Di Matteo in pole position at Albion

The former Italian international and Chelsea star, fresh from an impressive first season in English football management, is all set to pip long-standing front-runner Alan Irvine at the finishing line.

Albion chairman Jeremy Peace and his directors expect to make their final decision on the man to succeed Tony Mowbray later today and I understand that Di Matteo will start those deliberations in pole position.

This brings one final and dramatic twist to an unexpected trail of events triggered by Mowbray's walk-out earlier this month to take the Celtic vacancy.

Albion have whittled down their contenders, which also included former captain and now St Johnstone boss Derek McInnes, Peterborough's Darren Ferguson, an out-of-work Paul Ince and Cardiff's Dave Jones, to a two-way contest between Di Matteo and Irvine.

Albion received permission to speak to both men and have conducted their final interviews in the past couple of days. For more than a week, Irvine has been the man to beat, the 48-year-old Glasgow-born Preston manager having established a flourishing reputation in his first senior posting following his work alongside David Moyes at Everton.

A pleasing playing style has supplemented a successful fight against relegation in his first months at the club before Irvine took Preston back to promotion-challenging status last season – and all on a shoestring budget.

While Irvine was moving Preston up the Championship, Di Matteo was succeeding Ince at MK Dons but continuing that club's remarkable rise from a standing start as English football's first franchise club. His side became the second highest scorers in the country and just missed out on promotion in heart-breaking circumstances as they lost a play-off final penalty shoot-out with Scunthorpe.

At 39, he has considerably less experience than Irvine but has come up on the rails after making a big impact in his interview.

The supporters should not have long to wait now with a decision expected this evening.