Stoke City: Jon Walters must not make Steven Schumacher mistake with Mark Robins | OneFootball

The Potters have to stick by Robins, given his previous achievements with Coventry

Stoke City are now on to their third permanent boss of the season so far, despite it only being January, and now they need to stick with new manager Mark Robins and not make the same mistake of sacking him too early like they did with Steven Schumacher back in September.

Stoke looked to be settled with Schumacher at the start of this season, after he had spent six months in the role last campaign and managed to keep the club afloat in the Championship with relative ease.

The ex-Plymouth Argyle head-coach was given a full transfer window to shape the Potters' squad to his liking, and while they got off to a pretty inconsistent start to the season, it came as a huge shock to see him relieved of his duties in favour of rookie Norwich City coach Narcis Pelach.

Pelach's reign in the Potteries felt doomed from the start, with a real lack of nous and experience as the main man in the dugout leading to a winless run of nine games over the Christmas period, which eventually saw him also sacked at the end of December with a record of just three wins in 18 games managed at the bet365 Stadium.

Highly-rated former Coventry City manager Mark Robins was soon hired as the Potters' third boss of this term on New Year's Day, and his reign is still in its very early stages, with clear anticipation from the Stoke board and fans alike that he will be the calm, experienced head needed to pull the club away from relegation danger over the next five months.

Sporting director Jon Walters has now built somewhat of a reputation for himself for hiring and firing managers at will, but that trend must end here with Robins, and the 55-year-old simply has to be given time to prove himself as Potters boss, given his previous impressive exploits with the Sky Blues.

Mark Robins has a top CV and must be given time as a result

Mark Robins is best known nowadays for his time with Coventry, which only ended a few short months ago, but prior to taking the job at the CBS Arena for the second time in March 2017, he was also a success while in charge of multiple different EFL clubs.

The Ashton-under-Lyne-born boss helped Rotherham United fight for promotion from League Two in both 2008 and 2009 in his first full-time managerial position, despite the club facing financial turmoil and hefty points deductions, and was soon poached by Barnsley, who he helped to keep in the Championship before departing Oakwell in 2011.

His first stint at Coventry in 2012 saw him become a fan-favourite, as he took them up the League One table, from relegation battlers to play-off contenders, before second-tier Huddersfield Town came calling halfway through the season, and he jumped ship to help them avoid the drop back down to the third-tier.

After surviving for another season, then being relieved of his Terriers duties just one game into the 2014/15 campaign, a competitive spell with League One Scunthorpe United followed, before he eventually took the reins with the Sky Blues once again in March 2017.

Robins' success with Coventry in the years that followed has been well-documented, as he transformed the club on and off the pitch from League Two strugglers to perennial Championship play-off contenders, while winning the EFL Trophy in his first season in charge, as well as the League Two play-offs, League One title, and then coming within a kick of winning in both the Championship play-off final in 2022/23 and the FA Cup semi-final last season.

The Sky Blues' success was not achieved in an instant by any means, and it took years and years to build successful teams to eventually challenge for respective trophies and positions, but Robins got the job done, and while he has admitted that Stoke are "a lot further along" than Coventry were when he first took over at each club, he certainly has the nous to help the Potters back to where they want to be in the Championship, and then possibly in the top-flight in the long-term.

Jon Walters has given Mark Robins his full backing upon arrival

Stoke sporting director Jon Walters has placed himself in the firing line of criticism in recent months, given his public backing of former boss Pelach after he and the board made the surprise decision to sack Schumacher, but fans must now be prepared to give him more leeway following the hiring of such a proven, expert manager like Robins.

The ex-Potters striker has been vocal in his support for the 55-year-old upon his arrival, and has laid out a challenge for him to try and replicate a similar dynasty in the years to come at Stoke to his previous one at Coventry.

"At Coventry, Mark built something successful with a real identity and longevity and he left the club in a significantly better place than he found it," Walters told Stoke's official media last week.

“That’s exactly what we want to achieve at Stoke City, and he has all the pedigree and experience to help us do that.

“With a record like that behind him, Mark was always going to be in great demand, so we’re delighted that he sees an exciting opportunity to build something special in the Potteries.

“Welcoming two Assistant Managers of such calibre and with such innovative and progressive mindsets in Paul (Nevin) and James (Rowberry) is another important part of how we will seek to progress and grow.

“The immediate mission is to climb as high as we can up the Championship table during the second half of this season, whilst also laying foundations for a long-term successful future for our club.”

It is clear that Walters is behind Robins right now, and that must continue in the immediate short-term, even if Stoke's results do not make a sharp improvement right away.

He has shown the ability to build a team from the doldrums and make them a great side and club once again, and while the Potters are not quite in the same predicament as Coventry all those years ago, they are certainly in need of a motivator and someone who can get the board, players, staff and supporters all pushing in the same direction towards an eventual return to the Premier League.

Robins is the best manager for that job right now, so Stoke need to stick with him and make sure they do not repeat past mistakes to end up in that same managerial cycle in a few months' time.