Stoke City new manager latest as Mark Robins emerges as clear favourite with Steven Schumacher twist
Mark Robins is emerging as the clear favourite to become the next Stoke City manager.
The 55-year-old has topped the shortlist ever since the departure of Narcis Pelach on Friday evening and is now believed to be in pole position to take on the vacancy, just under two months after ending a long stay at Coventry.
Ryan Shawcross is preparing to take charge of Stoke's New Year's Day match at Burnley but Stoke have been hopeful of having the new boss in place for a home game against Plymouth Argyle on Saturday (12.30pm), when the crowd was already going to be boosted by a cut-price ticket offer.
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That game has taken a new twist with news that Wayne Rooney has left Plymouth by mutual consent this morning and Steven Schumacher - who left Plymouth for Stoke last December and left Stoke in September to be replaced by Pelach - will be among the frontrunners for a return to Home Park.
Robins has long been considered one of the best managers in the Championship and he spent almost eight years at Coventry, guiding them from League Two to the challenge for a place in the Premier League despite a series of off-pitch crises. His exit in early November was controversial and, after a short break, he is ready to get back to the frontline.
Odds have crashed this morning to 1/7, with David Wagner next at 7/1 followed by Ryan Lowe, another former Plymouth boss, at 14/1 and Russell Martin at 16s.
