Ipswich Town say it is unlikely that the new Portman Road manager will be announced this week.

Ipswich Town say it is unlikely that the new Portman Road manager will be announced this week.

The Tractor Boys insist they will take as long as is necessary to find a successor to Joe Royle - and if the past couple of weeks is anything to go by they may need it.

The list of would-be Town managers is a Who's Who of the Football League, but is now thought to be down to a shortlist of four, with youth team coach Bryan Klug and Jim Magilton, who has said he wants to continue playing while starting on a coaching career, interviewed as a partnership, plus two other un-named applicants.

Former Ipswich players Terry Butcher and Tony Mowbray have already turned down the job, Butcher opting for a job in Australia and Mowbray content to stay at Hibs. Town have also been unable to talk to Colchester's Phil Parkinson or Southend boss Steve Tilson, while Mick McCarthy has been interviewed but not pursued.

Alan Curbishley, Billy Davies and Ian Holloway are out of the equation as is Ipswich coach Willie Donachie and West Brom assistant Nigel Pearson while Colin Calderwood had chosen to go to Nottingham Forest.

However, Town insist the search is moving on.

“We are making progress and have trawled the net far and wide,” said chief executive Derek Bowden. “It's holiday time in the football world at the moment ,though, and one or two of our shortlisted candidates are away this week.

“It's perhaps likely that a decision will be made next week rather than this one. The timescale we are looking at is having someone in place by June 9.

“You can never be sure with these things, but I'm confident we will have a new manager within two weeks. It's a big decision for the board to make and the pressure is there to make the right decision, not a quick decision.”

Chairman David Sheepshanks said Town would not be rushed into a decision.

“We have conducted extensive interviews with a number of high calibre candidates and have now narrowed our search down and expect to narrow it further over the coming week,” he said.