Who will be the next Fulham boss?

Fulham have lost boss Mark Hughes this week after the Welshman decided not to renew his contract at Craven Cottage.

The former-Manchester City boss is now been linked with the vacant Chelsea and Aston Villa positions but his former team are now looking for a replacement for Hughes.

Midtable

Fulham have proved themselves to be a decent midtable Premier League club in the last few years and the job will be an interesting proposition for some managers. It’s believed that the Cottagers board have already drawn up a shortlist of bosses.

Here is a list of potential candidates for the vacant hot seat at the Cottage:

Alex McLeish (Birmingham)

The Birmingham boss seems to be one of the current favourites for the Fulham job. The Scot is still highly-rated despite the Blues being relegated from the Premier League last season. Maybe the former-Rangers manager would fancy an instant return to the top flight.

Martin O’Neill (Unemployed)

The former-Aston Villa boss has been out of work since quitting his job with the Villan’s at the start of last season. The Ulsterman has been linked with lots of clubs in recent months but he has yet to return to the game.

However O’Neill is a football man and the vacant position at Fulham may be ideal for him. He is a top manager and I’m sure that most Fulham fans would welcome his appointment as their new boss.

Martin Jol (Unemployed)

The former-Tottenham boss was heavily linked with the post last summer when Roy Hodgson left the club for Liverpool. However the Dutchman decided to stay with Ajax, before leaving the club halfway through the season.

Now unemployed the Dutchman will no doubt be looking to get back into the game. And just like O’Neill his appointment would be slightly easier without contractual issues involved.

Gus Poyet (Brighton)

The Uruguayan has impressed with his work at Brighton, having led the club to promotion from League One last season. The former-Tottenham and Chelsea midfielder has made quite a name for himself and was previously linked with the West Ham job.

Chris Hughton (Unemployed)

The 52 year-old was harshly sacked by Newcastle after helping the club to promotion from the Championship and guiding the club to a comfortable midtable position. Like most of the unemployed bosses he has also been linked with a number of vacant positions including West Ham and Cardiff City.

Steve McClaren (Unemployed)

The former-Middlesbrough boss was fired by German club Wolfsburg after an unimpressive five wins in 21 games in charge. His spell as England boss didn’t end too well either after the Three Lions failed to qualify for the European Championships in 2010.

However he did have a decent spell at Middlesbrough which earned him his position as national team boss. He also managed to win the Eredivisie title in Holland with FC Twente. McClaren however doesn’t seem to be a popular choice with the Fulham fans.

Attractive

I have to say for any managers who are looking for a job at a good club then Fulham would seem like an attractive job. The club are a solid Premier League outfit with healthy financial backing.

Fulham have been unlucky in recent seasons, having lost Roy Hodgson last summer and now Mark Hughes. Hopefully this summer they will get a manager who will stick around to help build on the good work that has gone on in the past few seasons.

Who will be the next Fulham boss?