Danny Wilson has resigned as manager of Swindon Town.

Full credit must go to Danny for making the tough and sensible decision to finally realise he isn’t the right man to turn our season around. By making this decision with 13 games to go it gives his replacement the opportunity to play for the remaining 39 points in the fight to avoid relegation.

I’ll be reminiscing on Wilson’s two year tenure at Swindon in due course, but now is the time for speculation on who will be his replacement?

Fitton has set out a brief, confirming:

“The club will be announcing a replacement for Danny within the next 24 hours.

“It will be a proven, senior manager whose prime responsibility will be to ensure our League One survival by the end of the season.”

As I can’t see Fitton poaching anyone who is currently in a job, a quick look at the League Manager’s Association available managers section throws-up some potential candidates:

The best bets:

Chris Coleman – Left Coventry at the end of the 2009/2010 season, Coleman had early success with Fulham before moves to Real Sociedad and then the West Midlands.

Iain Dowie – Another manager who left at the end of 2009/2010, Dowie left Hull after 6 previous managerial appointments, including guiding Crystal Palace to the Premier League.

Paul Hart – A much travelled manager who last managed Crystal Palace.

Alan Irvine – Initially a highly regarded manager at Preston North End, but found move to Sheffield Wednesday too much to handle and was sacked in February.

Gary Johnson – After early spells with Cambridge Utd and Latvia national team, Gary is best remembered for managing Yeovil from 2001-2005 and guiding them to the Football League. A move to Bristol City to the Robins into the Championship and just missed out on the Premier League, before leaving in 2010. Recent dismissal at Peterborough came despite the Posh contesting for promotion.

Mark McGee – Out of work since leaving Aberdeen in December, Mark brings significant Football League experience with successful tenures at Reading, Millwall and Brighton.

Phil Parkinson – Young manager who found early success at Colchester United harder to repeat with Hull City and Charlton Athletic. Swindon were responsible for his dismissal at Charlton back in January.

The outside bets:

Andy Scott – Enjoyed promotion with Brentford in his first full season, but does he have the experience?

Martin Allen – Out of work since leaving Cheltenham Town in December 2009 after previous success with Brentford.

Paul Stimson – Experience with Rochdale, Carlisle, Preston, Shrewsbury and Stockport, but is clearly working his way down the leagues rather than upwards.

Paul Trollope – Bristol Rovers manager for 5 years and gaining Rovers promotion from League Two and securing the Gas as a mid table League One team before a dive in form this season, culminating in his sacking in December. Family connections to Town, but lacks experience.

Paul Bodin – Successful Swindon Town youth team manager and obvious choice for a caretaker role if Wilson’s replacement isn’t appointed quickly, but doesn’t fit Fitton’s brief.

Martin Ling – Successful with guiding Leyton Orient into League One, however found the task of bring Cambridge Utd back to the Football League to tough.

Steve White – Always known to throw his CV into the mix when Town are looking for a new manager, but never successful…

My choice:

As much as it pains me to suggest it, there are two managers out there who in their time with former employers (Bristol City and Brighton) have history with Swindon, and these may just Fitton’s brief and the task of avoiding the drop…

Gary Johnson or Mark McGee…

I’ll definitely have to go for Gary Johnson.

Bags of experience, who not only knows the lower leagues, but has Championship experience and won’t settle for mediocrity.

He’s a canny and shrewd coach, a motivator, a manager who I wouldn’t want to be in the changing room at half time whilst he’s reading the riot act with us 1 nil down.

There are some right duffers on my list above, so I’d be disappointed if Johnson isn’t offered the job as the alternatives aren’t all that.

What about you? Who would you like to see appointed as Danny’s successor?