Falkirk boss Steven Pressley granted Coventry talks

Talks between Pressley and the League One club are taking place in Coventry and an announcement could be made within 24 hours, and the 39-year-old has been installed as a very short-priced favourite by bookmakers to succeed Mark Robins, who left the Sky Blues to join Huddersfield Town three weeks ago.

Pressley took over from Eddie May at Falkirk in 2010. They currently lie fifth in the First Division and on Saturday they secured a Scottish Cup semi-final meeting with Hibernian at Hampden next month when they beat Hamilton 2-1 in the quarter-finals. Last season Pressley steered Falkirk to the last four of the League Cup, losing out to Celtic.

If Pressley does leave it is expected that veteran manager Alex Smith, who is Falkirk technical director, and assistant Stevie Crawford will lead the team until the end of the season.

Pressley played for Coventry in the English Premier League in 1994-95 after signing from Rangers, but it was an ill-fated spell marred by poor form and on-field discipline. He returned to Scotland when he joined Dundee United in 1995.

He went on to captain Hearts, winning the Scottish Cup in 2006, before joining Celtic later that year after a dispute with Tynecastle owner Vladimir Romanov. He ended his playing career at Falkirk after a brief stint with Danish side Randers. Prior to his Falkirk appointment, Pressley acted as a coach for the national side as part of the George Burley managerial team.

Coventry are suffering under severe financial pressures and have tumbled down the divisions since Pressley’s time in the West Midlands. They currently sit ninth in the third-tier League One and are embroiled in a long-running rent dispute with the owners of their 32,500-seater Ricoh Arena stadium, with over £1 million alleged to be owed.

Only this week Coventry’s deputy chairman John Clarke denied rumours the club are under imminent threat of liquidation.