Debate: were Blackburn right to sack Ince? | Commentary: Matt Dickinson | Ince on hiding to nothing | Commentary: Tony Cascarino | Graphic: Ince domino effect |

Blackburn Rovers hope to have a new manager in place by the time Stoke City visit Ewood Park in the Barclays Premier League on Saturday, after Paul Ince’s sacking yesterday.

The recruitment process is expected to gather momentum today, although neither Graeme Souness nor Sam Allardyce, the bookmakers’ favourites to succeed Ince, had been contacted by Blackburn as of last night.

Steve McClaren, the former England head coach, Dave Jones, the Cardiff City manager, and Roberto Mancini, the former Inter Milan coach, are also thought to be under consideration. The odds on Roy Keane shortened from 16-1 to 7-1 with Ladbrokes last night, even if it is unlikely that, only 13 days after stepping down at Sunderland, the Irishman will become the third successive former Manchester United player to occupy the Ewood Park hot seat.

Big names in running to succeed Ince

Sam Allardyce is bookmakers' favourite, but Souness, Mancini, Jones, Keane and McClaren also in frame for Blackburn job

• Hard times no stranger to Blackburn manager Paul Ince

• Will colour or competence have final say on Ince?

BACKGROUND

• You can't reach the top by cutting corners

• Ince was always going to end up the loser

• Analysis: James Ducker

British clubs must stop falling for ex factor

Paul Ince pays familiar price as big clubs continue to employ managers with few qualifications untested at highest level

BACKGROUND

• Ince needs a miracle as Blackburn crash

• Hughes knocks Ince's recent claim

• Ince vows to fight on Liverpool defeat

Multimedia

• Were Blackburn right to sack Ince?

Related Links

• Hard times no stranger to Blackburn's Ince

• Will colour or competence have final say on Ince?

Multimedia

• Were Blackburn right to sack Ince?

Ince was called into a meeting with John Williams, the Blackburn chairman, at 10.30am yesterday and given his marching orders after a run of 11 leagues games without a win in which the club slipped to nineteenth in the table — five points adrift of safety.

The decision was taken after a long meeting of the board of directors in Manchester on Monday. The dismal 3-0 defeat away to Wigan Athletic at the weekend, the club’s sixth successive league loss, was to prove the final straw. It was unclear last night how much Ince, who had 2½ years remaining on his contract, would receive in compensation.

Archie Knox and Ray Mathias, the assistants appointed by Ince, will take charge of day-to-day affairs, although they are also likely to leave the club once a new manager is appointed.

“It’s not something we liked to do, but we have to think first and foremost — and only — about the club,” Williams said. “Our predicament is worrying and we had to make a decision that we felt was in the best interests of the club. We’re more than halfway through the season and getting detached at the bottom. Poor results, a poor run of form and a disappointing result at the weekend meant, frankly, it was time to change.

“Appointing a new manager is our total focus. We will endeavour to have a new manager in place for Saturday’s game, but there are no guarantees and we must ensure we get the right man.”

Souness, who is due to fly to America for a family holiday on Saturday, has shown little desire to return to management since leaving Newcastle United in February 2006, but the prospect of going back to Blackburn, where he was manager between 2000 and 2004, clearly appeals.

Alan Murray, Souness’s former assistant at Newcastle, said: “He’s been looking to get back into the Premier League and this would be ideal. He has a good relationship with the chairman and he’s ideal for the job. He misses the day-to-day stuff and has been looking to get back in.

“It hasn’t happened yet, but his pedigree is proven. He took over when they were in the Championship and got them promoted. He was very successful there. He’s a big personality, he can handle players and I can’t think of anyone better for the job.