Adkins the early bookies favourite to take over at Cobblers

Adkins, who has also managed Scunthorpe United, is the frontrunner at 3/1 with BetVictor, the same price as Justin Edinburgh, who was sacked by Town’s Sky Bet League One rivals Gillingham last week.

Paul Wilkinson, Page’s assistant who is set to take caretaker charge of the Cobblers in Saturday’s clash with Scunthorpe at Sixfields, is rated a 5/1 shot, with former Rotherham United, Wolves and Swansea City boss Kenny Jackett an 8/1 shot.

According to the bookies, other names in the frame include ex-Bury boss David Flitcroft (8/1), former Wigan Athletic manager Gary Caldwell (12/1) and Darren Purse (14/1), with the former Birmingham City defender now living in Northampton, where he runs a football academy.

Also listed are the likes of Neil Redfearn (16/1), Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (16/1), Gareth Ainsworth (16/1) and Gary Rowett (20/1), the former Burton Albion manager who was sacked by Birmingham City in December.

Former Chelsea and Manchester City midfielder Frank Lampard is rated a 25/1 shot to rock up as the next Cobblers manager, while you can get the same price on former Milton Keynes Dons boss Paul Ince and Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs.

It’s also 25/1 if you fancy former Eastleigh manager Ronnie Moore, ex-Bristol City boss Steve Cotterill, former Newport manager Terry Butcher and former Newcastle United top man John Carver - and ex-Cobblers manager Stuart Gray!

Other names/odds: Gary Waddock (25/1), Chris Powell (25/1), Mark Cooper (25/1), Dean Saunders (25/1), Gary McAllister (25/1), Ian Hendon (25/1), Steven Pressley (25/1), Danny Wilson (25/1), Tony Mowbray (25/1), Mark Yates (25/1), Mark Robins (25/1).