Chris Hughton features with Steve Clarke and Kit Symons on a three-man shortlist drawn up by Fulham’s “managerial search committee” as the Championship club seek to replace Felix Magath, who was sacked last month after a miserable start to life in the second tier.
The Fulham owner, Shahid Khan, appointed a five-man panel – consisting of Niall Quinn, Danny Murphy, Brian McBride, Huw Jennings and David Daly – to advise him on potential candidates for the role at the end of September, with that group having met regularly in the period since. It is understood the three candidates have been interviewed and Fulham hope to make an appointment next week.
Hughton, a former Newcastle and Birmingham City manager, was sacked by Norwich City towards the end of last season just before they were demoted, alongside Fulham, to the Championship.
He has made clear his desire to return to management at Craven Cottage and was offered encouragement to apply for the role, with Fulham impressed by his credentials particularly given the success he has enjoyed in mounting promotion campaigns in the past.
Symons, the caretaker manager, will oversee Saturday’s game against Norwich – who are top of the division – and hopes to be offered the role permanently. The former Wales international has performed well since taking up the reins from Magath, whose team had extracted a solitary point from their first seven matches of term, and boasts two wins from his four league games in charge, as well as progress into the fourth round of the Capital One Cup where they will face Derby County on 28 October.
Clarke was sacked by West Bromwich Albion last season despite having led the club in the previous campaign to an impressive eighth place.
