Megson's shock departure was confirmed on Wednesday evening, after Foxes chairman Milan Mandaric reluctantly allowed him to speak to the Premier League club.
Now Leicester will have to find their third manager of the season, and their fifth boss in six months, with Dowie being linked as the man who could fill the hot seat.
Reports claim the former Crystal Palace boss is getting frustrated with life with the Sky Blues, who had a transfer embargo slapped on them earlier this week.
Former Leicester defender and Blackpool boss Simon Grayson, ex-Wigan manager Paul Jewell and England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce have also been mentioned as possible candidates.
25 October 2007
Vincent Pericard will resume training at Stoke City today after being released from prison for a second time - and could be in line for an immediate recall to first-team duties.
Pericard was re-arrested and sent back to prison - where he has spent the last fortnight - on October 12, after his electronic tag fell off his left ankle on two occasions.
But yesterday morning, the 25-year-old striker walked free from a Manchester prison, having served his time wearing the tag as part of his parole conditions.
Pericard was due to be reunited with his City team-mates at training, as the club ponders whether to include him in the squad for Saturday's trip to Championship high-fliers Bristol City.
Assistant manager Dave Kemp said: "I think Vincent is coming into training today, and we will have to see how he is. But it is too early to say whether he will be in contention for the trip to Bristol City on Saturday."
Before his re-arrest, Pericard had already served nearly five weeks of a four-month prison sentence for lying to police over a speeding fine.
Pericard's chances of making Saturday's squad have been heightened by the loss of midweek goal hero Richard Cresswell to suspension and Mama Sidibe, who is still recovering from injuries sustained during an attack while on international duty with Mali a fortnight ago.
Ricardo Fuller and Jon Parkin are also doubts after picking up knocks in Tuesday's 3-1 win at Crystal Palace.
Despite concerns over their fitness for the weekend, Kemp was impressed with how frontmen Fuller and Cresswell combined at Palace as fans saw the new strike partnership for the first time.
Kemp said: "Cressy did brilliantly. He works really hard and does a lot of Ricardo's leg work, which Mama (Sidibe) also does well. It is a potential partnership, but Mama and Parkin can also play - it is important everyone can play. Ricardo and Parkin both took knocks on Tuesday night, but hopefully they will be fine for the match on Saturday."
Meanwhile, Kemp refused to confirm whether the Potters are on the verge of signing Coventry defender Elliott Ward, who has been linked with a big-money move to the Britannia Stadium.
"Ward is one player, out of many, we are interested in," added Kemp.
"It is no closer than that, and nothing will be done before the end of the week."
18 October 2007
Bolton have asked Real Sociedad for permission to speak to Chris Coleman regarding the managerial vacancy at The Reebok Stadium.
The news comes on the same day that Birmingham boss Steve Bruce claimed his club were also approached by The Trotters, who are seeking a successor to Sammy Lee following the latter's departure on Wednesday.
Bolton chairman Phil Gartside has clearly wasted no time in sounding out potential candidates and Coleman's advisor, Alan Smith, admits the chance to return to The Premier League would represent 'a very interesting proposition'.
The former Fulham boss has made a mediocre start at the San Sebastian club, winning four of his first eight league games in charge of the team who started the campaign in Spain's Segunda Division following last season's relegation.
Smith, who was Coleman's former manager at Crystal Palace, said: "Bolton have asked Real Sociedad for permission to speak to Chris.
'It's a very interesting proposition for him to return to The Premier League, but at the same time he is happy in Spain. We have already turned down an enquiry from another English club."
Reports in the North West suggest Paul Jewell is also on Bolton's shortlist to succeed Lee.
17 October 2007
Former Bolton Wanderers midfielder Jason McAteer feels former Wigan Athletic boss Paul Jewell is the frontrunner for the job at the Reebok Stadium.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Trotters announced that Sammy Lee had left by mutual consent.
As such, the likes of Jewell, Peter Reid and Peter Taylor are being linked with the vacant position at the Wanderers, who however are languishing in the 19th position in the Premiership but have moved into the group phase of the UEFA Cup and are set to face German giants Bayern Munich.
McAteer, who retired from professional football in June this year after also having played for Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers and Sunderland, told Sky Sports News: "Paul Jewell would be one of the frontrunners; he's been resting and has decided to get back into it. I know Peter Reid will be looking at it and would be a fans' favourite and Peter Taylor has just left Crystal Palace. There's a few big names out there and it's a big, big job. It would be nice to see Paul Jewell get it though. He's one of the new breed coming through and he's done wonders at Wigan."
15 October 2007
Former Wales international Kit Symons has stepped down as first team coach at Championship side Crystal Palace, BBC Wales Sport understands.
Symons has been the club's assistant manager since being appointed by then manager Iain Dowie in December 2003.
He kept his role under the leadership of Peter Taylor who was sacked last week following a poor start.
But new manager Neil Warnock has brought his own backroom team to Selhurst Park.
08 October 2007
Peter Taylor was fired as Crystal Palace manager Monday after the London club's poor start to the League Championship season.
Palace drew 1-1 with Hull on Saturday and is in 19th place with 10 points from 10 games.
