STOKE CITY are lining up former Burnley boss Sean Dyche after sacking Michael O’Neill.
The Potters are on the lookout for a new leader just 48 hours before they face Blackburn in Championship action.
It is believed no-nonsense Dyche is Stoke’s top target to replace the Northern Irishman.
O’Neill, 50, became the first Championship casualty of the season after paying the price for the Potters’ poor start to the season.
SunSport understands the axe fell this morning when co-chairman John Coates called a meeting with O’Neill and informed him his time in the Potteries was over after two years and nine months in charge.
Under O’Neill, Stoke finished a disappointing 14th last season and have opened this campaign with just one win from their opening five games.
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They also tumbled out of the Carabao Cup in the first round, crashing out 5-3 on penalties to League One Morecambe after a goalless stalemate.
Stoke kicked off the new season with high hopes of promotion but lost 2-0 at Millwall on the opening day of the campaign, before bouncing back to beat Blackpool by the same scoreline.
However they failed to build on that win and worse followed when they lost 3-1 at Huddersfield Town, drew 2-2 with Middlesbrough and then suffered a 1-0 home loss to Sunderland on Saturday.
That result and performance sealed O’Neill’s fate as the Potters’ owners, led by John and Peter Coates, decided they had to take decisive action after a dismal 2022.
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O’Neill appeared to be the perfect fit for Stoke when he replaced Nathan Jones in November 2019 on the back of eight stellar years in charge of the Northern Ireland national team.
However he leaves with the club 21st in the Championship, one place above the relegation zone.
Dyche appears to be the favoured candidate to replace him after being sacked by Burnley in April.
The speed of Stoke’s decision to sack O’Neill has shocked fans and he is only the second EFL boss to be axed this season after Robbie Stockdale was fired by League Two Rochdale last week.
