- Premier League
Stoke dismiss chief scout after outburst
Stoke City have opted to dismiss current chief scout Lindsay Parsons after an alleged breach of contract following and outspoken interview in which he criticised manager Tony Pulis, the Daily Telegraph has reported.
During the interview last month, the 67-year-old claimed a number of potential signings he suggested had been ignored by Pulis, only for the players in question to go on and become successful at rival Premier League clubs.
Speaking to the Gloucestershire Echo, Parsons said: "Look at Lionel Messi, he is different class and is he too small? I have recommended players like [Cheick] Tiote, [Hatem] Ben Arfa and [Demba] Ba, but they have not been signed by Stoke and they have done well for other clubs.
"I remember one of the first names I gave to Tony at Stoke was a lightning-quick, 6ft 4in striker called (Emmanuel) Adebayor, but we were in the Championship and we were told the fee of £3 million was too much.
"We have loads of disagreements because I don't like the way they play and I will never change on that. I have been told that players I've recommended have been too small for Stoke, but I don't go along with that."
Parsons has been granted the right to appeal the club's decision with his fate likely to be decided early next week. If he does leave the Britannia Stadium, it will end a nigh 20-year association between himself and Pulis.
First joining the Stoke boss as his assistant at Gillingham, questions were initially raised over his future when the club decided to employ former goalkeeper Mark Cartwright as technical director back in December.
That was followed by a backroom shakeup in which the club's current director of football John Rudge and scout Sam Ellis were informed that their contracts would not be renewed at the end of the current season.