Northampton Town chairman David Cardoza says he will appoint an experienced manager to replace Ian Sampson.

The Cobblers face Shrewsbury at Sixfields on Saturday with Malcolm Crosby in charge as caretaker boss.

Cardoza told BBC Look East: "Malcolm will just be temporary. We'll probably go down the experienced route.

"Someone who knows this league and the league above, employed or unemployed. It's a massive appointment and whoever we think is best, we'll go for."

Cardoza will be appointing a fifth manager at Sixfields since 2003, after Martin Wilkinson, Colin Calderwood, John Gorman, Stuart Gray and Ian Sampson, who was sacked by the League Two club yesterday.

Names being linked with the role include the former Peterborough United and Bristol City boss Gary Johnson and ex-Charlton Athletic manager Phil Parkinson.

The Darlington manager Mark Cooper is also considered to be in the running, although Grimsby Town are reportedly interested in bringing in the former Kettering Town boss.

"The football club comes first," added Cardoza.

"I want to be out of this league as soon as we can. The squad and the set-up are good enough, but it's not happening at the moment."

Crosby, meanwhile, has not ruled out taking the job on a permanent basis if he is successful as caretaker.

But the former Sunderland and Oxford manager says he is focused on ending Northampton's seven-match run without a win.

"I'll take over until the Chairman tells me something else is happening. I want to get some wins and I've got the players to get them.

"I'd be interested [in taking the manager's job], but we'll take it game by game at the moment. I won't rule anything out."

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