Ryan Giggs is among the contenders to take over at Swansea after Bob Bradley's disastrous three-month reign was brought to an end on Tuesday night.

The Manchester United legend was considered for the post ahead of Bradley's appointment in October but was snubbed over his lack of experience and an underwhelming interview.

However, he developed a rapport with chairman Huw Jenkins and it is understood to be likely that he will be discussed again in the search for Bradley's replacement.

The club were on Tuesday night plotting a way forward after what was described by sources as a reluctant decision to axe their American manager.

Sportsmail understands the club's US-based owners Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan had telephoned chairman Huw Jenkins in the immediate aftermath of the Boxing Day humiliation against West Ham, desperate to figure out how to salvage such a wretched season.

A further conversation was held between the trio on Tuesday afternoon, with Bradley having taken a recovery session with the players that morning.

By 7pm, Bradley himself was recovering from being the second manager sacked in less than three months by a club once known for stability.

Coaches Alan Curtis and Paul Williams will take over as caretakers for Saturday's game against Bournemouth, with the replacement search likely to focus on out-of-work managers, according to a prominent source.

That counts in Giggs, and Harry Redknapp is understood to be open to approaches, while the club could go down a different tack and try to tempt Wales boss Chris Coleman, who was on their shortlist in the summer before the ill-fated decision to renew Francesco Guidolin's contract.

Frank de Boer is also known to have admirers at the club, as does Paul Clement, who was a contender when Bradley was hired.

Whichever way the next move plays out, the call to sack a second manager in the season is a sizeable gamble, given the lack of happy endings in history for clubs who change multiple times in a campaign. 

It is also a decision taken reluctantly, according to senior sources at the club, considering the appointment of Bradley in place of Guidolin in October was the first major call undertaken by the new ownership.

But ultimately they felt they had no choice, following an appalling run of results that amounted to eight points in Bradley's 11 games in charge and a defence that shipped 19 goals in the last six.

The Americans and Jenkins searched for signs of improvements, but largely only found testimonies of Bradley, 58, being a good man. Jenkins' statement made the same reference on Tuesday night.

It read: 'We are sorry to lose Bob after such a short period of time. Unfortunately things haven't worked out as planned.

'With the club going through such a tough time, we have to try and find the answers to get ourselves out of trouble.

'Personally, I have nothing but praise for Bob. He is a good man; a good person who gave everything to the job.'

Being a likeable presence wasn't enough to save the first American to manage a club in Europe's top five leagues. The players had no serious issues with him or his approach, but their lack of response to his methods was damning, particularly in a spell where they faced West Brom, Middlesbrough and West Ham in succession and lost to an aggregate of 10-2.

The supporters turned viciously against Bradley in the last of those games and the board, themselves under huge pressure after an unpopular summer takeover, reacted.

Bradley said on Tuesday night: 'I knew exactly what I was getting into when I came to Swansea and realised the hardest part was always going to be getting points in the short run.

'But I believe in myself and I believe in going for it. Football can be cruel and to have a chance you have to be strong. I wish Swansea the best and look forward to my next challenge.'

The wider issues for the club remain centred on a recruitment system led by Jenkins that has failed miserably in recent seasons, with the added complication that much of the January shortlist was heavily designed by Bradley.

With him gone, they are low on time to find players and a manager capable of transforming such an awful season.