Stockport County will have one big fear after Leyton Orient defeat - it involves Dave Challinor | OneFootball

Stockport County bowed out of the League One play-offs against Leyton Orient, but worries may not end there

Stockport County’s hopes of promotion to the Championship were dashed on Wednesday evening with a second-leg penalty defeat to Leyton Orient at Edgeley Park.

It confirmed that the Hatters will be spending a second season in the third tier, after their remarkable third-place finish this term.

But that does not mean all their key names will remain.

Given the job he’s done steering County from non-league football to one game away from the Championship, there will be plenty of eyes on manager Dave Challinor.

Challinor is bound to attract interest from above

When a player kicks on in a lower league, it will often alert those further up the pyramid that they might be capable of a higher level, provoking an approach.

The thinking isn’t all that different in management.

Challinor has risen through the leagues with the Hatters and with each progression has managed to evolve the squad and compete; that knack won’t be lost on those with vacancies in the Championship.

In the past, he has been mooted for a job at Birmingham City and took an interview for a vacancy at Charlton Athletic, while County were in League Two.

He’s progressed even more since those two links, so it would be a shock if he wasn’t on other clubs’ radars, and with the Hatters missing out promotion to the Championship, the motivation to test himself at that level is clear.

Championship jobs are already appearing

There is also unlikely to be a shortage of clubs in the second tier looking for new managers.

It’s expected that Hull City are soon to dispense with the services of Ruben Selles, Norwich City are seeking a new boss, and West Bromwich Albion still need to find a permanent replacement for interim James Morrison.

That is to name just a few, with no doubt another round of vacancies to come up from now until the winter, as clubs shuffle their pack before and during the 2025/26 season.

The three mentioned are all bigger clubs than Challinor has ever managed before, but you can imagine any one of them taking a gamble on him given his track record and incredible journey.

Challinor doesn’t look like a man itching for a move

However, even if Challinor does attract interest, there’s no saying he won’t remain committed to the Hatters.

All the post-match talk from the 49-year-old after the Orient loss was about starting pre-season preparations and refreshing the playing squad, giving no hint of an idea that he may not be here.

But things in football can change quickly if the right opportunity arises.

There would be no debate about Challinor’s position had the club earned a spot in the Championship, but another season in League One makes a move to the second tier much more attractive.

Mark Stott took over County in 2020 with a seven-year plan to reach the Championship.

Still ahead of schedule, Challinor has almost enacted that plan in its entirety. He may already be the Hatters’ greatest-ever manager, but that final step would cement it.

Whether he stays to finish that mammoth task could depend on the offers that come in, but there is no doubt he is an attractive proposition.

Bowing out of the play-offs leads to obvious disappointment, but with a manager as talented as Challinor, it also opens up the realistic fear of him receiving an offer too good to refuse.