Stoke City

At least one new era will begin at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday (12:30 GMT) when Mark Robins takes charge of his first game since being installed as Potters boss, having watched their 0-0 draw at Burnley from the stands on New Year's Day.

It will be Plymouth's second match since parting ways with Wayne Rooney, with Kevin Nancekivell and Joe Edwards having taken charge of the dramatic 2-2 draw against Bristol City to kick-off 2025.

Argyle remain bottom, effectively five points from safety, but City are too close for comfort, seven points ahead of Plymouth, but having played a game more.

• Stoke City have won their last two league meetings with Plymouth Argyle, last winning three in a row against the Pilgrims between March 1963 and October 1987 (four in a row).

• Plymouth have never won away to Stoke City in the Football League in 20 previous attempts (D6 L14); among current EFL fixtures, the only teams to go away to an opponent more often without earning a single victory are Mansfield (25 v Reading), Coventry (23 v Preston) and Blackburn (22 v Luton).

• Three of Stoke City's four home wins in the Championship this season have seen them net the winning goal in the final 15 minutes – the Potters could win back-to-back home matches for the first time this season.

• Plymouth have conceded more goals (35) and scored the joint-fewest goals (3) of any team away from home in England's top four tiers this season – the Pilgrims (2.69A, 0.23F) are currently only the second team in English league history to average more than 2.50 goals conceded per game and average fewer than 0.25 goals per game in an away campaign after Gainsborough Trinity in 1901-02 (3.23A 0.24F).

• For the third year in a row, Stoke City will have a different manager in the dugout for their first home match of the year (Alex Neil in 2023, Steven Schumacher in 2024).

Image source, Getty Images

Mark Robins' first press conference since being appointed as new head coach of Stoke City produced several interesting moments.

The 55-year-old takes charge of the Potters for the first time on Saturday in their home clash with Plymouth Argyle after Ryan Shawcross' impressive short tenure as interim boss came to an end.

And he was buoyant about his chances in guiding the club back to the Premier League after a six-and-a-half-year absence - here's the key points of his interview.

• Robins confirmed he would "really like to to manage in the Premier League" before he retires.

• The former Coventry boss stated he had a shortlist of clubs he would like to manage and Stoke City was one of them.

• Robins emphasised he is "all in" at Stoke now, despite having obvious affiliations to Coventry due to his seven-year spell at the CBS Arena where he was, at the time, the longest-serving manager in the EFL.

• Believes Stoke are "a really good fit" for him.

• There is not a set blueprint to turn around Stoke's fortunes but he will not simply try to replicate his work at Coventry.

• Robins thinks Stoke owner John Coates and sporting director Jon Walters are "very good football people" and "die-hard Stoke City supporters" and told BBC Radio Stoke he is really excited to work for them.

• Recognises he needs to understand the identity of the club and promised to try and align the club with Stoke's motto- "United strength is stronger".

Stoke's outgoing interim boss Ryan Shawcross says he had very little sleep during his tenure in charge of the club which saw him earn four points out of a possible six.

Shawcross, 37, is a club legend in the Potteries having spent more than 15 years at the Bet365 Stadium, first as a player and then coach.

But he admitted he found it difficult to unwind while acting as caretaker head coach after the sacking of Narcis Pelach.

"It's intense, I've slept very little, my throat's gone and I feel ill," Shawcross told BBC Radio Stoke following his side's 0-0 draw with Burnley.

"The absolute desire for me to be a manager is there but it was a very intense four, five days.

"There was a lot going on but the biggest thing was how much I enjoyed it and loved pitting my wits against the Sunderland manager and today against Scott Parker."

Shawcross will return to his role as the club's under-21 head coach now Mark Robins' backroom staff has been confirmed before the former Coventry boss' first game in charge of the club - Saturday's home fixture against Plymouth Argyle.

"The new manager is in place, he'll take [first-team training] tomorrow, I'll go back down to the under-21s and start learning again," Shawcross added.

"It's been a great experience for me, I can only thank the owner and Walts [sporting director Jonathan Walters] for giving me this opportunity."

Image source, Getty Images

Stoke City have confirmed that Paul Nevin and James Rowberry will join the club to form new boss Mark Robins' backroom staff at the Bet365 Stadium.

Robins, 55, was appointed new Potters boss on New Year's Day before their hard-fought 0-0 draw at Championship promotion contenders Burnley.

In a statement posted on their club website, external, Stoke also confirmed that assistant coach and former Potters midfielder Dean Whitehead has left the club.

Nevin arrives in Staffordshire after spells with West Ham and the England Under-20 set-up while Rowberry will continue his duties as an assistant to Craig Bellamy with the Wales national team alongside his new role at Stoke.

Ryan Shawcross, whose impressive spell as interim head coach saw him pick up four points from a possible six against Sunderland and Burnley over the festive period, will return to his role as the club's under-21s head coach.

Robins' first press conference as Potters boss will take place at 16:00 GMT on Thursday.

Mark Elliott
BBC Radio Stoke commentator

Image source, Getty Images

There's a weariness around Stoke City.

The club have money. They have passionate fans and great facilities but they have failed to muster anything close to a credible promotion challenge since relegation from the Premier League in 2018.

Managers and coaches have come and gone, each arriving with fanfare and the promise of a new dawn.

