WHILE the deadline has been extended for a potential investor to come in and save Darlington, manager Dave Penney fears there will still be a long list of departures next month.

And with Penney’s name being regularly mentioned with any managerial vacancies that crop up in the lower leagues, he accepts that his position is in just as much doubt as his players.

With the future of Bradford City boss Stuart McCall far from certain – after the former Everton midfielder claimed he would not stay on if his team failed to reach the play-offs – Penney has already been touted for that post.

But the Darlington manager, speaking ahead of tomorrow’s visit of League Two title hopefuls Brentford, is in no rush to make any decisions and claims he will wait until the season has finished before looking for his next move.

“I have not heard anything about any jobs, I have just heard rumours that I could be going here or there, but I’m just approaching it like I tell the players,” said Penney.

“I’m looking to get to the end of the season, go on holiday and get back and see where we are as a club before making any decisions.

“There’s no point in me leaving them in the lurch and telling them to get on with it without me.

“I have always said since this club went into administration that I would stay here until the end of the season, see it out, stick around and then see what is happening here with everything.”

The end of the season is sure to mark the end of a number of other managers in the Football League, with Penney’s name likely to be thrown up as a candidate in m a n y c a s e s b e - cause of his good work with the Quakers.

But he is only focused on the remaining fixtures with Brentford and Chester before assessing things – just as many of his players will probably choose to do.

He has already reluctantly accepted that neither Liam Hatch or Danny Carlton will not play again for Darlington this season and has told them to rejoin Peterborough and Carlisle, after their loan spells had to end prematurely, despite clearance being given by the Football League for them to reappear in a black and white shirt.

But Penney thinks there will be further departures at the end of the season, with many of the players understandably frustrated with the lack of progress on the takeover front – despite a serious offer from former vicechairman Raj Singh.

This is the third month the playing staff have had little or no pay and they will be asked once again to accept a wage deferral at the end of the season – if a buyer has not been found by the new May 5 deadline.

“The deadline has been extended and it’s harder for me to plan the longer this goes on,” he said.

“I would have loved it to have been sorted out on Monday and we would have known where we are going, the players would have had some money.

“But it looks like it will drag on now until the end of May.

Who knows. I can’t offer contracts to anyone, either players out of contract or the players in the market I might be interested in.

“But on top of that we have seven or eight players under contract that could give 14 days notice and walk if they don’t accept the next wage deferral.

“The longer it drags, the harder it will be to pick up again. They will all effectively become free agents if they put in that notice.”