Newcastle United step up manager search

After Newcastle United parted company with Chris Hughton on Monday there has been a number of names linked with the post and Mike Ashley is hoping to appoint his replacement by the weekend.

The decision to sack Hughton came as a shock to many Newcastle fans and the football world alike, with Toon players Kevin Nolan and Sol Campbell admitting it was a surprise and Arsene Wenger saying he thought the decision does not appear "rational".

Hughton performed a heroic job to get Newcastle back into the Premier League and he leaves with the club sitting 12th in the table. The club have stated the process has now begun to find a new man with "more managerial experience", with the likes of Alan Pardew and Martin Jol linked heavily with the job.

Pardew left League One side Southampton earlier in the season and his name was mentioned in the frame immediately after Hughton's sacking.  The 49-year-old former Reading, West Ham and Charlton manager is 11/8 to get the Newcastle job, however many fans may not be too enamoured with his appointment.

Another name heavily in the frame for St James Park is Dutchman Jol, and the likelihood of him arriving in the northeast increased dramatically when it was announced on Tuesday he had quit as manager of Ajax. Jol has previously Premier League experience with Spurs and has increased his reputation on the continent in recent years, with bookmakers having him at 9/4 to replace Hughton.

Two names also in the running for the Newcastle hot seat are Martin O'Neill, who left Aston Villa before the beginning of this season, and Alan Curbishley. Both managers come with masses of Premier League experience and O'Neill could be a name desired among the Geordie fans given his record of transforming the fortunes of teams in the past. The Irishman is 11/1 and Curbishley 12/1 to get the Newcastle job.

Alan Shearer, who is a Newcastle legend and had an ill-fated stint as a caretaker manager at St James' Park when the club suffered relegation to the Championship in 2009, is 40/1 for the job however the statement from the club saying they wanted an experienced manager seem to rule him out of the running.

Former England manager Glenn Hoddle is 20/1 to get the job, while David O'Leary, who has Premier League experience with Leeds and Aston Villa, is an outsider at 40/1 to be the new manager.

Whatever happens, it seems likely an announcement regarding the new boss will be made in the next few days and a new face will be in the Newcastle dugout by the time they face Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday.