The Fail is now reporting:
Hull City: Tigers narrow boss search to two candidates
HULL City vice chairman Ehab Allam expects to appoint a new manager within the next seven days after narrowing down the search to just two candidates.
With Nick Barmby's sacking formally upheld by owner Assem Allam, the quest to find his successor was quick to gather pace yesterday as Steve Bruce emerged as a red-hot favourite for the vacancy.
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BACKED AT THE BOOKIES: But it is still not a certainty that Steve Bruce will be Hull Cityâs next manager.
Bruce has been notified of City's interest but a move to the KC Stadium is far from guaranteed with the former Sunderland boss content to keep his options open.
Ehab Allam refused to be drawn on the identity of the Tigers' revised shortlist, but the inclusion of two candidates for serious consideration in the coming days would suggest the search is certainly not aimed solely at Bruce.
Supporters will not have long to wait to learn Barmby's successor. A new boss is likely to be in place by "the end of next week" but Allam stressed no offers had so far been made to any individual.
"We've whittled down our options and there's two candidates we're now looking at seriously," Allam told the Mail.
"We've not made any decisions as yet but we're making progress all the time. We have spoken with agents in the last couple of days and will take that further towards a speedy resolution now.
"There's still a lot of work to do. I had been waiting to hear the outcome of Nick's appeal, but I am 100 per cent focused on this from now until there's a new manager in place. We would fully expect that to happen by the end of next week."
Allam was tight-lipped when asked if contact had been made with Bruce, and said: "We are not in a position to divulge the identities of our preferred candidates at this stage. We need to be mindful and respectful of ongoing negotiations."
Bruce has been out of work since being sacked by Sunderland in November and is known to be seeking a fresh challenge.
The 51-year-old was close to taking over Wolves in February but he will also be alert to the possibility of a return to Wigan should Roberto Martinez join Liverpool.
A succession of names, including Lee Clark, Greg Abbott, Gary Megson and Phil Brown, have all been linked with the Tigers since Barmby's dismissal, but the identity of the two candidates currently in City's thoughts is unclear.
The interviewing process is likely to begin over the weekend or in the early part of next week after Barmby's dismissal was finalised yesterday.
Although first suspended on April 30 and axed on May 8, the former boss ended his eight-year association with the Tigers after an unsuccessful hearing on Monday.
Upholding the original decision, owner Assem Allam said: "I would like to assure supporters this decision has not been taken lightly and all other options were explored before I decided to uphold the dismissal.
"However, Nick's behaviour has led to the breakdown of trust and confidence with the board and I felt I had no other option, particularly given his senior position."
Barmby issued his own statement through the League Managers' Association, and said: "I was surprised that the club did not appoint an independent person to hear the appeal and I am now considering the outcome in detail and will consult with the LMA's legal team before deciding on any further action.
"Whatever the future holds, I want to reiterate my thanks to the fans, players and staff for the support they gave me during my eight years' service to the club."
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