BURNLEY'S board will meet tonight with the new manager top of the agenda.

Preliminary interviews with all leading candidates have now taken place in a whirlwind few weeks since the end of the First Division season.

And chairman Barry Kilby and his cohorts will this evening look to whittle down their shortlist to just two or three names before conducting final interviews.

The slight possibility exists that one name will be unanimously identified as the man to take Burnley forward.

But the likelier scenario is that, from a list that includes current favourite Ronnie Moore, Steve McMahon, Brian Flynn and Steve Cotterill, along with several other long shots such as John Ward and Colin Lee, a final announcement will not be made until early next week.

In the meantime, Burnley skipper Graham Branch reckons Rotherham manager Moore would be the ideal man to take over and carry the Clarets into a new era.

Like all supporters, the players still in contract are eagerly awaiting news of who their new manager will be next season.

The summer break means that all the playing staff have virtually severed contact with Turf Moor until their return to pre-season training in July.

But club captain Branch has thrown his weight behind Moore's bid to land the coveted Turf Moor job.

He said: "No-one knows yet who will be in charge. Sometimes you have an inkling who might be taking over, but I think it's fair to say the players are in the dark.

"We are in the same position as fans and it's a new one for me, but I'm hoping it will be Ronnie because I know him and he is a good manager.

"He has been in a similar situation as the gaffer in that he has done very well at Rotherham with limited finances.

"I know him from my Tranmere days and I have a lot of respect for him. He is very good at man-management and I'm sure the lads would all respect him a lot."

Branch admits the new manager faces a daunting task, with only eight players remaining in contract and four more, David May, Paul Weller, Mark McGregor and Dean West, all without deals and with their Burnley careers hanging in the balance

Branch added: "The gaffer is going to be hard to replace, whoever comes in.

"I have been reading the papers like everyone else and whoever takes over just has to get on with it.

"The only reason why we struggled last season is because we didn't have any strength in depth, so it's a really big rebuilding job for the new man."