SLAVEN BILIC Bilic is the current Croatia coach and hot favourite for the West Ham job despite signing a two-year contact in April of this year. He is recognised as the second best national team coach after Dunga of Brazil. Bilic played for West Ham during the 1996-97 season, showing loyalty to the club by helping them battle against relegation despite offers from Joe Royle to lure him to Everton. His laid-back approach to the game has won him many fans, but that is not to say he is not ambitious and hard-working. He could really help West Ham to gain recognition as a top team.

SAM ALLARDYCE Allardyce is currently a free agent after leaving Newcastle in January. Although he had limited success at the club, he was highly respected during his time managing Bolton between 1999 and 2007. He propelled Bolton into the Premiership during his second season at the club and after a promising start the team struggled but managed to keep their place in the top flight of English football. In the 2004-05 season Bolton finished sixth, earning a place in the UEFA Cup. He is a strong character, very popular in the footballing world, and not afraid of controversy. He advocates a never-say-die attitude and would love the opportunity to win some silverware.

DAVID O'LEARY After time managing Leeds and Aston Villa, David O'Leary has been without a club since 2006. His four years at Leeds saw O'Leary take the Yorkshire side to the Champions League semi-finals with a talented, youthful squad. The highs were short-lived and Leeds' meteoric fall followed and O'Leary was sacked after spending too much money with no delivery of silverware. O'Leary did remarkably well at Villa, managing to lift a thin and down-hearted club from the relegation places to sixth, just missing out on a UEFA Cup spot. O'Leary is a talented and ambitious manager who could take West Ham into Europe, but he needs silverware to really prove his worth.

GARY JOHNSON Johnson is currently enjoying success as Bristol City manager but may well be interested in an opportunity to manage at Premier League level. He joined City in 2005 and achieved automatic promotion to the Coca-Cola Championship with the club in 2007 before narrowly missing out on a top-flight spot through the play-offs last season. He is popular with the media and his abilities as a manager have been rewarded with manager of the month awards.

HARRY REDKNAPP Redknapp is another popular character and a very experienced manager. His teams play exciting football and yet he knows how to battle for survival. He currently manages Portsmouth and the summer has seen an influx of exciting players join the club. As well as time coaching Bournemouth and Southampton, Redknapp spent seven years in charge at West Ham from 1994 to 2001. He helped the club make a name for itself in the Premiership and nurtured the talents of emerging stars Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole.

GLENN HODDLE Former England manager Hoddle is currently trying to raise the money to open a football academy in Spain but may well be interested in a chance to get back into football management. Aside from experience at international level, resulting in his infamous dismissal following unguarded comments to the media, Hoddle has had many chances to prove himself with teams in the Premier League and Championship, having spent time in charge at Swindon, Chelsea, Southampton, Tottenham and Wolves. He has yet to bring the success expected to any of his clubs and may relish another opportunity to prove himself.