Norwich City assistant manager Lee Clark has been touted as the next Carlisle boss.The League One strugglers sacked their manager John Ward yesterday and Clark has been named as an immediate front runner for the job.

Norwich City assistant manager Lee Clark has been touted as the next Carlisle boss.

The League One strugglers sacked their manager John Ward yesterday and Clark has been named as an immediate front runner for the job.

Ward guided the club to an impressive start to the season with an unbeaten run of five matches but that was followed by a dismal run of 10 games without a win - including nine defeats - which has left them in 20th position.

Assistant manager Greg Abbott has been appointed caretaker manager, but sources have named Clark as a possibility to take over at Brunton Park.

Clark was brought to Carrow Road by manager Glenn Roeder after impressing as a coach for Premier League side Newcastle United and is building a reputation within the game.

A move back to the north of England and the chance to be the top man at a club could appeal to Wallsend-born Clark, who played more than 200 games for the Magpies.

A statement on the club's official website, www.carlisleunited.co.uk read: "The club thank John for his service over the last 13 months but after suffering 10 defeats and a draw in our last 11 games - a run which has seen us slide from second to 20th in the League One table - we agreed the time had come for us to go our separate ways.”

Carlisle are preparing for their FA Cup first-round tie on Saturday and their statement continued: "Assistant manager Greg Abbott has immediately been appointed caretaker manager with the full backing of everyone at the club.

"Greg had been hugely disappointed not to get the manager's job here on a full-time basis last season after having been caretaker manager following Neil McDonald's departure until John Ward's appointment. That was despite having won five and drawn two of his 10 games in charge.

"We would ask all Carlisle United fans to give their full backing to Greg and the squad, starting with Saturday's FA Cup first-round tie at home to Grays Athletic."

Clark, 36, was linked with the hot seat at the Cumbrian outfit in August last year, when one of his former Newcastle teammates Neil McDonald was sacked as manager after just one game.

At that time, Clark's former Fulham colleague Chris Coleman was also said to be keen to get him across to Spain with a coaching role at Real Sociedad, the club the current Coventry City boss was managing at the time.

But just months later Clark joined the Canaries with his former Newcastle United boss Glenn Roeder and helped Norwich City stay in the Championship.