Alex Neil lieutenant opens up on switch from Sunderland to Stoke | OneFootball

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Football League World

·25 September 2022

Alex Neil lieutenant opens up on switch from Sunderland to Stoke

Article image:Alex Neil lieutenant opens up on switch from Sunderland to Stoke

Stoke City assistant Martin Canning has opened up on his departure from Sunderland after he joined Alex Neil in Staffordshire.

It was a controversial move so early in the season for Alex Neil who left the Stadium of Light in August after a positive start to the season for the Black Cats.


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His assistant Martin Canning subsequently joined him in Staffordshire having worked with each other at Hamilton Academical.

It was a move that surprised many, with Sunderland seemingly heading in a more positive direction than Stoke who had underperformed for several seasons under Michael O’Neill.

But as Canning eludes to in his conversation with the Stoke media team, things change at a fast rate: “Obviously, things happen quickly in football, so it was a quick changeround, and since we’ve come in, it’s been great.

“I think you get used to it [changing clubs]. I think in football, things change so quickly, so I think it’s just one of those things and when it happens, you just kind of go into that mode and you get on with it, you get through it.”

Speaking about how Stoke will be set up, they aren’t choosing to change from their successful formula in the North East: “It’s a different club but it’s the same principles and the same kind of ways of working for yourself.

“So that doesn’t change in terms of the way you want to try to do things. So I think it’s just one of those things in football that happens.”

Sunderland will have put this scenario behind them as they look to build toward the future with new manager Tony Mowbray.

While the Black Cats are currently fifth in the Championship table, Stoke sit 14th, having taken 12 points from ten Championship games so far.

The Verdict

It was a surprise to see Neil and Canning depart Sunderland for Stoke. With club size being a difficult aspect to measure, you can’t even bring that into question.

Sunderland have a good set up and are seemingly well ahead of Stoke who have invested poorly for a number of years, something that has held them back.

With Sunderland more advance off the pitch, Neil and Canning have much bigger job on their hands to turn Stoke’s fortunes around than they did with Sunderland.

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