Stoke City's chances of appointing Graham Potter become clearer | OneFootball

Stoke City have suffered a blow in their pursuit of a new manager, as former Chelsea boss Graham Potter has rejected their approach, according to a report from TEAMtalk.

The Potters announced on Sunday afternoon that they had decided to part ways with manager Alex Neil after 16 months in charge of the club.

Neil joined the club in August 2022, after deciding to leave Sunderland despite just getting the Black Cats back into the second tier.

The Scotsman had been linked with the role since his time at Preston, and that summer, he decided to take the job. However, it wasn’t a successful season for the club, as Stoke could only manage a 16th-place finish, two places below where they had finished in the previous two campaigns.

The club had a lot of turnover during the summer, as the board decided to back Neil as they looked to close the gap on the play-off places.

But the change in personnel hasn’t had the desired effect the club would have hoped for, as after 20 games in the league, Stoke have won just six games, with their last win coming against Middlesbrough in October.

Neil’s last game in charge was the 1-0 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, and it now means that Martin Canning will be in temporary charge for the club’s game against Swansea City on Tuesday night.

So, with Neil gone, Stoke will be beginning their search for a new manager, and it seems they have their eye on former Brighton and Chelsea man Graham Potter.

According to TEAMtalk, the process to replace Neil began last week while the Scot was still in charge. It goes on to add that the Potters are looking to make a quick appointment, as the January transfer window is not far away from opening.

It is said that they want a manager who has experience of the Championship and can organise the team in a quick manner to make a strong impact.

Therefore, according to TEAMtalk, Stoke had made an approach to Potter, who is out of work since leaving Chelsea last season, but the 48-year-old has turned the offer down.

The report goes on to add that, former Birmingham City manager John Eustace, recently sacked Sheffield United boss Paul Heckingbottom and Dean Smith are among the options the club are looking at.

As mentioned, it has been a pretty poor season for the Potters so far, as they have only won a handful of games, despite them being very busy in the summer transfer window.

Stoke have won just six games, with a lot of them coming early in the season. In fact, since their last win against Middlesbrough, Stoke have played six games in the league, and they have only picked up two points out of a possible 18.

That form has seen them slide down the table at an alarming rate, with Neil leaving the club in 20th place with 21 points, just two clear of the relegation zone and nine behind the top six.

The Potters are next in action on Tuesday when they welcome Swansea City to the Bet365 Stadium.

Graham Potter is right to turn down Stoke City

Despite the fact that it didn’t go well for Potter at Chelsea, the 48-year-old is still a very good manager and one that is highly rated in the game.

Therefore, it is unlikely at this stage that he is going to drop down back into the Championship, and even if he is, he isn’t going to do it for a side that is struggling near the bottom of the table.

Potter will be hoping he can get another chance in the top flight before he considers dropping down in the Championship, so it is no surprise to see him reject this offer. While for Stoke, they probably need someone a bit more experienced at this level and who knows how to get out of the Championship, as they have struggled to even come close.