Stoke City has dismissed manager Alex Neil after a series of disappointing results that have seen the team fall dangerously close to the relegation zone in the English Championship. The decision to relieve Neil of his duties came after Stoke’s 1-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday. The team was met with boos and calls for Neil’s dismissal following the match. Neil oversaw four straight defeats in the Championship, and Stoke has only earned 11 points from their last ten matches.
Neil was hired by Norwich City in 2015, leading the team to Championship promotion via the play-off finals. However, he was sacked in 2017 after 108 games in charge. Since then, Neil has managed Preston, Sunderland, and Stoke. Following Neil’s dismissal, former Birmingham boss John Eustace is the early favorite to succeed him at the Bet365 Stadium, while Paul Gallagher has been placed in caretaker charge. Neil admitted that he understood his position at the club was at risk due to recent results, but he was committed to giving his utmost to keep going and try to get the team up the table.
Neil’s dismissal marks the 10th managerial sacking of the season, following Sunderland’s dismissal of Tony Mowbray and Swansea’s decision to dispense with Michael Duff. Norwich City, the team Neil led to promotion, will face Stoke in March, having previously beaten them 1-0 at Carrow Road in a September match. The defeat to Sheffield Wednesday and Neil’s subsequent dismissal signal concerning times for Stoke City as they fight to avoid relegation from the Championship.
