Ipswich Town are searching for just their 16th manager in their professional history. So who do you think should replace Mick McCarthy?

Ipswich Star: Town manager Mick McCarthy bangs the desk in the media room as he announces that he has quit the club following the Ipswich Town v Barnsley match. Picture: STEVE WALLER WWW.STEPHENWALLER.COMTown manager Mick McCarthy bangs the desk in the media room as he announces that he has quit the club following the Ipswich Town v Barnsley match. Picture: STEVE WALLER WWW.STEPHENWALLER.COM (Image: © Copyright Stephen Waller)

The former Blues boss departed following last Tuesday’s home victory over Barnsley, leaving Bryan Klug in temporary charge until the end of the campaign.

The search for a replacement is well under way, with a string of potential managers understood to have been subtly sounded out by Town as they bid to make an appointment.

Owner Marcus Evans has stated he will take his time to get the right man for the job, with the Blues owner not expecting to make an appointment prior to the end of the campaign.

MORE: Stuart Watson’s Monday Verdict: Gerrard isn’t Keane – but do we need another circus in Town?

The favourite with the bookmakers continues to be Lincoln manager Danny Cowley, who knocked Ipswich out of last season’s FA Cup, and he leads a list of up-and-coming managers in the lower leagues also including Shrewsbury’s Paul Hurst, Nathan Jones at Luton and Darrell Clarke at Bristol Rovers, who is assisted by former Ipswich striker Marcus Stewart.

There are many who would like to see a former Town player in the dugout at Portman Road, with Tony Mowbray of Blackburn one such name. Another is Shefki Kuqi who has been at a string of recent Ipswich games and has already put his application in. John McGreal, currently in charge of Colchester, is another in that mould to have been linked early on.

MORE: Understandable why outsiders don’t get Ipswich Town’s situation – so here’s a nuanced guide to what’s led us to this point

Ipswich have a deep Dutch heritage, started by the likes of Arnold Muhren and Frans Thijssen and continued by the likes of Fabian Wilnis and Martijn Reuser, meaning links to VVV Venlo boss Maurice Steijn has been greeted by excitement by many Ipswich fans. The Dutchman has been open in his desire for a new adventure this summer, so would he be the man for the Blues?

David Unsworth is another former Ipswich player who would be interested in the role, with the former loanee having done a good job with Everton’s young players and overseen first-team duties in the wake of Ronald Koeman’s departure from Goodison Park earlier in the season.

MORE: Stuart Watson’s Sunday Verdict: Take a calculated risk Marcus – it’s in Ipswich Town’s DNA

Then there are the high profile former players, such as Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard, with the latter linked to the club by a national newspaper over the weekend.

There has also a host of experienced managers linked with the job, with the likes of Mark Warburton, Alan Pardew and Steve McClaren currently out of work. Do the Blues need a safe pair of hands following the departure of McCarthy?