Stoke interim manager Dean Holden has left the club after they recorded a battling 1-0 win at Blackburn – clearing the way for Alex Neil’s seemingly imminent appointment.
Holden, previously assistant to the sacked Michael O’Neill, took charge for the game at Ewood Park but a club statement after the game confirmed his departure.
In front of the watching Neil, Stoke showed both sides of their character, producing a dominant first-half display that saw them lead through Lewis Baker’s stunning 25-yard strike – the least they deserved after an energetic display that brought clear chances for Liam Delap, Aden Flint, and Jacob Brown.
After the restart, they showed heart and desire to protect the precarious lead against an improved Blackburn and held out to record only their fourth win on the road in 2022 and their secondvictory this season, giving Stoke a platform to build on under their next manager.