He said: “All the while we’re in limbo waiting for a buyer to come in we’re falling further and further behind the rest of the Championship clubs who have already begun recruitment for next season.” Mr Wraith added: “It is less an issue of bouncing back and more an issue of avoiding the trap door of a further relegation.

“It is a big possibility. The longer we go without a manager, the further behind we fall.”

Just over 86% of fans thought Alan Shearer was the man to guide the club away from that dark prospect.

The remaining 14% called for a man with more experience to be installed in the dug-out.

Steve Coppell, Billy Davies, Alan Curbishley and even Kevin Keegan are all names put forward by fans as an alternative to the club’s record goalscorer.

And, while close to 55% of fans blamed owner Mike Ashley for last month’s relegation, our survey showed that many fans think the buck stops with the players.

More than 33% of respondents thought that getting rid of the highly-paid stars who have under-performed was the top priority for the club.