After Paul Lambert, Stoke City need to decide who they want to manage them in the Championship. What is the target for next season? Who has the credentials to lead them back to the top league? What will life after Paul Lambert mean for Stoke City?
Who Next for Stoke City After Paul Lambert?
Stoke City have been a thorn in many sides during their tenure in the Premier League. Arsenal will testify to that. Mark Hughes replaced Tony Pulis in 2013 and guided the club to a Premier League high of ninth, a feat achieved for three seasons in a row. In 2017, Stoke finished 13th and the decline continued into the 2017/18 season. Potters’ fans called for Hughes to go as the team languished in the bottom three. In January 2018, the board obliged and sacked Hughes. His replacement, Paul Lambert, failed to change the club’s fortunes and left them after two wins in 15 games saw Stoke relegated to the Championship.
The Runners
This is an important time for any football club. The replacement must be found sooner rather than later. Under Tony Pulis and Mark Hughes, Stoke City have been stable. The FA Cup final in 2010 nearly brought success but relegation has hit the club hard. The next appointment must be right. Promotion at the first attempt is far from guaranteed. Experience at Championship should be favoured at this time.
Managers in the running include Mick McCarthy and Gary Rowett.
Stoke are not known for being easy on the eye. They are a team built from the back. Tough tacklers such as Charlie Adam have been a feature and in the Championship they will need those qualities in a league considered physically tough to escape.
Mick McCarthy
Mick McCarthy knows his way around the Championship. He has helped Wolves and Sunderland go from the Championship to the Premier League so is a strong candidate. Stoke will be wary that he hasn’t excelled in the Premier League and therefore might only be a quick fix. His statistics are shown below:
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Millwall | 18 March 1992 | 4 February 1996 | 203 | 74 | 70 | 59 | 36.5 | [38] |
| Republic of Ireland | 1 March 1996 | 5 November 2002 | 68 | 29 | 20 | 19 | 42.6 | [8][38] |
| Sunderland | 12 March 2003 | 6 March 2006 | 147 | 63 | 26 | 58 | 42.9 | [38] |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 21 July 2006 | 13 February 2012 | 270 | 104 | 66 | 100 | 38.5 | [38] |
| Ipswich Town | 1 November 2012 | 10 April 2018 | 279 | 105 | 78 | 96 | 37.6 | [27][38] |
| Total | 965 | 374 | 260 | 331 | 38.8 | |||
Statistics from Wikipedia
Gary Rowett
Gary Rowett is a young manager who has just failed to take Derby County into the play-off finals. He had Birmingham punching above their weight in the Championship, before being unceremoniously sacked with the club seventh in the league. He knows the Championship well and could be a long-term appointment. The main sticking point would be whether Derby would let him leave and if Rowett himself would consider Stoke a better proposition than Derby County.
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| P | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
| Burton Albion | 17 March 2012 | 27 October 2014 | 142 | 63 | 34 | 45 | 44.4 | [20] |
| Birmingham City | 27 October 2014 | 14 December 2016 | 106 | 42 | 32 | 32 | 39.6 | [20] |
| Derby County | 14 March 2017 | Present | 60 | 26 | 18 | 16 | 43.3 | [20] |
| Total | 308 | 131 | 84 | 93 | 42.5 | — | ||
Statistics from Wikipedia
The Usual Suspects
Other names in the frame include David Moyes, Alan Pardew and Sam Allardyce. Allardyce may be someone of interest. His teams are robust and he could be a good choice although his salary may be over and above what Stoke City would want to pay.
David Moyes hasn’t been blessed with luck. Manchester United was a poisoned chalice and Sunderland was a hiding to nothing. He did a solid job at West Ham under very toxic circumstances off the pitch. He may see Stoke as a chance to rebuild his reputation.
Alan Pardew has been linked with the vacancy but his awful performance as West Brom manager would put Stoke fans in a nervous position. His recent record suggests that Stoke would do well to leave well alone if they want to bounce back at the first attempt.
Who Next For Stoke City?
Lots of names linked with the top job but who will be next? It will be a lottery and there are some qualified people who would do well at a club like Stoke City. What Stoke City must do is consider all options and think about who can take them up and build for a stable future. So after Paul Lambert, Stoke must now make a decision to define their future.
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