PETER Taylor faces an anxious wait as influential skipper Dave McCracken continues to mull over his new contract offer.

The Blues have offered him what manager Taylor describes as a very good deal but McCracken, who is now a free agent, has still not put pen to paper.

The Scot’s form this season has brought him to the attention of Championship outfit Crystal Palace as well as drawing admiring glances from north of the border and McCracken has gone away to look at his options.

But Taylor remains confident he will win the battle to retain the services of the 27-year-old who led Wanderers to promotion in only his second season at the club.

He said: “I’m still very hopeful.

“I would really like to keep him and if we were out of the loop I am sure he would have told me because that’s the sort of honest person he is.”

McCracken arrived in England from Dundee United after becoming disillusioned at his lack of medal prospects in a league dominated by Rangers and Celtic.

And in his first season in England he helped Wycombe into the play-offs before topping that this term by leading the club to promotion in only his second year.

Now Taylor – who has won a record-equalling five Football League promotions as a manager – believes he can match his skipper’s ambitions.

He said: “David has come to England to be successful and it is up to us to prove to him that we are going to have a go.”

And Taylor is hoping he can do that with a succession of high calibre signings as Blues look to compete on the same stage as fallen giants Leeds United and a trio of former Premiership clubs in the shape of Southampton, Norwich and Charlton.

Taylor says he has only entered one season with the intention of just consolidating – that was after leading Hull into the Championship – and he says he is not looking at repeating that as he looks onwards and upwards.