Jewell favorite for Bolton

Paul Jewell has been pitched as favorite to take the Bolton job in the wake of Sammy Lee's departure from the Reebok Stadium. Chairman Phil Gartside has been known to be keen to bring in Jewell with Speed as his number 2.

Jewell has been out of work since leaving Wigan last season, after he saved the club from the job. Jewell took a break from football and is now believed to be ready to make a return.

Speed, who was known to be sceptical about Lee’s coaching talents, agreed a contract that would have made him assistant manager at the start of the season, but decided not to sign in protest at Lee’s management. "I decided it wasn’t working out." he said. "It is up to me now to work hard, get back in the team and give 100 percent, as I always do."

Sources close to Speed had gone as far as to call Lee "insecure and paranoid", and claimed that the feeling within the dressing room is that Lee had begun to see Speed as a threat to his job. Now Bolton must find a manager who can unite the dressing room, and push them up the Premier League table.