Motherwell: Caretaker Kenny Black poised to meet club

Motherwell have won one and lost three matches under Kenny Black

Motherwell are due to speak with caretaker boss Kenny Black on Wednesday with the appointment of a new manager believed to be imminent.

Terry Butcher remains the bookmakers' favourite to return to the job.

But former Sligo Rovers boss Ian Baraclough has emerged as another candidate for the vacancy.

Former Kilmarnock manager Kenny Shiels and Dutchmen Mitchell van der Gaag and Rob Maaskant are the others to have been interviewed.

It is not believed that Motherwell's meeting with 51-year-old former Airdrie United manager Black will hold up the announcement of Stuart McCall's successor.

Black is interested in the job on a permanent basis but could become assistant should the job be given to another candidate.

The Steelmen also appear likely to appoint a manager before the conclusion of talks about the future ownership and financial future of the club.

They have been without a manager since McCall resigned on 2 November.

Motherwell won their opening fixture under Black, defeating Dundee United, but have since lost three times - to Inverness Caledonian Thistle and Celtic in the Scottish Premiership and United in the Scottish Cup.

They presently sit third bottom in the Scottish Premiership, two points ahead of St Mirren and Ross County.

Former England defender Butcher managed Motherwell for four years until 2006, but the 55-year-old has been out of work since being sacked by Hibernian in June.

Ian Baraclough led Sligo Rovers into the Champions League

In between, he managed Sydney, Brentford and Inverness Caledonian Thistle.

Van der Gaag and Maaskant also have strong Motherwell connections having both had spells as players at Fir Park in the 1990s.

Maaskant has a long list of former clubs, being head coach at Roosendaal three times as well as Go Ahead Eagles, Willem II, MVV, Breda, Wisla Krakow, Texas Dutch Lions, Groningen and Dinamo Minsk.

The 45-year-old has just ended a year as assistant with Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.

Van der Gaag's list of former clubs is not quite as extensive, but the 43-year-old has managed in Portugal with Maritimo and Belenenses, leaving the latter after suffering heart problems in 2013.

Englishman Baraclough previously managed Scunthorpe United and, since leaving Sligo in the summer, the 44-year-old has been working as a scout for Huddersfield Town.

Shiels is presently director of Forth Valley Football Academy after being sacked by Greenock Morton in May, resigning after his side, already heading for relegation, were hammered 10-2 by Hamilton Academical.

The 58-year-old Northern Irishman had previously managed Tobermore United, Carrick Rangers, Coleraine, Moyola Park, Ballymena United and Larne in his homeland.