"Crystal Palace Football Club announce that Peter Taylor's contract has been terminated with immediate effect," the club said on its Web site.
Taylor, 54, took over after Iain Dowie left in June 2006, but the club did not challenge for promotion to the Premier League last season, finishing 12th. Palace was relegated from the Premier League in 2005.
Taylor previously coached at lower league clubs Hull, Brighton, Leicester, Gillingham and Southend.
He made four England appearances as a midfielder, twice managed the country's under-21 team and was caretaker manager for the senior team for one match in 2000, when he gave David Beckham the captaincy for the first time.
Palace chairman Simon Jordan now has the two-week international break to find a replacement for Taylor, who is the seventh manager to leave Selhurst Park in seven years.
Former Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock has been linked with the Palace job.
03 October 2007
Jim Magilton watched his Ipswich side squander a two-goal lead before drawing 2-2 at Burnley and then admitted he felt "robbed" by the decision to disallow a late Pablo Counago effort.
The Tractor Boys are still searching for a first win on the road in the Coca-Cola Championship this season despite being handed the ideal platform to end their away-day blues at Turf Moor.
Sylvain Legwinski and one-time Claret Alan Lee both scored inside the opening 10 minutes with neat headers before Burnley mounted a tremendous fightback.
Kyle Lafferty pulled one back and Andy Gray netted a fortuitous equaliser to set up a grandstand finish.
And Ipswich looked to have won it late on when Tommy Miller and Counago exchanged passes inside the penalty area before the ball was squared for the latter to slot home from close-range, only for the linesman to eventually rule it out.
The result - and the decision - left Magilton to rue what could have been.
"I think it was a shocking decision," said Magilton, whose side have now shipped 11 goals in their last four away league games.
"It's a really bad decision which has cost us three points. The linesman didn't give it, then he's waited and waited and gave it and I think robbed us of three points. He's (Counago) behind the ball by two or three yards and it's a goal."
Magilton, however, was full of praise for the way his team started after stunning the home crowd with an impressive first-half showing.
He added: "I thought we played very well in the first half against a very good side. Again it was a pattern of our season that we played very well without scoring goals. We scored two good goals and then another pattern of our season we fell asleep and allowed them back in the game. We knew at half-time with Burnley 2-1 down at home they would come back at us. I thought we showed a lot of courage and passed the ball well at times and the very least we deserved is a point."
Burnley's stirring comeback was overshadowed by the news influential defender Michael Duff faces a lengthy spell out with a knee problem.
Duff did not feature against Ipswich but manager Steve Cotterill revealed after the game the severity of the injury sustained in Saturday's 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace.
"It's a big blow for us, a big blow," conceded Cotterill. "Michael has had an operation tonight and his lateral ligament has snapped off the bone. His hamstring tendon has snapped off the bone as well and he's snapped his cruciate ligament. But the worst part is he's going to have to go back in (to hospital) in six to eight weeks because it depends on when it will settle down. That's where we are with that but we'll deal with it."
Cotterill - who has now masterminded a six-game unbeaten streak in the league - also paid tribute to Burnley's "character" but bemoaned their sluggish start.
He added: "It was a very eventful game. All in all I think we could have won it and I think their goalkeeper has pulled off a couple of great saves. But we've got to start better. The annoying thing is we talk about it and we were conscious about it before the game but there's a couple of people in the dressing room who are having steep learning curves."
01 October 2007
Wales have problems in attack after naming their squad for the UEFA EURO 2008 qualifiers against Cyprus and San Marino.
Captain Craig Bellamy, who inspired a 5-2 win in Slovakia last month, is included by manager John Toshack even though he has missed West Ham United FC's last three games with a groin strain.
The manager's other options – Freddie Eastwood, Robert Earnshaw and Jermaine Easter – are all out of favour at their clubs.
Wigan Athletic FC midfielder Jason Koumas is included after missing the Slovakia trip through injury. Wales play Cyprus in Nicosia, on 13 October and face San Marino in Serravalle four days later.
Wales squad
Goalkeepers: Danny Coyne (Tranmere Rovers FC), Wayne Hennessey (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC), Lewis Price (Derby County FC).
Defenders: Danny Gabbidon, James Collins (West Ham United FC), Steve Evans (Wrexham FC), Lewin Nyatanga (Derby County FC), Craig Morgan (Peterborough FC), Sam Ricketts (Hull City AFC), Gareth Bale (Tottenham Hotspur FC), Neal Eardley (Oldham Athletic FC).
Midfielders: Simon Davies (Fulham FC), Joe Ledley (Cardiff City FC), Jason Koumas (Wigan Athletic FC), Andrew Crofts (Gillingham FC), Mark Jones (Wrexham FC), Carl Fletcher (Crystal Palace FC), Carl Robinson (Toronto FC), David Vaughan (Real Sociedad de Futbol).
Forwards: Craig Bellamy (West Ham United FC), Robert Earnshaw (Derby County FC), Freddy Eastwood (Wolverhampton Wanderers FC), Jermaine Easter (Wycombe Wanderers FC).
