Exclusive: Mark Robins facing new Stoke City sack threat | OneFootball

Mark Robins is facing the threat of losing his job at Stoke City as the Potters sound out potential replacements, Football League World understands

Stoke City endured a disappointing 2025/26 Championship campaign by starting strongly and emerging as potential promotion contenders before petering away to yet another mid-table, which Football League World can now exclusively reveal could end up costing Mark Robins his job at the Bet 365 Stadium.

At Christmas time, Stoke found themselves positioned in eighth place and just two points shy of Millwall in sixth, appearing to be very much in the race to seal a first finish inside the top-six since returning to the Championship in 2018.

However, a wretched run of form in the second-half of the campaign would see the Potters win just three of their remaining 20 fixtures, with two of those victories coming against relegated opponents in Oxford United and Sheffield Wednesday.

The form table, by that measure, had Stoke in the relegation zone across this time frame. Strong early-season showings from the Staffordshire-based outfit meant that they were always likely to avoid falling into a relegation scrap, of course, but they still wound up the campaign all the way down in 17th place, positioned considerably closer to the drop zone as opposed to the promotion places.

It marked yet another underwhelming season for Stoke, who have not finished higher than 16th in each of the last four seasons despite continually spending heavily in the transfer market and appearing poised to compete for potential top-six contention each summer.

There has, quite naturally, been a high managerial turnover in the Potteries, too, and while Robins has been at the helm since January of last year, Football League World has now learned of a threat regarding the 56-year-old’s position.

Mark Robins facing Stoke City sack threat

Robins' future at Stoke has been questioned by supporters in recent times amid the team's drastic slump in form, and there is every chance that the ex-Coventry City boss could be relieved of his duties in the coming weeks following a disappointing first full campaign in Staffordshire.

That's because Football League World can exclusively reveal that Robins' future has plunged into doubt in recent times among Stoke's key decision-makers, who could be primed to make a huge change in the dugout ahead of the 2026/27 season.

Sources have disclosed that Stoke have already decided to sound out potential candidates to replace Robins as they continue to weigh up the possibility of dismissing him from his post in the near future.

For now, at least, Stoke are yet to make a final decision, although it's one that now has to feel increasingly likely.

The Potters have clearly lost faith in Robins' abilities and believe that stronger options can be sourced elsewhere.

Exactly who Stoke are eyeing to potentially replace Robins remains to be seen, but it does appear as though the former Manchester United striker is on borrowed time at the Bet 365 Stadium and could find himself looking for a new job before long.

Robins' tenure at Stoke has lasted longer than any manager since Michael O'Neill, who took charge of 143 matches between 2019 and 2022.

Following the Northern Irishman's departure, however, the Potters have had four permanent managers in as many years, with Robins now having potentially managed his 73rd and final fixture for the Championship side.

Portsmouth's John Mousinho may be on Stoke City radar amid Mark Robins development

Although FLW is not aware of who exactly is being lined up to potentially succeed Robins in the coming days and weeks if a final decision is made on his future, it would be no surprise to see John Mousinho emerge as a leading candidate.

Over the weekend, it was reported by The News that the Portsmouth head coach is receiving admiration from an unnamed Championship club amid uncertainty over his own future at Fratton Park.

Interestingly, it was noted that the mystery club, in which Mousinho is described as being at the top of the shortlist, already have a manager in place at this moment in time but are heading underway with plans for a potential change in the summer months.

Mousinho, who has kept Portsmouth in the Championship against the odds in each of the last two seasons after returning the south coast side to the second-tier in 2024, has earned a strong reputation in recent times, and could depart Pompey following ever-intensifying speculation.

Having also reportedly held talks with Bristol City, Mousinho is evidently representing an attractive candidate for mid-table outfits bidding to change managers and push towards the play-offs.

His body of work at Portsmouth would suggest him to be an ideal replacement for Robins, and while it must be stressed that FLW has not yet learned of any approach from Stoke for the 40-year-old's services, it's rather realistic to assume that the Potters could indeed be the mystery club in question.