Kumasi Asante Kotoko are ready to wield the axe on loud mouth Portuguese trainer Mariano Barreto after a dreadful campaign.

The porcupine warriors failed miserable after ending the season empty handed as they were beaten to the Ghana Premier League title by Accra Hearts of Oak.

Kotoko at some point were leading the Ghana Premier League table by a whooping seven points but were overtaken by Hearts of Oak to win the title.

According to our sources, the club's management and board are not satisfied with the performance of the Portuguese trainer as there are several players the coach does not see eye to eye with.

They also feel he failed to improve players in his squad despite the talents at his disposal at the club.

The former Ghana coach normally train players who are in his plans during training session at Adako Jachie and leaves the ones he does not like to be trained by his assistants Johnson Smith and Abdulai Gazale.

There are several players who are intent on leaving the club if the Portuguese trainer stays on as coach in the coming season.

The final straw that broke the camel's back was the Portuguese coaches recent unguarded statements about the club where he publicly ridiculed them for being a big club only in name and lacking the needed facilities.

Management and board of Kotoko are intent on correcting these anomalies with facilities that is why they are close to completing the first phase of the Adako Jachie project which will be commissioned in the coming weeks.

Mariano Barreto joined Kotoko in March this year at the start of the second round signing an 18 month contract and was tasked to help the club win silverware but failed to do so and the club will cut him loose in the coming days.

Aside losing the league title the club were also knocked out of the MTN FA Cup after losing in the semi finals to Berekum Chelsea on penalties.