The Screamer - It's the talk of football

Chief executive John Delaney will set up a three-man committee, independent of the FAI, to choose the new man as Joe Kinnear became the latest former international to put his name forward for the job.

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Delaney said: "If the question is, 'Are we in a better position financially than we were a few years ago?', then the answer is yes.

"It will be a board decision in a week-and-a-half's time. They will come up with some names and we will only ratify that, regardless of any reservations."

David O'Leary is favourite to take the job, but would not be a popular choice with the players or fans. Liam Brady, Paul Jewell and Graeme Souness are also in the frame.

Wigan owner Dave Whelan has blasted his players for a lack of effort in their 2-0 home defeat to Portsmouth on Saturday.

Whelan said: "I cannot stand watching a team not giving 100 per cent and I don't want to see a repeat of that."

Brian Laws has been warned that Sheffield Wednesday must improve against Blackpool in the Championship this weekend to secure his job as manager.

The result of Saturday's home game may not be decisive but Laws cannot afford a repeat of the spineless performance that saw his former club Scunthorpe win 2-1 at Hillsborough on Tuesday.

Laws was summoned to the boardroom after the game - leaving media duties to his assistant Russ Wilcox - and was told the display, which left Wednesday third from bottom, was unacceptable.

Pressure is also mounting on Wilcox after academy chief Sean McAuley's call-up to the dug-out.

McAuley, who was unbeaten as caretaker before Laws' arrival, is favourite to step up if a change is made.

Mick Harford has been given three games to claim the QPR manager's job.

The former Luton striker, appointed on a caretaker basis after the sacking of John Gregory, needs results against Charlton (a), Hull (h) and Coventry (h).

Coventry chairman Joe Elliott has revealed the club will face "serious problems" unless a buyer is found quickly.

City are about £38million in debt and on the brink of ruin after five potential investors withdrew their interest earlier this month, forcing chairman Geoffrey Robinson and managing director Paul Fletcher to quit.

"It has to come before Christmas," said Elliott. "The good news is that we have two people at the table and two more coming."

It emerged this week that the League have imposed a transfer embargo on Coventry for their failure to keep up with repayments to Southampton for the transfer of Leon Best.

Newcastle manager Sam Allardyce is suing West Ham defender Lucas Neill and his agent Peter Harrison for £645,000 in a dispute over a land deal.

Allardyce and Harrison were implicated last year in the BBC Panorama investigation into football corruption, when Harrison claimed payments to Allardyce's son Craig could smooth the transfer of players to the Reebok. Allardyce denies any wrongdoing.