Terry Venables yesterday insisted once more that he has no intention of resigning as Leeds manager, but the choice may be taken away very soon.

As Venables was accepting an apology from Lee Bowyer - the midfielder has admitted he deliberately stamped in the face of Malaga's Gerardo during Thursday night's UEFA Cup defeat - it emerged that his chairman, Peter Ridsdale, is already discussing candidates to replace him.

Venables will be dismayed to learn that, despite public utterances of support, Ridsdale is now said to be compiling a shortlist for a position which could become available next week should Leeds' increasingly troubled season take another turn for the worse at Bolton Wanderers on Monday.

Although the brunt of the fans' anger has been borne by Venables, Ridsdale is aware his own popularity has suffered for appointing the Londoner in the first place. With the chairman's keen nose for public relations, the next manager is likely to be a populist choice, and someone with a previous association with the club.

Gordon Strachan, the Southampton manager, will feature prominently and would appeal to the supporters after playing in the last Leeds team to win the championship, but he is far from the only name under consideration.

Paul Hart, regarded as the finest developer of young talent in the game, has already been discussed in private. Hart nurtured a generation of players, including Jonathan Woodgate, Alan Smith and Harry Kewell, during his time as director of Leeds' youth academy. He has done similar work as manager of Nottingham Forest, currently third in the First Division, and remains popular with the players he brought through at Elland Road.

Mick McCarthy is also in the frame, and it has been noted that Micky Adams, a former Leeds player, has genuine hopes of steering Leicester back to the Premiership despite going into administration.

It is inconceivable that Venables would relinquish his position without it being made worth his while, although his representatives dismissed speculation that severance talks were about to start.

"I've never once thought taking the job was a mistake," said Venables. "It is a tough experience, one of the toughest, but as long as I feel I must keep going that is what I will do."

Nevertheless, he knows only victory against Bolton will be enough to save his job four months into a season that reeks of relegation danger and, courtesy of Bowyer, reached a new low in defeat to Malaga.

The midfielder was summoned to Venables' office after training yesterday, but, though he admitted deliberately stamping his foot into the face of Gerardo and UEFA has confirmed it is investigating the incident, he will not be disciplined by the club.

This leniency may have something to do with the fact that Leeds will not be affected if Bowyer is banned from European competition. He plans to leave Elland Road when his contract expires next summer.

Even so, Venables risks his own credibility by not taking action, particularly as he has just fined Olivier Dacourt two weeks' wages for describing the club's league position as a "disgrace".

"Lee wants to win every time he plays, but maybe he is guilty sometimes of wanting to win too much," said Venables. "I've seen the incident again and I've spoken to him about it. He admitted that he did put his foot on the player's head and, if he does things like that, he's got to take responsibility for it. He's a fiery character and it's hard changing someone like that."