Next Stoke Manager Odds: Five candidates for the job

EFL pundit Gab Sutton looks at five possible candidates in the next Stoke City manager odds following the sacking of Narcis Pelach.

1. Mark Robins

Mark Robins did an outstanding job at Coventry over a seven-year period, making him one of the EFL’s most successful managers, before being sacked by owner Doug King in favour of the name Frank Lampard.

The ownership situation under the previous regime may have suited Robins, in that it allowed him a certain level of operational freedom, something he didn’t get under King, who seeks a different model.

So, given that Stoke have a Sporting Director in Jonathan Walters, it may be that many of the qualities the 55-year-old demonstrated at the CBS Arena, in a big-picture, overseeing capacity, might not be as relevant to a club that are looking more for niche coaching brilliance.

Plus, there’s a possibility that Robins may want to take a sabbatical, and enjoy some time with the family, as opposed to rushing straight back into the grind. 

2. David Wagner 

David Wagner’s stock has fallen, since the German worked miracles with Huddersfield, steering them to promotion to the Premier League in 2016-17 and safety at that level the following season.

Stints at Schalke 04 and Young Boys didn’t quite go to plan, and the 53-year-old’s subsequent tenure at Norwich isn’t perceived with enormous positivity, even if the results were reasonable on paper.

Wagner led the Canaries to a top six finish in 2023-24, but they were dour away that season and, at home, reliant on the individualism provided, at different stages, by Jonny Rowe, Gabriel Sara and Josh Sargent.

At no point were the Yellow army especially enamoured with the football they were playing, because they didn’t look after the ball very well – and nor were they a super energetic side that sustainably swarmed after their opponents. 

3. Ryan Shawcross

Ryan Shawcross got an instant reaction from his players in his first game as caretaker, overseeing a 1-0 victory over high-flyers Sunderland with a defiant performance.

How much of the former defender’s impact is down to relief from a section of players who didn’t like the previous manager, as opposed to his own merits, would be revealed with more time in the post.

The 37-year-old, though, has two distinct factors in his favour: firstly, his popularity with the fanbase which, while not everything, can make a difference for a manager, as we’ve seen with Neil Harris at Millwall and Chris Wilder at Sheffield United.

Secondly, his knowledge of the academy, which looks a fantastic part of the club for Stoke City to try to build around: having already produced top prospects like Tommy Simkin, Freddie Anderson, Jaden Dixon, Sol Sidibe, Emre Tezgel and Nathan Lowe, the Potters have one of the country’s top youth setups outside the elite.

4. David Artell

The above could be a reason to look at Grimsby head coach, David Artell.

The 44-year-old is one of the best developers of individual players in the EFL, having nurtured a whole golden generation at nearby Crewe Alexandra - including in his time as academy manager, as well as first-team.

If he’s given the opportunity to do that on a bigger scale, with the aforementioned homegrown talent, as well as the investments made in the transfer market, he can comfortably develop nine figures’ worth of saleable assets within two or three years.

It’s also about results, and Artell is on course to meet or significantly exceed expectation for a seventh season in eight in his managerial career, with his Grimsby side currently level on points with second in League Two on a midtable budget.

Honest and loyal in nature, the former Rotherham defender may be keen to finish this campaign with his current employers, and try to win promotion – but he could be somebody for Stoke to keep an eye on in the long run, especially if they want short-term stability with Shawcross.

Artell knows Walters from their time playing together at Chester, which also happens to be where his roots are – a similar neck of the woods – and he’s already disliked by some at Vale Park!

5. Tony Mowbray

The experienced Tony Mowbray has been a real steady hand in the Championship, having done excellent work in recent years at Blackburn and Sunderland, before his time at Birmingham was interrupted by a health scare.

Having recovered well, Mowbray looks in a good position to go back into management, although it’s possible clubs might be reluctant to give the 61-year-old the long-term contract they would happily give a younger coach with no such concerns.

Nonetheless, the Middlesbrough legend still has a lot to offer, with the ability to adapt to any squad he’s given and find a way to get results, whilst still having the ability to develop young players, helped by excellent people skills and man management qualities.

Mowbray would be a great person to steady the ship for the second half of the season, with a view to a longer deal agreed possibly in May.