Chief executive Simon Clegg says Town are close to being able to name the successor to sacked manager Jim Magilton. Clegg says the Blues could make an announcement before the end of the week.

Clegg met the press this afternoon at Portman Road and revealed that the search for the replacements for Jim Magilton and assistant John Gorman is already well in progress: "There are two positions that we are looking to fill and that process is under way and I'm hoping that we're going to close and be in a position to share something with you in the near future.

"We have spoken to a number of people and we are now closing and will be in a position to make a decision in the near future.

"We have gone through a number of stages already, but I don't want to create levels of expectation that can't be met by giving you a specific timeframe. I'm not going to speculate on that, although we do want someone sooner rather than later, but we need to finalise those arrangements.”

Clegg outlined what the Blues want from a new boss: "We're looking for a manager with a proven track record, who has achieved some success and taken a club in the direction that we aspire to go. But more than anything we want a winner.”

The new chief executive, who only took up his role yesterday, says he and Marcus Evans have met extensively to discuss the managerial situation with the ultimate say resting with the Town owner: "This is a process than any club goes through when it considers its results against the level of aspirations which have been set as a result of significant investment coming into the club. And those aspirations, unfortunately, are not being met.”

TWTD understands that former West Ham and Reading boss Alan Pardew is amongst those to have been spoken to in recent weeks, while Alan Curbishley's name has been mentioned on a consistent basis in connection with Town since last summer, while one newspaper is already tipping former Sunderland boss Roy Keane.

Neil Warnock has been linked on a number of occasions in the last week, but the former Sheffield United boss doesn't appear to be imminently on his way out of Crystal Palace. Former England manager Glenn Hoddle is the bookies' favourite, but John Gorman's departure suggests that the ex-Spurs man isn't the man the Blues are looking to appoint.

If no new manager is appointed by the weekend then Bryan Klug will take control of the first team at Cardiff.

Clegg had hoped to speak to Jim Magilton this morning to tell that him that his time as Town manager was up, but the former Blues boss went back to Northern Ireland yesterday to be with his mother, who was taken ill earlier in the week, and instead Marcus Evans gave him the news by phone.

The chief executive paid tribute to Magilton's time at Town: "He has made a massive contribution to this club, both as a player and a manager. People forget that he's the fourth longest-serving manager in the league. This club would like to recognise the contribution he's made to the club and wish him well for the future.”

Clegg says the timing of the decision will give the new man a chance to assess the squad, including the 13 out-of-contract players: "That was certainly part of the owner's and my thinking. We talked about a decision being made at the end of the season, but in some regards our season is over in the context of the aspirations we had for promotion to the Premiership.”

At present only Magilton and assistant John Gorman have left the club and the future of the likes of specialist skills coach Steve Foley and others are unlikely to be known until the new manager is confirmed.

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