Malky Mackay in frame to return to Norwich City as manager

Former Cardiff City and Watford boss Malky Mackay could be named Norwich City manager within a week, after Neil Adams failed to win any of the final five Premier League games once he replaced Chris Hughton.

Scotsman Mackay is Coral’s odds-on 4/6 favourite to return to management with the relegated East Anglia outfit. Adams, meanwhile, is an 8/1 shot to land the job permanently.

Academy coach Adams, who steered the young Canaries to the 2013 FA Youth Cup, attracted criticism from Argentine pair Luciano Becchio and loan signing Jonas Gutierrez over his lack of managerial credentials.

Mackay spent six years between 1998 and 2004 at Carrow Road, becoming a firm fan favourite in defence. Other names linked to the Norwich vacancy include Celtic manager Neil Lennon (4/1), the out of work Gianfranco Zola (3/1) and Tim Sherwood (8/1), who was recently sacked by Spurs.

Lennon, a protégé of one-time Canaries manager Martin O’Neill, has won three straight Scottish Premiership titles now, and could be tempted south of the border by a fresh challenge. Sherwood, like Mackay, has been linked with the vacancies as top-flight team West Brom and Championship play-off failures Brighton.

Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe (33/1), meanwhile, joins former Baggies head coach Steve Clarke (12/1) an outside shouts. Former Chelsea hero Zola has also been linked with replacing Brian McDermott at Leeds United, as fellow Italian and Cagliari owner Massimo Cellino may want to make a change at Elland Road.

Mike Phelan – a former Norwich player – is a 14/1 shot to strike out into management on his own, following several years as Alex Ferguson’s assistant at Manchester United.

The acrimonious departure that Mackay made from Cardiff over the Christmas period has had a line drawn under it after he apologised to controversial Bluebirds owner Vincent Tan. Successor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could not save the Welsh capital side from relegation, so if Mackay takes the Canaries job then he could meet his old team in the Championship next term.