Stoke City

Stoke City reported a £60.8m profit in their latest accounts but the numbers should not look that good, according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire.

A "structural change" saw owner John Coates waive a £90.5m loan, dramatically changing the outlook of Stoke's end-of-year figures.

"A £60m profit was made - that really is driven by the fact the owner wrote off a £90m loss, if that wasn't the case it would look a lot worse," Maguire told BBC Radio Stoke.

"But there are some positives, there is more money coming through the door. The money coming in is good, the wage bill is a bit better - [it's] under control."

Maguire believes that Coates' loan write-off also has a positive outlook for the club's future beyond their accounts for the year, emphasising what it says about the owner's long-term plans.

"No John Coates, no party. He's a very benevolent owner, there is no doubt about that," Maguire said.

"If the owner's circumstances change or the owner's attitude changes, it can be problematic. The Coates family put in £46m of cash last year in the form of fresh shares which was very beneficial for the club.

"It's certainly a sign of ongoing commitment by John Coates - and also the fact the running a football club is an expensive hobby."

However, Maguire added that turning a profit because of their owner's generosity does not mean Stoke are set for a fruitful summer.

"I think the club will have to be cautious as far as this summer is concerned," he said.

"The reason for that is that the debt write-off is not included as part of your PSR [Profit and Sustainability Rules] calculations so you would have to look at it as -£30m rather than a positive of £60m.

"So the rumours of Kylian Mbappe seen wandering around an estate agent in Hanley are probably overstating the good news."

Listen to Maguire's full breakdown on BBC Sounds

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Mark Elliott
BBC Radio Stoke

Image source, Shutterstock

For a while it looked like Stoke City would do to Coventry what has so often been done to them this season - namely, steal a point from a dominant side left to regret missed chances.

In the end, they suffered a late defeat that felt eerily similar to what happened in the same fixture last season.

Coventry have a better first XI and better depth than Stoke, partly due to the injury crisis the Potters have long been dealing with and partly due to the quality of the Sky Blues' recruitment.

They are top of the league for a reason and much like Leeds last year, give Stoke a blueprint for future success.

Like Leeds, they combine technique and confidence in possession with a physicality and athleticism at the top end of the pitch that few teams at this level can live with.

Four of Stoke's missing players should be back in training this week and with 11 games to go the club may already have half an eye on next season.

Image source, Shutterstock

Stoke City head coach Mark Robins spoke to BBC Radio Stoke following their 2-1 defeat at Championship leaders Coventry City.

"We didn't deserve anything because we were really poor," he said.

"We didn't get going in the first half, I thought we didn't get close enough to them, we didn't get any real contact on them and we gave them the freedom of the park to be fair.

"Tommy made some really good saves in the first half that kept us in it.

"We got a goal back and got back into the game. In the second half we were much better. And when it gets to the stage that it did, you just have to see the game out.

"Tommy has to learn to come out and clear the whole lot out. If he does that, we draw the game potentially, but also you have to have the help, support and communication around you."

Image source, Coventry City FC

You might not hear the old terrace refrain of 'you're not fit to wear the shirt' as often as you used to, but it still has a better ring than 'the shirt's not fit for you to wear'.

Championship leaders Coventry City launched a new collection on Friday, proudly taking inspiration from a kit widely dubbed the 'Worst of All Time'.

A take on the club's infamous brown change strip worn away from Highfield Road from 1978 to 1981, the modern reinvention features what the club calls "a deeper chocolate plum colour with sky blue elements".

Many would suggest it sounds tastier than it looks.

But it's got us thinking... what are actually the worst EFL kits of all time? Let us know which of your club's shirts is hiding in the back of the wardrobe, or even if they were too ugly for you to even part money for them.

We'll collate a list of the biggest eyesores and will give you the chance to vote on the ghastliest of all next week.

Click here to let us know your suggestion, and you can even attach a picture if you really want to convey the horror.

Stoke City's trip to Championship leaders Coventry City is a "brilliant challenge," according to Potters' head coach Mark Robins.

Stoke were second and four points behind their opponents when the two sides met in the Championship in November and Coventry ran out 1-0 winners.

Three months on, Coventry are still top but now 21 points ahead of Stoke, who lie 13th.

"As a team at the top they're obviously a good team, being successful in what they're doing [have] got some good players, a depth of squad and they've got very few injuries," Robins told BBC Radio Stoke.

"They've found a way of winning games, they play in a way that puts you under pressure. They'll put the ball in behind without any concern, get the ball up front, get bodies in the box."

This will be Robins' second trip back to The CBS Arena since he was sacked by the Sky Blues in November 2024 after more than seven years in charge.

"It's a brilliant challenge for us to go there with half a squad and try to beat the team with very few injuries, that are at the top of the division," he added.

"It's a challenge no doubt but we're looking forward to it."

Robins has also revealed full-back Junior Tchamadeu will return to training on Monday having been out since sustaining a knee injury while on international duty with Cameroon at the African Cup of Nations in early January.

Listen to more Stoke City interviews and content on BBC Sounds.

Mark Robins returns to his former club Coventry City as manager of Stoke City for the second time, having lost 3-2 there last season.

When these two sides met at the bet365 Stadium in November, Stoke were second in the Championship table, just four points behind leaders Coventry.

The Sky Blues remain top of the table but are now 21 points ahead of their 13th-placed opponents.

• Following their 1-0 win in November, Coventry are hoping to complete the league double over Stoke for the first time since 1984-85.

• Stoke lost this exact fixture 3-2 last season, but have not lost consecutive away league games against Coventry since December 1982.

• Coventry have lost just three of their past 32 home league games (W23 D6), with those defeats coming against teams either in the Premier League this season (Leeds and Burnley) or last season (Ipswich).

