Yahoo Sports Stoke sack head coach Schumacher
Stoke City have sacked head coach Steven Schumacher following Saturday's Championship defeat by Oxford United.
The 1-0 loss was the Potters' third league defeat of the season, and leaves them 13th in the table with just two wins from their five games.
It brings 40-year-old Schumacher’s tenure as Stoke boss to an end after just nine months, having left Plymouth Argyle to take the job in December.
Stoke's sporting director Jon Walters said the decision was made to "serve the long-term interests" of the club.
“As always in football, these decisions are difficult," Walters added.
Former Crewe boss Alex Morris and former captain Ryan Shawcross, who now works as the Potters' under-21s coach, will take charge of the side on a caretaker basis.
Their first match at the helm will be Tuesday's EFL Cup tie against Fleetwood.
The narrow loss at Oxford was Stoke's first match back after September's international break, and followed back-to-back wins.
Schumacher oversaw victory against his former side Plymouth before the break, and that victory came after a thumping 5-0 Carabao Cup win against fellow Championship side Middlesbrough on 27 August.
Before being beaten by Oxford, the only other games Stoke had lost this season were against West Bromwich Albion and Watford - sides which are top and fifth in the table respectively.
Schumacher became Stoke's sixth boss in six years when appointed as Alex Neil's replacement, with the club three points above the relegation places at the time.
Stoke chairman John Coates described Schumacher as "one of the most exciting young coaches in the country" after his appointment, with the former Plymouth boss leading the club to a 17th-place finish, six points clear of the drop zone.
"We have a young, dynamic squad that is eager to develop and a clear vision of how to achieve success, and we hope to announce a new appointment shortly," Walters continued.
Time of transition at Stoke
Schumacher had been brought in after an excellent spell in charge at Plymouth Argyle.
The Liverpudlian guided the Pilgrims to the League One title in May 2023 with 101 points - beating Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday to first place - in his first full season in management.
His departure from Home Park in December shocked many in Devon, with Argyle holding their own in the Championship, and after his departure Plymouth’s results regressed, leading to the sacking of his successor Ian Foster after three months and the club needing a final-day win over Hull City to maintain their second-tier status.
Schumacher was widely regarded as one of the best up and coming managers in the Championship when he took over at Stoke.
His record of 13 wins and 13 losses from 32 games came at a time of transition for the Potters - 19 players permanently left the club in the summer and 12 joined, as Walters took over as technical director following the sacking of predecessor Ricky Martin in February.
