Liverpool loanee Lewis Koumas will have another change of manager to contend with, now Stoke boss Steven Schumacher has been sacked.
After Jurgen Klopp‘s departure, Liverpool put a show of faith in Koumas as they offered him a long-term deal over the summer.
In August, with Arne Slot now in place, Koumas signed a new contract and moved to Stoke on loan for the season.
It didn’t take long for the Reds’ 18-year-old forward to make an impression in the Championship, scoring on his first start for the club under Schumacher.
Three days later, Koumas followed that up with another goal and assist in a 5-0 win over Middlesbrough in the League Cup, after which Stoke fans eulogised about him.
In the league, however, Stoke have been less successful, winning two and losing three of their opening five matches.
This has led to Schumacher being removed from his post at Stoke, with sporting director Jon Walters already saying they “hope to announce a new appointment shortly.”
In a statement, the club also declared that Mark Hughes, Chris Cohen, Peter Cavanagh and Elliot Turner are leaving Stoke, so Alex Morris and Ryan Shawcross will take caretaker charge of the team.
Walters added: “We have a young, dynamic squad that is eager to develop and a clear vision of how to achieve success, and we hope to announce a new appointment shortly.
“We will need the fans, staff, and players united in support to achieve our goals.”
On an individual level, Koumas and Liverpool will hope the change in manager doesn’t affect the attacker’s playing time.
The Wirralian recently started his first game for Wales as Craig Bellamy’s team beat Montenegro 2-1 in the UEFA Nations League, a game in which Koumas played off the left.
At national team level, he hasn’t exactly had a smooth introduction either, with previous boss Rob Page, who gave Koumas his debut, being dismissed in June.
This weekend, Koumas had to settle for a place on the bench for Stoke’s 1-0 defeat to Oxford United, so he will be hoping to start their next match, a League Cup tie against Fleetwood on Tuesday.
