SLAVEN BILIC (15/8)
Now: Manager of Croatia.
Why It Will Be Him: West Ham fans want him and love him, and who can blame them? He's cool, he's passionate, he believes in attacking football - in other words, he's the exact opposite of Alan Curbishley. Life will never be dull under Bilic. He may also be tempted by the money on offer - many, many more times more than he can earn with Croatia, and he is not indoctrinated into the English management system and their curious propensity to know exactly who they are buying and selling.
Why It Won't Be Him: The small matter of a World Cup qualifying campaign and his insistence that he wants to stick around to take Croatia to South Africa.
ROBERTO MANCINI (5/1)
Now: Unemployed after being sacked by Inter Milan.
Why It Will Be Him: He certainly has the pedigree - three Serie A titles - and can speak perfect English. He also has the kind of charisma that would endear him to West Ham fans. But the real reason he is in this list is his close friendship with Nani, who clearly has the ear of the Hammers' board.
Why It Won't Be Him: Surely he would have better offers than a mid-table Premier League side with little or no money to spend? It seems inconceivable that a man who has won three Serie A titles would manage a squad including such luminaries as Nigel Quashie.
PAOLO DI CANIO (11/2)
Now: Retired and taking coaching badges in Italy.
Why It Will Be Him: A legend at Upton Park, he would crawl over broken glass to take his 'dream' job. He could work closely with his fellow countryman, Technical Director Gianluca Nani and would probably be willing to be part of a 'continental' style coaching set-up where he takes no responsibility for signing and selling players. Like Bilic, there would be a certain romance in appointing a club legend who certainly cares.
Why It Won't Be Him: No experience - it seems unlikely that Di Canio is ready for this kind of job. Though he may be an option as an assistant.
SAM ALLARDYCE (7/1)
Now: Unemployed after being sacked by Newcastle.
Why It Will Be Him: He's probably the best-qualified Premier League manager not currently employed and he would jump at the chance. At Bolton he achieved top-ten finishes on little money, and that must appeal massively to any chairman, but especially one desperate to cut costs.
Why It Won't Be Him: An air of failure about him after his ill-fated spell at Newcastle, a reputation for playing the kind of football Hammers' fans traditionally despise, a reluctance to bring in young, unproven players and a likely insistence on being involved in transfers. He would be popular with the media, but would he be popular with the fans?
GIANLUCA NANI (10/1)
Now: Technical Director at West Ham.
Why It Will Be Him: He's there, he's liked by the board, he already knows how the club works, he has a vision to transform the club - who better to put it into action?
Why It Won't Be Him: He's not a coach, he's a man who looks at the bigger picture and he has enough on his plate setting up scouting networks in an effort to make West Ham more like Arsenal than an East End market stall. Although he will play a leading role in the club's future, he's just not the tracksuit type.
HARRY REDKNAPP (12/1)
Now: Manager at Portsmouth.
Why It Will Be Him: A generally popular manager during his West Ham tenure, he might just fancy the chance of picking up some 'unfinished business' at the club he served as player and manager before being sacked.
Why It Won't Be Him: He's settled at Portsmouth away from the glare of publicity, he's probably wise enough not to go back and he's an old-fashioned manager who would definitely want more than a say in transfer business. It didn't work with directors of football looking over his shoulder at Portsmouth and it's unlikely to appeal at West Ham.