Neil McDonald on the cusp of returning to Carlisle United

According to reports Neil McDonald is on the verge of becoming the new Carlisle United manager. The former Blues boss, who is currently working as Sam Allardyce's No.2 at West Ham, can now be found at just 1/10 (Bet Victor) in the betting, while the likes of Paul Thirlwel and Darren Edmondson have drifted out to 16/1.

McDonald was spotted in the directors’ box at Brunton Park on Saturday and now appears likely to return to the Cumbrians dugout at some point this week. The 48-year-old previously took charge of the North West club eight years ago, leading them to an impressive 8th place finish in league One, which was the club’s highest league placing in 20 years. However, just one match into the 2007/08 season McDonald was surprisingly sacked from his post, a decision which still perplexes may supporters to this day.

Carlisle have been on the hunt for a new manager for just over a week after they sacked Graham Kavanagh following a 5-0 drubbing by Cambridge, which extended their winless run to five matches. The League Two strugglers have since beaten Accrington Stanley in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, however they were held to a 4-4 draw by AFC Wimbledon in the league on Saturday, a result that means they still haven't won in the league this season, leaving them 22nd in the table.