DEAN Court chairman Peter Phillips has admitted he had mixed feelings over Cherries boss Sean O'Driscoll being linked with the vacant manager's position at Plymouth Argyle.

O'Driscoll is reported to be one of the names in the frame to replace Paul Sturrock who left Home Park to join Southampton at the end of last week.

The speculation - which first appeared in the Plymouth Evening Herald on Monday - has mounted this week, with one national newspaper claiming O'Driscoll will be appointed in the summer.

But in an exclusive interview with the Daily Echo, Phillips said: "This story is purely press speculation. The club have received no approach from Plymouth and we are not expecting one.

"In one sense, I am pleased to see that Sean's excellence as a coach and his achievements as a manager are finally beginning to get public recognition.

"And now that he has made it into the 'media speculation top-10', I expect we will have to get used to these sort of stories every time there is a managerial vacancy somewhere.

"On the other hand, there are advantages in having a low-profile manager. Sean and the team are fully focused on our push to reach the play-offs and we could do without the potentially unsettling effects of all this media gossip."

Phillips, referring specifically to the situation at Plymouth, added: "They are a very well run club and were rightly and publicly upset to have their manager poached at this key stage in the season.

"They are very unlikely to behave in the same way themselves. I expect them to take their time to consider all the alternatives and make an appointment in the close season, by which time I am sure they will be a first division club."