The axe has finally fallen on MON !

[Fred Merger]

Personally I can see it happening on or after the Watford home game on October 1st. Which is followed by away fixture at Burnley and then at home to Sheffield United. Three really tough fixtures indeed.

[somersetstokie]

On the other hand there is a precedent that if you get a good result at Watford it can earn you another 6 weeks or so as Manager.

[peterpan1]

High noon tomorrow won't be a minute too soon.

[CBUFAWKIPWH]

If we are in a relegation battle December and if we don't make the playoffs June. If we lose in the playoffs he will get a new contract.

[FullerMagic]

Could be any time.

First international break in September probably the favourite, but would think he needs a win in the next three - and a loss at Reading would be hard to get though.

[Alvechurch Assassin]

Aug 22, 2022 11:41:29 GMT CBUFAWKIPWH said:

If we are in a relegation battle December

---

he will get a new contract.

corrected

[stonecoldstokie]

Around October/November time prior to the start of the World Cup I think IF they do drop the Axe on him

[BuckRogers]

Sooner the better. It quite obvious nothing going change now ( on the playing side)

[wakefieldstokie]

Just be patient will you all🤣

[The Toxic Avenger]

If we lose one or more of the next three and then don't get a result at home to Luton on 10th September I can't see him surviving beyond that.

[thewonderstuff]

Aug 22, 2022 11:43:20 GMT FullerMagic said:

Could be any time.

First international break in September probably the favourite, but would think he needs a win in the next three - and a loss at Reading would be hard to get though.

3 game week in the run up to the break.  At home to Nathan of Nazareth and two tricky looking away games at Hull and QPR.  He'll be under huge pressure if we dont take some decent points there and it would give the new bloke a fortnight to work with the bulk of the squad if they have someone lined up.  That's all a bit Fantasy Island stuff with our board though isn't it.

[marwood]

Frustratingly, its not going to be any time soon. You'd think Man City would have asked similar questions in terms of stability for their £15m rated asset and been given assurances
Personally think bottom 3 at Christmas would be unforgiveable. Unless he loses the fans beforehand

[march4]

Aug 22, 2022 11:43:20 GMT FullerMagic said:

Could be any time.

First international break in September probably the favourite, but would think he needs a win in the next three - and a loss at Reading would be hard to get though.

Totally agree. No win in the next 3 and surely he will be gone.

[theonlooker]

At this stage, you've got to assume they are trying to do it on the cheap and will try and keep him until the end of the season and do the natural break then.

Unless he loses every game between now and the World Cup and has us rooted in the bottom three, I can't see them changing at all.

Now if the pressure was cranked up on the family at the next home game, and I mean seriously cranked up, then he'd be gone at half time.

Choice is yours folks.

[thewonderstuff]

Aug 22, 2022 12:03:30 GMT marwood said:

Frustratingly, its not going to be any time soon. You'd think Man City would have asked similar questions in terms of stability for their £15m rated asset and been given assurances
Personally think bottom 3 at Christmas would be unforgiveable. Unless he loses the fans beforehand

I'm wondering whether I'm meant to go to to the 365 or the Etihad a week on Wednesday with the amount of power Man City have suddenly got over us  

[lordb]

November during the break for the World Cup
unless we are well in bottom 3 then it might be the Sept International Break and only then if the board spy someone they fancy (whereas by November they will do it anyway)

unless the theory that we cant afford to sack him re FFP & he sees his contract out is correct
Blackburn followed that approach last season with Mowbray, might become a more common occurrence ion the Championship that

[Paul Spencer]

Aug 22, 2022 12:03:30 GMT marwood said:

Frustratingly, its not going to be any time soon. You'd think Man City would have asked similar questions in terms of stability for their £15m rated asset and been given assurances
Personally think bottom 3 at Christmas would be unforgiveable. Unless he loses the fans beforehand

Stoke couldn't give Citeh any assurances about their manager's future ...

"Yes Mr. Pep even if we lose the next 6 on the bounce, we still wont sack him."

[Deleted]

I don't think the board will sack him.

They will wait to get rid when his contract is up next summer.

[deeside2]

Not soon enough - today is too late !

The Board will delay as usual but after our abysmal start he needs to win in the next three games or so. I think ultimately it's going to be up to the fans reaction in the stadium if things continue as they are at the moment.

[rivival]

They will sack him after relegation is assured and no one wants the job.

[benjaminbiscuit]

Said all summer he wont survive September his last home game will be swansea 

[deeside2]

Aug 22, 2022 12:13:45 GMT benjaminbiscuit said:

Said all summer he wont survive September his last home game will be swansea 

I hope you're right !

[LGH87]

I don't think he'll see the other side of the world cup but they'll probably wait until the break for that to get rid.

Then in true stoke fashion, will use the break as time to search for his successor, rather than actively looking now.

[dirtygary69]

He can surely only ever be a couple of games from the sack now, unless we go on some 6/7 game unbeaten run which just hasn't happened since he came in really. We've never been a side capable of stringing even two decent results together, let alone 6 or 7.

Avoid defeat at Blackburn and he's safe for another game, but a loss and I think they'll really have to actually look at it, because you just know it's not even on their agenda yet.

[pulismaskreplica]

Where do all of you lot suddenly have this belief that the board will fuck him off sooner rather than later?? They’re not proactive in the slightest, won’t have an alternative lined up and have never given any hope that they will change the habit of a lifetime

[bubbleblower]

Aug 22, 2022 12:13:45 GMT benjaminbiscuit said:

Said all summer he wont survive September his last home game will be swansea 

I said the same but I’m not so sure now I don’t think the owners have got the balls

[onefatcopper]

The board won’t sack O’Neill and his back room team, I take it that they are all on the same length of contract and so the board will let them run their contracts down in the summer of 2023, and prey that the team can retain its position in the Championship.
 Next summer they can appoint a new manager who won’t be so restrained by FFP and with a nucleus of a young team who have been battle hardened in the Championship but with plenty of scope due to the loan players returning to their parent clubs.

[The Toxic Avenger]

Aug 22, 2022 12:20:35 GMT pulismaskreplica said:

Where do all of you lot suddenly have this belief that the board will fuck him off sooner rather than later?? They’re not proactive in the slightest, won’t have an alternative lined up and have never given any hope that they will change the habit of a lifetime

They pretty much won't have a choice if the crowd turns.

[somersetstokie]

Aug 22, 2022 12:17:21 GMT LGH87 said:

I don't think he'll see the other side of the world cup but they'll probably wait until the break for that to get rid.

Then in true stoke fashion, will use the break as time to search for his successor, rather than actively looking now.

I think a lot may depend on wether John's mate has been in the pub lately. With the cost of living crisis he may be giving it a miss.

[Gods]

I think when his contract expires in the summer unless we have a prolonged spell in the bottom 3 or things miraculously turn around.