Stoke & Staffordshire

Stoke City and Swansea will seek to get back to winning ways as they meet at the Bet365 on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

After Wednesday night's 2-0 defeat at Bristol City, the Potters remain three places and three points above the drop zone in 19th, two places but five points adrift of the Swans, who won at Ashton Gate last Sunday but went down 1-0 at home to Sheffield Wednesday on Wednesday night.

• Stoke City have won just one of their past five league games against Swansea City (D3 L1), and have failed to score in their last two league games against the Swans.

• Swansea have won only once in their past 13 league trips to Stoke (D4 L8), though have earned draws in their previous two visits in August 2022 and December 2023 (both 1-1).

• Stoke have kept a clean sheet in each of their past three home league games (W1 D2); they last did so in four successive games in November 2012.

• Swansea ended a four-game losing run on the road in the league with a 1-0 win at Bristol City; they last won successive away games in February last season.

• Stoke manager Mark Robins has faced Swansea more times than any other side in the Football League without ever recording a win (13 games – D7 L6).

Image source, Rex Features

Stoke City have parted company with head of recruitment Lee Darnbrough after just eight months.

Darnbrough was appointed in June 2024 having spent seven years with the Potters Championship rivals Hull City.

Stoke signed 10 first-team players on permanent and loan deals in the summer and two more during the winter window, which proved to be Darnbrough's last.

"Lee has our sincere thanks for his efforts and dedication during his time at Stoke City. We wish him well for the future," Stoke sporting director Jon Walters told the club website., external

"The process to identify a new recruitment lead for the Club is now underway. We will inform supporters once a new appointment is made."

The decision leaves Stoke looking for their third head of recruitment in under a year after Jared Dublin left the bet365 Stadium last May before joining Hull three months later.

Image source, PA Media

Stoke manager Mark Robins spoke BBC Radio Stoke after the Potters' 2-0 defeat at Bristol City.

"We had more possession and didn't have a shot on target, which is a damning statistic, and one I'm embarrassed about," he said.

"We have to win the duels, have an attacking intent and get that impetus by playing in a way that you mean it, rather than the apologetic performance we've just seen. The players are more capable than that – they know that.

"Everyone who pays their hard-earned money deserves the minimum, which is a side that's running and fighting. We are working hard, but not in the right way. Mentally, we weren't at it.

"We have to be miles better than that, and have the intent and a desire to score goals. These are young players who tend to be resilient but, in a game, can sometimes get overawed. There were two moments in the game where we switched off, allowing them to shoot and score."

Image source, Getty Images

Stoke boss Mark Robins has said he is happy he was able to keep Wouter Burger at the club after the German midfielder gathered interest from an unnamed club on the final day of the winter transfer window.

Speaking ahead of his side's trip to Bristol City on Wednesday, Robins confirmed discussions had taken place regarding the 23-year-old's departure from the Bet365 Stadium, but Berger remained a key part of his plans this season.

"There was a potential to lose Wouter, so I'm pleased that he's still here," Robins told BBC Radio Stoke.

"He's a really important player, he's a really good player and he's somebody who I think can improve further.

"For me, at that stage [of the window], it would have been really difficult to replace anybody in the squad, especially with the circumstances around the injuries.

"There is a good player in there - 100% there is. Wouter has knuckled down and he's working hard to try and improve on a day-to-day basis, so I'm pleased with what I've seen with Wouter so far."

Burger played all 120 minutes of Stoke's FA Cup fourth-round exit to Cardiff on Saturday, converting his own penalty in vain as the Potters lost 4-2 in the shootout after the match ended in a 3-3 draw.

BBC Radio Stoke commentator Mark Elliott predicts Stoke will comfortably avoid relegation this season after their FA Cup exit at the hands of Cardiff City on Saturday.

Speaking on A Cold Wet Tuesday Night, Elliott said he has seen enough signs of improvement in Stoke since Mark Robins took over as manager to ensure they will be safe in the second tier for another season.

"They're not far away as an attacking team," Elliott said, following the Potters' penalty shootout defeat after drawing 3-3 at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday.

"They get into really good areas, and so often the final decision, the final ball, the final shot, isn't the right one.

"I do think Mark Robins has the right ideas to get more out of them going forward, and is trying to implement them. I just think it might take a bit of time."

Robins took charge of the Potters on New Years Day and has so far overseen a steady start to his time in charge, losing just one of his first seven matches in all competitions.

Elliott said: "He is trying to get his ideas in place and embedded and across in a context where players are probably under-cooked on the training ground and overplayed [on a matchday].

"I think you can see that they are more of a threat, certainly than what they were under Narcis Pelach.

"The big thing for Stoke this season is they get enough points on the board to stay in the division and then you might start looking at the future."

Elliott also singled out Robins' omission of regular number one goalkeeper Viktor Johansson as a factor behind their fourth-round exit.

"I think, without being too critical of Jack Bonham, it highlighted again just how fortunate they are to have Viktor Johansson in goal in the league," Elliott added.

"With Johansson in goal I certainly don't think they concede at least one of those goals.

"I think the season will probably peter out and actually that is probably something we would have taken in the last couple of weeks of the Narcis Pelach era when it looked like Stoke were bang in relegation trouble."