Chris Dunlavy
What now for Alex Neil? The Scot, sacked by Stoke last Sunday, has made no secret of his reluctance to operate as a head coach.
Speaking to The FLP earlier this season, he all but admitted that Sunderland’s insistence on controlling recruitment and strategy from the boardroom was the primary factor in his controversial decision to ditch the Wearsiders last autumn.

Yet Stoke - much to the consternation of their supporters - were one of the few remaining Championship clubs still prepared to let a manager call the shots.

Whether it’s a short-term trend or a long-term shift remai...