Blues MD Ian Milne has reiterated that Town are unlikely to appoint their new manager before the end of the season with owner Marcus Evans carrying out a “considered search” for the successor to Mick McCarthy. Fans are likely to learn more on Evans’s thoughts regarding the hunt for a new boss in the next few days with the owner’s first on-camera interview expected to be released this week.
"You’re quite right to ask and no there isn’t any news,” Milne told BBC Radio Suffolk’s Life’s a Pitch when quizzed on developments prior to Saturday’s game against Aston Villa.
"No choice has been made. It’s still very much a search, Marcus has not made his mind up.
"It’s going to be a proper search, a considered search, it will take us probably past the end of the season, so be patient with us. We all want the right manager and the processes will take place.”
Lincoln City boss Danny Cowley and Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, who is understood to have held discussions with Evans, are currently the joint-favourites for the job at 5-1 with Bet Victor.
Paul Cook, whose Wigan side secured their return to the Championship at the weekend, is behind them at 6-1 with Tony Mowbray, whose Blackburn team now looks all but certain to join them, the fourth favourite at 10-1.
St Mirren’s Jack Ross, whose squad has already secured the Scottish Championship title, is fifth favourite at 16-1 along with VVV-Venlo’s Maurice Steijn, who has played down reports in Holland claiming he has already been lined up to take over at Heerenveen this summer.
Milne says supporters will hear from Evans in the near future: "Hopefully during the next week, we’re doing it at the moment and hopefully [it will be out] by the end of the week. Bear with us on that one.
"And it’s very important that the owner talks to the fans. He’s not hiding from it, he wants to do it, he’s [written pieces for the programme] and [been interviewed by Mark Murphy for] radio and it’s so important that he does this. He is coming out with that.
"I have my place to get the messages over and hear what the fans say and I thoroughly enjoy that and I’m always open to the fans, the same as my colleagues. We are approachable but I totally understand they also want to hear from the owner.”