GRAHAM Kavanagh, the former Sunderland and Middlesbrough midfielder, and latterly Carlisle boss is in line to join Hartlepool United.

Sacked last month by the Cumbrians, Kavanagh has held talks with Pools about a short-term deal at Victoria Park.

Pools take on Sheffield United this evening in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy (7pm), with Sam Collins and Stephen Pears in caretaker control following the departure of Colin Cooper.

He quit his post after Saturday’s 3-0 humiliation by Carlisle at Victoria Park.

However, Kavanagh has met with club officials and is understood to be ready to accept a short-term deal while the club starts the process of recruiting a new manager. His arrival would be a short-term solution to offer some assistance in running the first-team and adding to a small backroom team.

Being in position will give Kavanagh a chance to impress, but chairman Ken Hodcroft has insisted the club won’t rush into making a permanent appointment.

“We have a policy for recruiting,’’ he said. “It is a little different if you decide to get rid of somebody, you can have plans.

“But we don’t have plans because Colin has resigned. We weren’t ready for it as a club.

“It is a personal decision but all we can do is wish him the best for the future and now start planning for the future. But it is early days.”

Kavanagh was watching from the stand on Saturday as his former club beat his next potential one. He was sacked from Brunton Park last month after a run of 15 games without a win amid relegation from League One.

He was appointed in September 2013, promoted from assistant manager. Kavanagh was allowed to revamp the squad over the summer, but amid a stuttering start to the season was sacked, replaced by Keith Curle last month.

Curle admitted last night that he sympathises with Cooper.

“I think he felt that he wasn’t being supported or getting the backing off the field,’’ said Curle. “It does have a detrimental affect on you as a human being when you are not being able to do the job that you want to do, it does affect you.

“If you are not getting the results or the reaction out of the players that you feel you should be getting, then being a manager on the side of a pitch can be a lonely place.’’ Mark Venus, the former Pools defender and Middlesbrough coach is applying for the post, and two new names in the frame are Nicky Southall, the ex-Pools winger who is now in charge of Maidstone and Csaba László.

The Romanian is a former Hearts manager currently with MTK Budapset in Hungary and was recently in for the manager’s jobs at both Oxford and Shrewsbury.

Brian Laws, who was interviewed for the job at Victoria Park in November 2012 before returning to his former club Scunthorpe is keen on becoming Pools’ next boss.

Laws, like Cooper a former Middlesbrough defender, was sacked by Scunthorpe in November last year.

“I’m always interested in getting back in,” Laws said. “Football has been my life hasn’t it? I want to get back in. That’s the way I look at it.”

Tellingly, he added: “It seems it is getting harder to attract players to the North-East. That’s when you have to rely on your contacts, your network within the game. I’m always up for a challenge.

“Every job I’ve had has been a challenge.”