Stoke City Next Manager: 5 Replacements For Tony Pulis

4. Rafa Benitez

Incredibly, former Chelsea manager Rafa Benitez has emerged as a candidate for the Stoke job. Last night, in the wake of Pulis' departure, he was the odds-on favourite to replace the Welshman with Sky Bet, but has since dropped to fourth favourite with the bookmakers. The Spaniard has previously admitted that he wants to continue managing in England and the Premier League after his Chelsea job, and with former club Liverpool progressing steadily under Brendan Rodgers and Manchester City probably going for Manuel Pellegrini, he would seem to have few other options if he wants to jump straight back into management. The Europa League winner is perhaps the most decorated candidate on this list and his success over the years cannot be overstated. A Champions League winner, Stoke would do well to land themselves a manager of these credentials.
Contributor
Contributor

Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.