TONY Mowbray is ready to make his move to become Hartlepool United's new manager.

The Ipswich Town coach is currently mulling over his options at Portman Road after being offered a new contract by boss Joe Royle.

But, following the departure of Mike Newell from the Victoria Park hot-seat last Friday, Mowbray has revealed he wants to take control in his own right in the near future.

The 39-year-old, who was interested in the Pool job when Chris Turner left last November, had a brief spell as the Tractor Boys' caretaker boss when George Burley was dismissed last year.

And the Middlesbrough legend feels newly-promoted Pool would be the ideal club to start a new career.

Saltburn-born Mowbray said: "I have always seen management as the next challenge for me to take in the game and have felt that way for a long time.

"I enjoyed the experience of the few games I had in charge after George Burley left and it was a good learning curve for me.

"Hopefully I will be able to put that to good use when a management opportunity arises."

And an option for Mowbray, should he become the new Pool boss would be to install former Ipswich defender Mark Venus as his No 2.

Venus, whose family hail from Seaton Carew, made four appearances for Pool in the 1984-85 season and has just been released by Royle. He is also keen to make steps into management.

But Pool chairman Ken Hodcroft has confirmed that he will not be rushing into finding Newell's successor.

"We need to have a new manager in place in the near future, but there is no great hurry," said Hodcroft, who will be appointing his third manager since his company IOR took over at Victoria Park.

"We will give thorough and careful consideration to all applications received and make our decision at the appropriate time.

"The players we have, with a few additions, are capable of securing a position in the Second Division next season and they know that. The new manager, when selected, has a good base to build on."

Meanwhile, axed Newell has opened talks with the League Managers' Association over the possibility of having a case for wrongful dismissal.

The 38-year-old, who guided Pool to promotion and narrowly missed out on the title, revealed he still does not know the reason why his contract was not renewed.

"I had a fixed-term contract which was due to expire at the end of the month and on Friday I was told they were not taking it any further," he said. "He (Hodcroft) did not give me a reason. I asked several times for one but he refused. I am not bitter and I am not going to do the club down.

"I suspect I know what it is though - I do not conform.

"I happen to believe that when you manage a football club you live and die by your selections and what you get out of the players. You can't have any outside interference.

"I have to manage it how I want, they wanted someone to do it their way. I feel the relationship was poor between myself and the chairman.

"I am not going to go into the way he runs his business but I should have been left to deal with the football side of things.

"I am judged on results and performances and I can't justify myself if there is interference."

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