Coleman poised for Coventry job

[Bergkamp10]

Chris Coleman is set to be unveiled as the new manager of Coventry City in the next 24 hours, BBC Sport understands.
Former Wales international and Fulham boss Coleman, 37, has been out of work since leaving Real Sociedad last month.

Coventry sacked Iain Dowie on 11 February after chairman Ray Ranson said there was a difference of opinion over the future direction of the club.

The Sky Blues are 20th in the Championship and were thrashed 5-0 by West Brom in the FA Cup at the weekend.

Dowie, 43, took over at the Ricoh Arena in February 2007, succeeding Micky Adams, but the ex-Charlton boss won only 20 of his 49 games in charge.

"The attractions of Coleman to Ranson are obvious," said BBC Radio Five Live's Pat Murphy.

"He's available, he'll buy into his prototype of someone concerned with coaching rather than other more draining aspects of management, and at 37 he's young enough to embrace a management structure that's more continental than English.

"He also respects the way Coleman kept Fulham in the Premier League for so long with such little money at his disposal."

Coleman has been a free agent since quitting Spanish side Sociedad, where he said he and assistant Steve Keane were unable to work alongside newly-elected president Inaki Badiola.

The Welshman had originally offered to step down following the resignation of president Maria de la Pena in November but was persuaded to stay by the Sociedad board.

De la Pena played an influential role in bringing Coleman to San Sebastian on a three-year contract last July after the club lost their first division status for the first time in 40 years.