A host of names have been linked with Scunthorpe United in the week since Ian Baraclough’s exit. CHRIS SUMPTER takes a look at who will be contenders or pretenders to the Iron throne.

LIFE, it is said, begins at 40. So it seems does the process of selecting a new manager for Scunthorpe United.

On Monday afternoon, chairman Steve Wharton told the Telegraph the list of applicants wanting to take charge at Glanford Park was 20, yet a day later, with confirmation on the club's official website, that number had doubled.

Sifting through CVs and drawing up a shortlist of realistic candidates begins in earnest yesterday, with the Iron's board meeting for the first time since Ian Baraclough's surprise exit eight days ago to discuss the direction in which United now must move.

It is an unenviable task and will undoubtedly be done with caution by a set of directors who have not been in their present predicament for almost 25 years.

The last time Scunthorpe welcomed in a manager from outside their current set-up was in 1987, when Mick Buxton replaced Frank Barlow.

Since then, assistants, players and, unforgettably, physios, have all had a shot, some with invariably more success than others.

Now though, new ideas and a new approach is clearly necessary ahead of what will undoubtedly prove an extensive rebuilding programme.

Time may be of the essence when it comes to recruitment – the chance to have a decent assessment of what needs to change to improve the club's flagging fortunes is too good to turn down – but there will be no quick fix for whoever gets the chance to take Scunthorpe forward.

So what of the so-called front-runners?

Former Iron manager Brian Laws has, since the moment Baraclough cleared his desk, been the bookmakers' tip.

Surely though, only because he is the easy option.

For all the smoke and mirrors in the 51-year-old's willingness to neither rule himself in or out of the running when he spoke to the Telegraph at the weekend, any potential return is far from being cut and dried.

Laws may well be a contender, even if it would be a move unpopular with large sections of support.

But to consider him the favourite, ahead of a shortlist being drawn up, is, in my opinion, naive.

Noises coming from the United chairman hint that new blood is the way forward.

Experience and, crucially, the ability to work with few resources to give a small club the chance to punch above its weight are a necessity.

Compare those qualities with the list of applicants and those 40 names will be dramatically reduced.

Whether he has applied or not is unconfirmed, but the Telegraph understands Alan Knill has thrown his hat into the ring.

He should be among the board's thinking.

An Iron player between 1993 and 1997, where he was a team-mate of current chief scout Lee Turnbull, the 46-year-old has done a good job at League Two Bury, having also gained admirable glances when in charge at cash-strapped Rotherham.

Knill, the bookies' second favourite for the Glanford Park post, has guided the Shakers to second in the table.

Whether he would be prepared to relinquish the chance to see through Bury's first promotion in 14 years is likely to be a major stumbling block in any Scunthorpe switch.

A source close to the Welshman though seems to suggest that might not be an issue.

"It's a bad time to leave, with nine games to go, in the eyes of the fans, but he is quite an ambitious person and if something like that opportunity came along, I'd be surprised if he wasn't interested," he said.

"He's working on a very tight budget at Bury and most managers find that very frustrating."

Although Scunthorpe would have to pay the Shakers compensation, Knill is only under contract until the summer of 2012 so it would be minimal.

In the lengthy list of managers out of work to be linked with the post, Danny Wilson seems to be popular among large sections of support.

He has the sort of experience Wharton would desire and has only been out of work for a matter of months after walking away from Swindon Town's League One relegation battle three weeks ago.

A 'nice guy' according to one person the Telegraph spoke to about the Wigan-born boss, another said Wilson left the Robins with 'his head held high' in the eyes of fans, who put their side's slide from top six to bottom four down to the fact he had to offload top players like Gordon Greer, Billy Paynter and Charlie Austin.

The fact Wilson is out of work will provoke caution, but then few managers have been successful at every club in their career.

Phil Parkinson got Colchester promoted to the Championship on peanuts in 2006 and was doing an okay job at Charlton before being axed because his Addicks chairman didn't believe he was good enough to see the club's target of promotion through.

At Hull though, the 43-year-old was a disaster. A man who failed to show the level of character needed to make an impact.

On Tuesday the bookies would have you believe the smart money is currently going on Parkinson, who is thought to still own a family home at Wetherby.

In reality though, his teams have often been direct – which goes against one of the few demands Wharton will ask of his new boss.

It would be a surprise if Andy Crosby left Nigel Adkins' management team at Southampton for a quick return to Glanford Park, even if his family are back living locally.

The only other name listed that seems to carry any weight is Alan Irvine.

A victim of Milan Mandaric's axe, the ex-Sheffield Wednesday chief ticks almost all the boxes.

Experienced and with bags of contacts having worked as David Moyes' assistant at Everton for a lengthy spell, the Scot led Preston to the play-offs in 2009 before harshly getting the boot seven months later.

Time is one thing the next manager of Scunthorpe will be afforded.

What else the job offers and how up for the challenge the chosen candidate is though will force the board's hand when it comes to announcing Baraclough's successor.

This article was first published in Wednesday's Scunthorpe Telegraph.