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By: David | June 19th, 2008

Well it’s getting exciting now. The very good news is that the likelyhood of McClaren or Allardyce taking over is decreasing by the minute, as other, bigger, and better names enter the fray. However, I really don’t know who will be our manager. Hopefully we will know by Saturday, since I’m going on holiday for a week and doubt I will have access to the relevant information (this will be my last post before I go, unless we know tomorrow who our new boss is).

So, the front runner is now Paul Ince of the MK Dons. BBC Sport and The Times are saying that he has agreed terms with us and that all we need to do is sort things out with the Dons. One complication could be that Ince doesn’t yet have a UEFA Pro License, however in recent years both Gareth Southgate and Glenn Roeder have been given permission by the relevant authourities to manage in the EPL without one, so hopefully it should be a problem. The LMA (League Managers Association) have already said they have no qualms with it.

This all seemed done and dusted untill I read news this afternoon that Michael Laudrup, former Denmark international and ex-manager of Getafe, has been interviewed for the job. It seems that since he has told the press about this, he won’t be getting the job. This is a shame. Whilst Ince will be a great appointment, I think Laudrup is more proven as a coach at this level. However, I think the board may well have wanted someone British.

Rumours are also circulating that a mystery candidate has also been interviewed. This may well have been Laudrup, however I’ve heard rumours that it may have been Henk Ten Carte (despite him accepting a job at Panithinaikos last week) or Slaven Bilic (yes please!). How significant this is I do not know.

McClaren and Allardyce we know have been interviewed.

So Ince is the clear favourite, but I sense another twist to come. Who knows?

Either way, after a fortnight of doubt about the prospects of this club, I’m finally feeling more optimistic.

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PS. Some thoughts on David Bentley:

Dear David,

Well, thanks for the memories, but you do have some ego problems mate. Without wanting to sound childish you are a fool. Here you are guarenteed first team football, top of the wage bill, being the centre of the team and adulation by the fans (well, not anymore). I won’t begrudge you succeeding, but if you don’t (and we do) I will laugh. Lets sort this out quickly.

Surely this thing signifies everything that is wrong with football transfers these days? I understand that players want to play for the biggest clubs, and I understand that some cockey customers (like Bentley) assume that they can succeed at the top. However, he’s under contract, and to say that he wants to leave before a club comes calling for his services surely assume a bit too much. All I’ve heard about interested clubs are rumours in the press. Now of course, something might be going on behind the scenes, but we don’t know that. Bentley should have kept his trap shut untill another club had made a bid for his services (however good that bid may be).

The other issue is that if he goes go to one of England’s shoe-in CL clubs, he may not get as much football as he does here. He certainly won’t be the star of the team. But footballers seem to be okay with that prospect. On the other hand, perhaps they all really are so deluded that they think they can all be first teamers for the top 4 (think Steve Sidwell, how did he not see last season’s occurances happening).

Why can’t Bentley be like Mikel Arteta? He’s the star at Everton, and would perhaps make it at a big club, but there’s no talk of him leaving. He’s happy being the centre of a smaller club (with respect to Everton) than warming the bench at a larger one.

I hope more players can be like Arteta and not Bentley, otherwise there will be no good players for mid-table clubs left. They’d all rather be on the fringe at Man Utd.