Ex-Preston North End manager sacked by Championship rivals after four straight defeats

Ex-Preston North End manager Alex Neil has been sacked by Stoke City after 16 months in charge at the bet365 Stadium.

The Potters are 20th in the Championship, having collected 21 points from 20 games this campaign. Stoke's decision to part ways with Neil came after a 0-1 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, with the Owls' 91st minute winner inflicting a fourth straight loss on the hosts.

Neil swapped Sunderland for Stoke in August 2022, having guided the Black Cats to promotion via the League One Play-Offs. The Potters signed 18 new players in the summer transfer window, including PNE stalwart Daniel Johnson and former North End midfielder Ben Pearson. Seven-figure fees were spent on the likes of Ryan Mmaee, Wouter Burger, Mehdi Leris and others.

Paul Gallagher left the Lilywhites' coaching staff to reunite with Neil - he will take caretaker charge of Tuesday night's home match against Swansea City. Assistant boss Martin Canning has left Stoke too, with Alex Morris, Ryan Shawcross and Jonathan Gould staying on to support Gallagher.

Potters joint-chairman, John Coates said: "Alex is a man of absolute integrity who has given his all for Stoke City, and we would like to thank him for his hard work during his time with the club. We are grateful for the building blocks he has helped put in place in bringing together a group of players in whom we have a huge amount of faith regarding their ability to turn things around this season, and who can help us achieve longer-term success.

"However, with the way the results have been so far, we have made the difficult decision to seek a new direction for the team at this time.Nothing matters to me more than the success of our club and we are now working towards the appointment of Alex’s successor." Technical director, Ricky Martin said: "The recruitment process is now underway and we will explore all avenues to secure the best person for the job. The role represents a fantastic opportunity and I anticipate that it will attract a number of high-calibre candidates.

"With Martin Canning having also left the club with our sincere thanks for his hard work as Alex’s assistant, Paul Gallagher has been installed as caretaker manager ahead of the forthcoming home fixture against Swansea City. Paul will be assisted by Alex Morris, Ryan Shawcross and Jonathan Gould. We wish them all well for Tuesday evening’s game."