The Vital Five: Manager’s special

Since the sacking of the Chris Hutchings and Martin O Connor, there has been a flurry of activity at the Banks’s and rife speculation as to their replacements.

Here we list the main ones:

Martin Allen: Has a good managerial record and has not been formally sacked in his 7 year career at the helm. He started at Barnet where the team he created made the playoffs in the conference. He then left for Brentford, guiding them from relegation candidates to the playoffs. He then guided beleaguered MK Dons to the playoffs in league two in the 2006-07 season. Next stop was an unsuccessful time at Leicester, where he fought with Chairman Milan manderic and left after three months. He then joined Cheltenham Town, but after a year he was placed on Gardening Leave after being accused of racial abuse in a nightclub.

Pros: Good record of rejuvenating teams out of a tight spot.

Cons: History of not getting along with the board. In addition to his run-in when at Leicester, he left Brentford citing the board’s lack of investment.

Lee Carsley: Defensive midfielder at Derby, Coventry, Blackburn, Everton and Birmingham City, where he was awarded player of the season in 2008-2009 and was also captain. He suffered with injuries throughout his career and is currently back at Coventry City.

Pros: Player-manager role, which would create another player in a position we need.

Cons – No previous managerial experience.

David Holdsworth: Started at Northern Premier League, Premier Division, guiding them to sixth. He then moved to Conference Mansfield Town, where he left in November after a bad run of results.

Pros: Young manager who wants experience, will work with financial restraints.

Cons: Lack of experience at League One level.

Chris Turner: Turned Hartlepool into promotion hopefuls in his first managerial post. Achieved promotion to League One with Sheffield Wednesday in 2004, after a rocky start with the Owls. Turner was sacked from Wednesday after a disappointing start to life in the third tier. He then moved to Stockport County where he was unable to find his feet and languishing at the bottom of League Two, he quit in December 2005. He then returned to Hartlepool as manager and director of football, but after failing to achieve little else but league one survival he left in August 2010.

Pros: Experience in league one and experience for relegation fight

Cons: Not good record of guiding team’s away from relegation.

Bobby Davison: Managed Ferencvaros and guided them to promotion to the top tier of Hungarian football, he was sacked in October 2009 and is now at Leeds United as a youth coach.

Pros: Lots of European contacts and success at previous club.

Cons: Lack of English managerial experience.