Bristol City are on the hunt for a new manager once again after Dean Holden was relieved of his duties last night. 

The Robins produced another dismal display as they were swept aside by Reading in what was their sixth consecutive defeat.

It was confirmed after the 2-0 loss to the Royals that Holden's time at the club had come to an end, with assistant coaches Paul Simpson and Keith Downing due to take training over the next few days.

City fans will be hoping that the club move faster to make an appointment than they did in the summer but who will be on their radar?

We've outlined five candidates that they should be looking at...

Cook has an excellent record in the EFL – having had success at Wigan, Portsmouth, and Chesterfield – and is the sort of character that can transform the atmosphere of a dressing room, which something that is clearly needed at City.

He's currently a free agent after leaving the Latics in the summer but has shown he wants to get back into management, as the reports linking him to the Sheffield Wednesday job indicate.

The Robins are in free fall right now and Cook could be just the man to bring the fight and passion back to Ashton Gate.

He may appeal to Mark Ashton and Steve Lansdown as well, having proven he can thrive on a small transfer budget in the past.

The former Bournemouth boss would be an ambitious target, having drawn links to Premier League jobs in the past, but he is a free agent and may feel that this is a good opportunity for him to step back into management.

In the summer, the City owner suggested they wanted someone to help them take the next step and Howe could certainly be that man.

He's got experience of helping a club with relatively small resources secure promotion to the Premier League and establish themselves there, which is ultimately the Robins' dream.

Prizing Terry away from Aston Villa may be no easy feat but you feel it is only a matter of time until the former England captain takes a full-time job in management, could City be that?

He's done a fantastic job in helping Dean Smith take Villa back to the Premier League and establish them not just in the division but as a side that is capable of claiming top six scalps.

There would certainly be an element of risk as it would be his first job as a manager and he may be waiting for a bigger offer but Terry should certainly be on the Robins' radar.

Perhaps the most pragmatic of the options on this list, Pearson has been out of a job since leaving Watford last year and has proven himself the man for a crisis in the past.

Another character that could instill the fight back into the City dressing room, it is sometimes easy to forget the success he has had in the Championship in the past.

This is a manager that led Leicester City to promotion with more than 100 points after all. Ashton will surely be reaching out to him.

The only name on this list currently a manager elsewhere, Lowe has done fantastic things at Plymouth Argyle since taking charge in 2019 and has them pushing for the play-offs in their first season back in League One.

The Liverpool-born coach has a distinct attacking style, so this is likely an appointment that would require a bit of patience but it should get the Robins back playing attractive football.

There may be question marks about his lack of experience at Championship level given some fans concerns about relegation but he's a hugely impressive young manager, having drawn praise from the likes of Jurgen Klopp in the past.