Stoke City boss Tony Pulis has slammed Blackburn Rovers for sacking Paul Ince.

Pulis said: "They thought Paul was the right man for the job when they appointed him and he's only had four months to show what he can do. It's ridiculous really. I remember a very famous manager who phoned me shortly after I took my first job at Bournemouth. He told me every manager needs three years before they can be judged.

"He said you need a year to assess the situation, a year to make changes and another year to make real progress. I've since discovered he wasn't far wrong. You only have to look at Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger and David Moyes. All three of them have had tough times, but their clubs have stood by them and been rewarded for showing faith."

Some have blamed Ince's lack of experience in the top flight for his demise, but Pulis said: "Following Mark Hughes to Blackburn was always going to be a tough task for anyone.

"Mark is a top manager and obviously had the confidence of the players. A new man, whether it was Paul or anybody else, was always going to stamp his mark on a club and that takes time. Some players don't react well to change and it takes a while for things to settle. I think that is the time when clubs should have the balls to stick by their manager, but Blackburn decided differently.

"The only thing you can say in their defence is the stakes in the Premier League are massive and that puts pressure on everyone to make decisions. The decision to sack Paul is a very disappointing one for me and a lot of other managers, but we all know the bed we lie in."