Mark Hughes's decision to resign as Fulham manager on Thursday has left the club searching for a new boss for the second time in the space of 12 months.
Though he has been widely linked to the vacant Aston Villa job, it was reported on Friday that the manner of his departure from Fulham has put off Villa owner Randy Lerner and that Hughes now finds himself in limbo.
But with the Welshman having left the West London club in unexpected circumstances, Cottagers owner Mohamed Al Fayed must now focus on finding the right man to guide Fulham over the summer. After all, their Europa League qualifying campaign starts in July.
Below are the bookies' favourites to replace Hughes (odds correct at time of publication):
Martin O'Neill (5/2) - The former Aston Villa manager dodged a bullet when pulling out of talks with West Ham in January but is now favourite to take up this particular career opportunity in London. His success in winning trophies at Leicester City and Celtic once saw him mentioned as a possible contender to replace Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford, while his experience of working on a budget at Aston Villa is good preparation for a spell at Craven Cottage.
Martin Jol (3/1) - The Dutchman was Fulham's first choice to replace Roy Hodgson last summer and even agreed personal terms before opting to remain at Ajax when the Eredivisie club pleaded with him to stay. Just five months later he resigned from his post in Amsterdam. Jol retains a good reputation in England having twice led Totttenham Hotspur to fifth place in the league before his unceremonious sacking at the hands of Daniel Levy during a UEFA Cup game against Getafe in October 2007.
Steve McClaren (8/1) - Ah yes, the wally with the brolly. McClaren appears destined to be linked with every managerial job in the Premier League after his continental experiment came to an end when Wolfsburg sacked him in February. However, his exile from England did see him win the Dutch league with FC Twente in the 2009-10 season, partially rebuilding his reputation after his disappointing time in charge of the national side. McClaren won the League Cup with Middlesbrough in 2004 and recently declared he was not interested in the West Ham job.
Lee Clark (10/1) - A former midfielder who represented Fulham with distinction between 1999 and 2005, Clark represents a clear link to the club's rise through the league ladder under Al Fayed and has cut his managerial teeth with an impressive spell in charge of Huddersfield. The Terriers were recently defeated in the League One play-off final but Clark has won unanimous praise for the way he has improved the club year on year, winning 71 of his 143 games in charge.
Alan Curbishley (16/1) - The former Charlton Athletic and West Ham manager could make it a capital hat-trick if he arrives at Craven Cottage. Curbishley has been sporadically linked with Premier League jobs ever since his controversial departure from Upton Park in September 2008, but his reputation was founded over 15 years with Charlton as he established the Addicks as a Premier League side. Good friends with Sir Alex Ferguson, Curbishley is a respected figure but has now been out of the game for three years.
Carlo Ancelotti (16/1) - A European Cup winner as both player and coach with Milan, Ancelotti is sixth favourite for the Fulham job but it would represent a coup of epic proportions should the Cottagers convince him to remain in West London following his departure from Chelsea. The Italian was harshly treated by Roman Abramovich having won the Double in his first season in England but has also been linked with the Aston Villa job after finding himself unemployed.
Chris Hughton (16/1) - His departure from Newcastle United in December was fiercely criticised as Hughton did an excellent job in leading a club in disarray back to the Premier League at the first attempt when replacing Alan Shearer in the summer of 2009. His spell at Newcastle was Hughton's first foray into the world of full-time management, having previously worked as an assistant, and he charmed players and journalists alike at St James' Park. Hughton has also been linked with the West Brom and West Ham jobs in recent months.
Who do you think should be the next Fulham boss? Is there another candidate you believe they should consider? Let us know your thoughts below.
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