Updated March 17, 2026
Mark Robins transforms a survival battle into a play-off push
Stoke City barely avoided relegation on the final day of 2024-25, finishing two points above the drop zone, but Mark Robins has orchestrated a remarkable turnaround in 2025-26. The Potters won nine points from their first four matches, sat third in November, and earned Robins a new three-and-a-half-year contract. A December slump including a 4-0 loss to Sheffield United cooled expectations, but Stoke remain in the mix for the play-offs, a dramatic improvement from the existential fears of twelve months ago.
The 'cold wet night in Stoke' legacy lives on at the bet365 Stadium
The famous question about whether a player could do it on a cold, wet Tuesday night in Stoke has followed the club from the Premier League to the Championship, becoming both a point of pride and a cultural meme. The bet365 Stadium in the Staffordshire Potteries still offers one of the most inhospitable away trips in English football, and Robins has leaned into that identity, building a side that presses aggressively and makes the physical conditions work in their favour.
Shrewd summer business lays the foundation for a new era
Robins rebuilt the squad with smart, low-cost signings: Sorba Thomas from Huddersfield, veteran Aaron Cresswell on a free, and the returning Steven Nzonzi brought experience and steel. Loanees Divin Mubama and Jamie Donley added youthful energy, while Million Manhoef emerged as a creative force. The signings reflected Robins's philosophy of balancing experience with hunger, and the early results validated an approach that relied on coaching quality over transfer-market spending.