Official: Stoke City Appoint Paul Lambert As Manager
Reuters/Carl Recine
Stoke City have reportedly appointed former Norwich City and Aston Villa boss, Paul Lambert, as club’s manager on a two-and-a-half year contract.
Lambert, who has signed a deal until the summer of 2020, replaces Mark Hughes, after the Potters suffered a humiliating third-round FA Cup exit at the hands of League Two side, Coventry.
The 48-year-old will watch Monday’s match from the stands, and will take the reins at the Bet365 Stadium on 20th January in a home clash against Huddersfield Town.
According to Stoke City’s official website, Chairman Peter Coates said: “Paul greatly impressed us with his knowledge of our squad and had a clear plan of how he would improve our results.
“He’s a man who backed himself as a player, none more so than when he turned down contract offers in Scotland to go on trial in the German Bundesliga with Borussia Dortmund, and it’s obvious he adopts the same approach as a manager.”
Reuters/Carl Recine
Vice-chairman John Coates added: “Paul has been successful in management at clubs with a strong and stable background and with local ownership – the kind of foundation we are able to give to our managers.
“We were determined to appoint someone with Premier League experience or an extensive knowledge of English football. We look forward to working with Paul and supporting him to help achieve our goals.”
The former Borussia Dortmund star last managed Championship side Wolves at the end of the previous season.
Lambert, who has also been in charge of Colchester, Wycombe Wanderers, and Blackburn, will undeniably have to fight an uphill battle in order to lift Stoke, who are currently 18th in the league, with just 20 points from their 22 games.
Written by Sidharth Jindal 
Sports fanatic with a passion for writing (predominantly football) and “Wants to live life to its fullest.” Writes about the Premier League on his personal blog.