Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley among bookies' favourites for vacant AFC Wimbledon manager's job - with ex-Southampton boss Alan Pardew also fancied

The early betting puts the 43-year-old just behind former Southampton boss Alan Pardew and ex-Peterborough chief Darren Ferguson in the race to be Mark Robinson’s successor at Plough Lane.

Neil Harris (Gillingham), Luke Gerrard (Boreham Wood), Ian Holloway and Alex Revell (ex-Stevenage) are also on the bookies’ shortlist.

Robinson left the Dons by ‘mutual consent’ on Monday following a 20-match winless run in League One that leaves the south London side fourth from bottom of the table.

And as the search for his successor begins in earnest today, Cowley finds himself among the early preferred choices for the role, with the former PE teacher currently coming in at 16/1 with Paddy Power.

That will come as a surprise to the Fratton faithful, with the former Lincoln manager having just celebrated his one-year anniversary at Fratton Park.

And although the Blues look increasingly unlikely of playing a part in this season’s promotion play-offs, Cowley is currently two transfer windows into a three-window plan that will hopefully have the PO4 producing a serious promotion challenge next term.

Indeed, since succeeding Kenny Jackett in the Fratton Park hot seat and signing a long-term deal with Pompey last May, the ex-Huddersfield manager has overseen more than 40 transfers, with 23 players exiting the club during his year in charge and 20 arriving.

The Blues currently sit 10th in the table – 10 points behind sixth-placed Sheffield Wednesday – with eight games remaining.

Heading into the current international break, Cowley had a win percentage of 43.1 per cent from his 58 matches in charge of the club.

That puts him behind just Harry Redknapp (46.5 per cent – first spell), Paul Cook (48.6) and Jackett (51.6) in Blues managers since 1995.

Accompanying Cowley in the betting odds is Revell (12/1), Holloway (12/1), Garrard (9/1) and Ferguson (7/1).

However, former Saints boss Alan Pardew remains the early favourite at 4/1.

He’s currently acting as an advisor on football matters to the owners of CSKA Sofia, after a brief spell in charge of Dutch side ADO Den Haag.

As well as Southampton, Pardew has also managed Reading, West Ham, Charlton, Newcastle, Crystal Palace and West Brom.