Stoke City want to name a new manager this coming week after sacking Mark Hughes following the FA Cup defeat to League Two Coventry.
Hughes was given the news by chief executive Tony Scholes at the club’s training ground after the team arrived back from the upset at the Ricoh Arena. Hughes is said to have reacted in a dignified manner.
Defeat to Newcastle last Monday had left the Welshman on borrowed time and his dismissal was expected, but the shock upset hastened Stoke’s thinking.
Chairman Peter Coates and vice-chairman John Coates took the decision after watching Stoke crash out of the FA Cup at the third round to a team ranked 53 places lower in the football pyramid.
The Coates family had hoped to keep faith in Hughes but have been considering options since slipping into the bottom three during a run of seven defeats in 10 Premier League games.
The board will asses options today and begin the process of making a fresh appointment. They are hopeful of unveiling a replacement in time for the trip to Manchester United a week on Monday.
Ronald Koeman, Gary Rowett and Martin O’Neill are names under consideration. Rowett is currently second in the Championship with Derby, while O’Neill does not have a competitive match with Republic of Ireland until the autumn.