Phil Brown hopes decisions can be made soon that will help shape Barrow AFC’s future.

The manager is close to sealing a deal to remain in charge at Holker Street.

And decisions on players are also set to be made following the end of the 2021/22 season.

Brown, speaking to the BBC on Saturday, said he was “75+ per cent” there in terms of talks over his own future while chairman Paul Hornby said things could be completed this week.

And the manager told The Mail that the need to make further decisions quickly was clear.

“It will be a case of, if I do decide [to stay] and the club decide we can agree terms, then decisions will be made sooner rather than later,” he said.

“You can’t just have players hanging around. They need to know about their futures as well.

“We’re all in a bit of a quandary about our futures, a little bit nervous and not too sure, but that will be resolved.”

Brown, speaking after Saturday’s last-day defeat to Northampton Town, said his short stint at Barrow has restored his “feel-good factor” for football.

He said he had received strong support from chairman Paul Hornby, the board and everyone around the club.

Brown is keen to build on the short-term job he has done to lead the Bluebirds to safety.

AFC finished third bottom, six points above the relegation places.

Chairman Hornby said on BBC Cumbria that the club’s recruitment last season had not been good enough, particularly in the striker department.

But he described Brown as the sort of “huge character” the club had needed after Mark Cooper’s departure – and that he had surpassed expectations.

Hornby said the club and Brown were “very close” to a deal, and that matters were “with the lawyers” ahead of a likely announcement on his retention this week.

Brown, meanwhile, said compliments from rival managers in recent weeks have encouraged him ahead of a close-season rebuild.

Speaking before the Northampton game, he referred to the Bluebirds’ displays against promoted Exeter and play-off side Swindon.

“I know we lost both, but both managers afterwards were very complimentary about the way we played, and more importantly the way we were in terms of resilience,” he said.

“We stood up against the opposition regardless of where they’ve been all season.

“Both managers at Exeter and Swindon had nice words to say about the organisation, grit, determination.

“Not so much the quality but when you’ve been fighting for survival all year your quality sometimes gets parked and you forget where it is.

“I want players to make sure they remember where it is because we’re going to need all of it next season if we’re together next season.”