Former Rangers and Scotland central defender Richard Gough is set to be named as the new Livingston manager.

Allan Preston was sacked yesterday along with his no.2 Alan Kernaghan after a run of seven straight defeats, which left the club bottom of the Scottish Premier League.

Gough will take former Rangers, Aberdeen and Manchester United assistant manager Archie Knox with him to Almondvale and is expected to be unveiled in his first managerial role on Monday .

Club owner Pearse Flynn said: “People will be shocked if Livingston can attract Richard and Archie to a club this size but we have a budget for them to spend and I had to do something to halt our bad run.

“I have to guarantee our status as a SPL club and you can’t argue with bad results. I began speaking with Richard this week but it was a dreadful business having to break the news to Alan.”

Meanwhile, club captain Stuart Lovell is also facing dismissal. The midfielder, whose contract runs out at the end of the season, was involved in a dressing room row with Preston after the side’s 2-0 home defeat to Aberdeen. He also later raised doubts over the club’s finances.

Flynn added: “I didn’t take too kindly to that. We’re supposed to be in this together so I can’t have people on my own side letting me down.”

Lovell will face a disciplinary committee and his future will be in the hands of the new management team, Gough and Knox.

“What happens to Lovell is a job for the new managerial team to decide,” added Flynn.

Lionheart, Flynn’s consortium that took management control of the club before the start of the season, said it would make a further statement about the manager’s post early next week.

Reserve team coach Alex Clelland, the former Everton, Tottenham and Rangers defender who was previously assistant manager at East Stirlingshire, will take charge of the Livingston first team for Saturday’s match against Kilmarnock.