Narcis Pelach is the latest to be replaced - a bright, respected young coach quickly dulled by the club's malaise and his own difficulty in turning theories into results.

This is a big appointment for inexperienced sporting director Jon Walters.

He has overseen one big failure and can ill afford another with Stoke at the wrong end of the table, despite the goodwill his playing career at the club has earned him.

So, Mark Robins gets the chance to turn things around.

He's experienced, recently successful and, if he succeeds, he'll quickly become a legend in the Potteries.

If he can't? He'll just become the latest cab off the rank for a fanbase that's been here too many times before.

Image source, Rex Features

Stoke caretaker manager Ryan Shawcross said his first win in temporary charge is "the sort of thing you dream of" and does not want the side to be dull to watch.

The former Potters centre-back was put in interim control following the sacking of Narcis Pelach two days ago.

And he saw an immediate reaction from the players as they clinched a dramatic win against the Black Cats.

"It was a really strong performance and at times I thought we looked a really good team," Shawcross told BBC Radio Stoke.

"The game plan was a risky one as I wanted the lads to go for it and get after Sunderland. I knew at times they would cut through us if we did at times but, second half, I felt we had a right good 20 minutes where we probably didn't get enough finishes or end product.

"Then to win it in the last minute and the feeling in the stadium was amazing and the sort of thing you dream of.

"It was a slight change in formation, a slight change in attitude and in how we wanted to play.

"I just want to watch Stoke and not be bored or see teams sitting back. I want to go for it.

"With a few slight changes I think there is a group in there who can move forward and be successful. The season has not been great but we spoke about a moment in the season where you have an upturn and hopefully that was it.

Shawcross was also asked whether he wants the job full-time and said he would " concentrate on Burnley [the next game] if they need me to take it".

He added he would "love to know what is going to happen" but said "you never know in football".

Another top versus bottom-half match-up on Sunday sees Stoke City host Sunderland.

The Black Cats, who are currently fourth in the Championship, got the better of the Potters a few weeks ago and Stoke have since parted ways with manager Narcis Pelach after their Boxing Day loss to league leaders Leeds left them languishing down in 19th.

• Stoke have lost one of their last seven home league games against Sunderland (W3 D3), losing 1-0 in 2022-23.

• Sunderland are looking to win three consecutive league games against Stoke City for the first time since a run of five between 1934 and 1936.

• Stoke are winless in their final league game of the calendar year in each of the last eight years (D3 L5) since winning 4-3 against Everton back in 2015.

• Sunderland are unbeaten in their final league game of the year in each of the last seven years (W4 D3) since they lost 4-1 to Burnley in 2016.

• Sunderland haven't lost any of their last nine league games against sides with 'City' in their name (W6 D3) since losing to last season's champions Leicester City in March.

Image source, Rex Features

Stoke City boss Narcis Pelach defended his latest change in tactics following the Boxing Day home defeat by Leeds United after seeing the Potters extend their winless run to nine matches.

Four points out of a possible 27 is the club's worst winless run in the league since taking only two points from their opening 10 games at the start of the 2019-20 season under Nathan Jones - and they were booed off by significant numbers of the fans still left in the ground at the final whistle.

The plummeting Potters now stand in 19th place in the Championship going into Sunday's home game with Sunderland - just three points outside the relegation zone.

And Pelach, who has won just three of his 18 league games in charge since succeeding the sacked Steven Schumacher in September, has been criticised by fans and the local media for simply making too many changes.

After deciding to operate with a back five to counter Leeds' attacking threat, Pelach told BBC Radio Stoke: "We chose the formation we thought would work best.

"It's a difficult game and we prepared the team to try to be resilient. A lot of teams who went with a back four against them were out of the game very early.

"They make you defend a lot. They have a lot of ball possession. And then if you press them high and you go late, they beat the press and then they have an open goal. But then, if you sit, it looks like you're not trying, and it's difficult.

"We tried in the first seven or eight minutes, and we were more there. We created a big chance with Lewis Koumas, which could have changed the night.

"This is what we need. In those little moments, you need to be punishing in order to beat Leeds. That's why not many teams come close to beating Leeds.

"It dropped off because of the quality Leeds have. You have ideas and try to implement them, but at the end of the day when the ball is there and there's a player in front of you that waits until you move and then finds a free player, it makes you drop."

A win on Boxing Day could see Leeds United top the Championship table if results go their way elsewhere.

Leeds are three points behind leaders Sheffield United but with a much healthier goal difference and they take on a Stoke City side with no wins in their last five games.

The Potters are 19th in the table and four points above the relegation zone.

• Stoke have won three of their last four home league games against Leeds, losing the other 3-0 in August 2019.

• Leeds have won three of their last four league games against Stoke, winning each game without conceding a goal (3-0 and 5-0 in 2019-20, 1-0 in March 2024).

• Stoke City have lost one of their last eight league games on Boxing Day (W4 D3), losing 2-0 away at Birmingham City in 2018.

• Leeds United have won three of their last 10 Boxing Day matches (D3 L4), winning those in three consecutive years between 2016 and 2018.

• Leeds manager Daniel Farke has lost his last three Boxing Day league matches, losing twice with Norwich (in 2019 vs. Aston Villa and 2020 vs. Watford) and last year with Leeds away at Preston.