Stoke City sack manager Michael O'Neill after poor start to Championship season

A poor start to the Championship season has led to the dismissal of Michael O'Neil.

After aiming for promotion in the pre-season, the Potters have only won one of their first five games.

They were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the first round after being beaten by League One Morecambe.

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Dean will be in charge of the first team for a short period of time.

The job Michael did in stabilizing our position in the Championship should not be underestimated.

The time is right to move in a different direction because Michael has worked so hard and with so much dedication. I wish him the best for the future and thank him for his work.

In the wake of the latest defeat to the Black Cats, O'Neill called for "perspective" around the Potters' start to the season.

"We're five games into the season, there's a lot of football to be played and I think it's about keeping it in perspective," he said. We're not where we can be at this moment in time because we've lost five or six players to injury who would push to be in our starting 11.

I think we have a good team in our dressing room, but we haven't shown that.

After leading them away from the bottom of the table and up to 15th in the next season, O'Neil was able to keep them in the top flight.

Analysis: Pressure to be promoted after overhaul cost O'Neill

Sky sports' Paul Gilmour.

Senior players were not motivated and refused to move on because of their contract situations when O'Neill took charge of the club.

O'Neill has a degree in sports directorship and experience of running the entire football operation during his time as Northern Ireland's boss.

He helped to bring in more young players, restructure the medical and sports science departments, and lower the wage bill.

Nathan Collins joinedBurnley for £12m, he became an asset toStoke.

After getting back into the premier league, there had been gradual improvement season-on- season from where they started.

A poor run of results at the beginning of the current campaign resulted in fan pressure and the decision was taken by the club.