Portsmouth on the up - caretaker boss Guy Whittingham
Last updated on .From the section Football
Portsmouth's caretaker boss Guy Whittingham says whoever is appointed the club's new manager will find the Fratton Park team in good shape.
The search from Steve Cotterill's replacement continues but Pompey have won two of their last three games since his departure to Nottingham Forest.
Burnley manager Eddie Howe and Molde boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer are among those touted as possible successors.
"They will be taking over a club on the up," Whittingham told BBC Radio Solent.
Portsmouth beat Doncaster 3-1 on Saturday to continue their rise up the Championship table.
The club has not revealed who has been shortlisted for the post, but chief executive David Lampitt has said they have received applications from up to 40 interested parties.
Interviews are understood to be on-going, but Portsmouth have refused to put a time-limit on when the appointment will be made.
Former Doncaster and Bournemouth boss Sean O'Driscoll is the bookmakers' favourite for the job.
Whittingham again ruled himself out at the weekend but said he wanted to remain at the club once the new manager comes in.
"We just want to give the owners the right amount of time to find the right man for the job," he added.
"It is a great job, Stuart (Gray) and I have thoroughly enjoyed being in charge and we still will do as long as the club want us to.
"It is going to be a good challenge for somebody, because the club 18 months ago was in danger of going out of business, and the strides it has made since then both on and off the pitch has been remarkable.
"I've been here since the beginning when the administrators came in and the change around the training ground, around the club and the positiveness around all the staff and through everybody has been fantastic.
"How long it will take, I do not know. We just hope we give them enough time to find the right person."
