Billy Davies is gone, the how and why are irrelevant; all that matters now is the identity of Derby County’s twenty-sixth manager.

Speculation is rife as to who that poor unfortunate might be; here’s a look at those in the frame and some that aren’t, at least publically.

Paul Jewell (1/5 at Betfair.com) – Jewell is my preferred choice; an experienced yet relatively young manager with experience of beating the drop on three separate occasions, Paul Jewell is a high quality top flight manager who seems to have been passed over by the bigger clubs in favour of a more glamorous foreigner. Watching Jewell on Goals on Sunday this past weekend suggested that he might well be interested in a return to Premiership management and whilst our position in the table is more than slightly perilous, the challenge of defying the odds a fourth time might just be enough to entice Jewell to take up the post.

Jewell has made three stops so far in his young career; the first was with Bradford where he not only led the Yorkshire club into the top flight for the first time in eighty years but also managed to keep them there for a season, beating Liverpool 1-0 on the final day to secure their Premiership status. Quite how he did it is still beyond me and quite how his Chairman, the maniac Geoffrey Richmond, could call such an achievement a “disappointment” is equally baffling; obviously the relationship between Chairman and Manager soon went sour and Jewell moved on to relegated Sheffield Wednesday.

At this point, Jewell hit his first and only bump in the road and his stay at Hillsborough lasted for just one awful season as a combination of crippling financial problems and the crazy antics of some of the teams “stars” condemned the Owls to a 20th place finish and the sack for Jewell.

Shortly after Jewell returned to another of his former clubs, Wigan Athletic, with whom he had started his playing career. Although it seems ridiculous to think so now, Wigan were at that time playing in what is now League Two, or the fourth tier of English football but had a Chairman in Dave Whelan who had ambitious plans for his club and the money to back it up.

Wigan’s ascent to the Premiership is well documented and their Championship promotion season, which we witnessed firsthand, was staggering in terms of the efficient and deadly manner with which Wigan dispatched opponents (they couldn’t beat us mind!). Promotion saw them lose top striker and Rams nemesis Nathan Ellington to West Brom but the Latics marched on regardless, finishing an impressive 10th in their first season of top flight football.

Last season didn’t go quite so well mind and Wigan only just managed to escape the drop on the final day of the season, beating Sheffield United at Bramell Lane to send the Blades down in their place. Wigan had suffered due to the losses of Jimmy Bullard and Jason Roberts, an unfortunate side-effect of a club like Wigan, who have struggled to attract star names due to the small crowds at the JJB Stadium and the perceived size of the club.

As a result, Jewell resigned the day after the season ended, stating that he had taken the club as far as he could. This is where we come in; the Rams have the fan base and history that Wigan don’t and it is therefore reasonable to assume that Pride Park is more of an attractive proposition for players to ply their trade; with all due respect to Bradford and Wigan, Paul Jewell has never really had a chance to do anything more than survive in the Premiership and whilst it is possible, even probable, that the Rams will get relegated this season; we are in a far stronger position to come back with the intent to achieving something in the top flight, something which, over the long term, the likes of Bradford and Wigan appear incapable of (though I wouldn’t bet against Dave Whelan).

Jewell’s motivational skills and tactical sense, as well as a keen eye in the transfer market, make him the perfect man for the helm at Pride Park and whilst there is some considerable doubt as to whether he would take the role, I am fervently crossing my fingers that Jewell’s apparent friendship with Rams Chairman Adam Pearson, as well as the scale of the challenge, both now and over the long-term, that the club could offer will be enough to tempt him back in the managerial limelight.

On Wednesday, assuming a decision hasn’t already been made, I’ll be looking at the other big favourite Paul Ince, and then the dreaded Steve McClaren; get your brollies out!

Photo: Action Images

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