MCCANN SACKING: Who will be the next Peterborough United manager?

Tomorrow’s (February 27) scheduled fixture against Walsall at the ABAX Stadium is expected to fall victim to bad weather. If it does take place Grant McCann’s assistant David Oldfield will take charge.

It’s unlikely chairman Darragh MacAnthony would have axed McCann at this stage of the season if a replacement hadn’t been lined up. Posh have 13 League One games remaining this season and are just six points behind sixth-placed Plymouth with two matches in hand.

It is worth noting though that MacAnthony has announced most of his managerial opponents in the full glare of a staged press conference with TV cameras rolling and press cameras clicking. He’s just started a family holiday in Dubai.

But McCann has doubtless been sacrificed now in an attempt to bolster a promotion push that had started to flag badly.

Whoever comes in - and Mark Warburton and Uwe Rosler are two biggish names at League One level who are available now - will take charge of an unbalanced squad with few full-backs and an abundance of wide players, none of whom are as good as injury victim Gwion Edwards.

They will also have to contend with a high-profile, and still ruthless. chairman who is restless for success. The new man will be backed financially, but he’ll be expected to deliver success quickly.

Local man, and Posh fan, Steve Evans can probably be ruled out as he’s happy at League Two promotion chasers Mansfield, while Darren Ferguson, the only man to win a promotion (well three actually) under MacAnthony won’t be returning as he’s apparently content at League One rivals Doncaster.

MacAnthony needs to make a successful appointment, if only for his own credibility. He’s made some poor managerial decisions in the past.

One assumes he won’t want to pay compensation for a manager currently in work so here are a few who are conveniently unemployed now.

Mark Warburton

Helped Brentford to promotion from League One. A deep thinker, but he left Brentford while his stock was high because he didn’t like the direction the club was heading so a dynamic, hands-on chairman might be a problem. Managed Rangers before upgrading to Nottingham Forest who sacked him earlier this season.

Uwe Rosler

Took little Fleetwood to the League One play-offs last season, but sacked earlier this month after overseeing seven straight defeats. Surely he can’t walk into the Posh job on the back of that form?

Craig Bellamy

Linked heavily with Oxford United last week. Surely MacAnthony hasn’t hi-jacked the move? It would be a gamble, but the Posh chairman is a risk-taker.

Sol Campbell

He’s desperate for a managerial post, but he appears to be high maintenance.

Stuart McCall

Terrific job at Bradford City until losing the plot after Christmas. Emotional ties to City so strong, he’d be reluctant to come down here.

Phil Brown

Lost his job at Southend earlier this season, but an old-fashioned sort who won’t appeal to MacAnthony.

Gary Monk

Former Swansea, Leeds and Middlesbrough manager wouldn’t want to drop down to League One surely?

Nigel Pearson

A strict disciplinarian could well be good for this squad. Would he consider a short-term deal?

Russell Slade

Good lord no.