Former Stoke City winger Matthew Etherington has insisted that Tony Pulis should replace manager Nathan Jones at the bet365 Stadium.

It has been a whirlwind of a week for Jones, who was almost resigned to losing his job after a 1-0 home defeat to fellow Championship strugglers Huddersfield Town on Tuesday night.

The Welshman admitted that he expected the "inevitable" to happen, with the Potters sitting six points adrift of safety at the bottom of the league table, having picked up just two points from their first 10 league games.

Reports from the Mirror claimed that Jones was set to be sacked by the Potters, however on Thursday afternoon, he revealed in his pre-Swansea press conference that he has the full backing of the owners and the board.

Stoke legend Etherington, though, reluctantly admits that it is time for Jones to leave the bet365 Stadium, and the former Potters winger has said that Pulis should be right at the top of the wishlist to replace him.

Etherington was a hugely important player for Stoke under Pulis - the 38-year-old made over 170 appearances for the Staffordshire club during a five-year stay at the bet365, and finished his playing career there.

Speaking to BBC Radio Stoke, with quotes provided by the Stoke Sentinel, Etherington said: "For me – and I don’t know if many Stoke fans would agree with me – but with the situation the club is in at the minute Championship status, albeit it’s hard to say, is the be all and end all.

“So Tony Pulis is a no brainer, an absolute no brainer.

“Whether they will do that or not is another question but if they could get Tony back he would stabilise the club without a doubt and he would get them back to where they need to be because at the minute the club is sliding down and sliding down rapidly. I don’t like to see it.

“It would be reassuring for me knowing how he works, having worked under him, and that’s the obvious answer."

Stoke travel to Wales to face league leaders Swansea City this weekend, with Jones' side still looking to pick up their first league win of the campaign.

The Verdict

I really don't think that Stoke should be appointing Pulis if they are to get rid of Stoke in all honesty.

He may be an adored figure at the bet365 after taking them to Europe and a FA Cup final, but his time as a manager since his spell at Stoke hasn't worked out.

He was practically hounded out by Middlesbrough fans after failing to get them promoted, and his style of football often came under scrutiny.

It wouldn't be a good fit anymore.