Paul Lambert has left his position as the manager of Stoke City following the club’s relegation from the English top-flight. According to recent reports, Lambert has parted ways with the Potters just four months after taking over the club to replace Mark Hughes. The Scottish manager just managed to secure two victories in his 15 matches in charge at the bet365 Stadium. The club released an official statement which stated, “Whilst he was unable to guide us to safety, it certainly wasn’t due to a lack of effort, professionalism and dedication,”
The Staffordshire club has also disclosed that they are planning to appoint a new boss “as soon as possible”. Lambert’s exit leaves the Potters looking for a third manager in a year which will be a cause for concern. Stoke managed to collect just 13 points in the league during Lambert’s reign which has seen the club being demoted from the top tier of English football.
With a campaign in the Championship looming on the horizon, let’s take a look at three managerial candidates that the Potters should consider this summer.
Alan Curbishley
The former West Ham United manager is vastly experienced and could turn out to be a shrewd appointment at the bet365 Stadium if the Potters are able to convince him. The 60-year-old boss has a lot of experience in English football and has built a reputation of bringing in quality players on the cheap which could be beneficial for Stoke as they look to earn a promotion back to the top-flight next season.
Gordon Strachan
The former Scotland boss is one of the most respected managers in British football and is also the most experienced manager on this list. The 61-year-old has a wealth of managerial experience in both England and Scotland which has seen him take charge of clubs like Middlesbrough, Celtic, Southampton and Coventry City during the course of his career. Hence, he will be a perfect fit for the Potters if they can lure him to Staffordshire this summer.
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Tim Sherwood
Sherwood has previously managed both Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa during his career in football management and will be a perfect fit for Stoke City. The Englishman is relatively young but has the ability to motivate any group of ‘lesser known’ players to fight for the jersey and leave their best efforts on the pitch. His time at White Hart Lane and Villa Park might have been short but Sherwood did an outstanding job at both those clubs to get the best out of the players at his disposal. The Potters require a manager of his calibre to lift the whole organisation and push for a promotion place next year.
