Next Stoke manager: Two names in frame as City swerve firefighter appointments

Stoke City have spoken to both Mark Robins and David Wagner over their managerial vacancy but are unlikely to move for Tony Mowbray as they keep their sights set on the long term.

Stoke are searching for their third manager of the season following the sackings of Steven Schumacher and, more recently, Narcis Pelach, but the club are not looking for a firefighter to steer them away from the Championship danger zone.

The Potters gave themselves breathing room with a 1-0 win over Sunderland on Sunday but remain only four points clear of third-bottom Cardiff City, having played a game more, and with a daunting trip to Burnley up next.

Despite that, chairman Jon Coates and sporting director Jon Walters are looking beyond the short-term objective to move up the table and have their sights on a manager who can lead the club into the future. And potential candidates were being sounded out two weeks ago as the pressure began to build on Pelach amid a disastrous run that eventually reached nine without victory, culminating in the Catalan’s sacking after the 2-0 home defeat to Leeds on Boxing Day.

Pelach was well liked at the club but particularly by Walters, who took the decision to sack Schumacher without fan pressure and pushed to bring in a youthful coach with a modern outlook.

Having acknowledged he ultimately got that appointment wrong, his first as sporting director, the pressure is on for him to get the next one right.

And sources have confirmed to TEAMtalk that Mark Robins is keen on a quick return to management after his near-eight-year stint in charge of Coventry was ended by the sack in early November.

Robins led Coventry to the brink of promotion when they reached the playoff final in 2023 but fell at the final hurdle when they lost out to Luton on penalties. Robins is a popular choice among the decision-makers at Stoke and is a leading candidate, but the Daily Telegraph’s John Percy claims former Leeds, Huddersfield and Norwich City boss David Wagner has also been interviewed for the post.

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Cooper and Mowbray not in the running

Steve Cooper was also sounded out, but sources close to the former Nottingham Forest and Leicester City manager have played down the links, stating he is looking at multiple options but that a move to the bet365 Stadium is not at the top of his priorities right now.

Mowbray, meanwhile, has stated that he is looking to get back into management in 2025 after spending much of the year recovering from bowel cancer, but the 61-year-old himself said “my body’s telling me that I’m not ready yet” earlier this month and he is not among the names being considered by the Stoke hierarchy at this time.