• Stoke scored five goals in their first two away league games this season (2.5 per game), beating Sheffield Wednesday 3-0 and Southampton 2-1. Since then, they have scored just 10 times in 15 on the road (0.7 per game), netting more than once on just two further occasions.

• Haji Wright has scored five goals in his past four home league games for Coventry, one more than he had in his previous 14 appearances at the Coventry Building Society Arena.

Mark Elliott
Stoke City commentator for BBC Radio Stoke

Image source, Shutterstock

There was a palpable tension emanating from the stands and the pitch during the last 10 minutes or so of a win that keeps the season interesting for a little while longer for Stoke.

Seven league games without a victory will create the conditions for that sort of anxiety to thrive and a one-goal lead against limited opposition did not ever quite feel like it was enough.

In truth, Stoke were well worth the win against Oxford United, created plenty and scored two well worked goals in a game full of positives for manager Mark Robins.

Lamine Cisse worked relentlessly and deserved his goal while Jesurun Rak-Sakyi got his first for the club and earned valuable minutes as he builds his match fitness.

Million Manhoef showed he can affect games significantly as a number 10 and Eric Bocat caused all sorts of problems for the visitors when moving inside from full-back into a position usually occupied by a number eight.

Stoke got forward in numbers, created plenty and could have won by a larger margin, looking pretty comfortable for the most part despite inverting one full-back high up the pitch and allowing Tomas Rigo the freedom to attack from his position at the base of midfield.

One defensive lapse for the Oxford goal aside, they were good and fun to watch.

Whether they choose to play in that way at league leaders Coventry City on Saturday remains to be seen but ending that winless run was vital and they did.

With several players reportedly nearing a return from injury too, that tension and anxiety will hopefully begin to dissipate.

Stoke manager Mark Robins spoke to BBC Radio Stoke after their 2-1 Championship win over Oxford United.

"I'm pleased with some of the performance and the result, immensely.

"I am pleased with the way the supporters stuck by us and helped us get that result over the line.

"When there is an opponent sat in front of you with a low block or a mid block then it is really difficult to break down. We knew we had to play in a certain way, and I thought we got the balance almost spot on.

"The only disappointment for me was the defending on the set-play and we allowed them back into the game when we should have been one, two or three up by that stage.

"We were brave, took the ball in good positions, and to all intents and purposes did the right thing a lot of the time. I'm still looking for more. It isn't quite there yet, but it was enough to win the game. It was a really good three points. It is a step forward for us."

Stoke City and Oxford United will aim to bolster their respective positions when they meet at the Bet365 Stadium on Wednesday night (20:00 GMT).

For the Potters, the hope will be to regain their momentum after a winless run of seven league games (D4 L3) leaves them down in 16th place and seven points adrift of the play-off places they once occupied.

But for the U's, things may be even more worrying. Their winless run of five games (D2 L3) has them five points away from safety in the bottom three.

• Following their 3-0 win in November, Stoke are looking to complete the league double over Oxford United for the first time.

• Oxford haven't scored more than once in any of their last six league games against Stoke, netting just three goals in total (W1 D3 L2).

• Stoke have lost half of their midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games this season (W3 D1 L4), though one of their victories was in the reverse fixture against Oxford.

• Oxford are winless in their last 13 midweek (Tues, Weds, Thurs) league games (D5 L8), netting just six goals in this run.

• Stoke boss Mark Robins has lost just one of his six league meetings with Oxford (W3 D2), going down 1-0 at home while at Coventry in March 2019.

Mark Elliott
BBC Radio Stoke's Stoke City commentator

Image source, Getty Images

Stoke City dominated the first half against Leicester City, threatened to fall apart in the second, and left the pitch simultaneously relieved and frustrated to have taken a point.

Parallels can be drawn between this game and the season as a whole.

A run which yielded 27 points from their first 14 games now looks like a start that will keep them out of trouble, rather than the platform for a promotion push that players, club and fans all hoped it would be.

A total of just 17 points from 19 games since then has left everyone involved searching for answers.

Over the past few weeks Stoke have been active in the transfer window, made a major change to the coaching staff, and experimented with personnel and formation, but wins continue to elude them.

None of the January signings have made the instant impact the club would have hoped for, although injuries have played a part in that.

The injury crisis Stoke have been dealing with for months has clearly played a huge part in a winless run which now stands at eight games in all competitions, but the players that are fit - even the ones forced to play out of position to cover for the absent players - must feel like they have the quality to have won matches during that run.

The changes, signings and experimentation may yield results over time, but patience is a precious commodity when a team is averaging less than a point per game.

Image source, Getty Images

Boss Mark Robins said Stoke City lacked energy and quality in the 2-2 draw with Leicester City, but said his side are struggling to cope with the number of players missing through injury.

Robins told BBC Radio Stoke that "poor execution and poor decision-making contributed to his side surrendering a 1-0 half-time lead.

"We can be critical. I'm certainly critical," Robins added. "But on the other hand, we've got a group of players that have been put together now waiting for people to come back to give us that extra bit of quality, bit of depth and that ability to go and make changes to improve things.

"Hopefully we can get the injured lads back really quickly because we need them.

"Leicester have got better individuals than us, at present, and I thought we'd done brilliantly well to make it as difficult as possible.

"In the second half, they tried to put us on the back foot and we allowed that to happen, and that was the frustration. There was a lack of energy in the second half."

Image source, Opta

Two sides struggling for form in the Championship will meet when Stoke City welcome Leicester City on Saturday (kick-off 12:30 GMT).

The Potters have seen their promotion hopes fade with just four wins in 18 games since the start of November (D4 L10) to slide from second to 14th - and are without a victory in their past six matches (D3 L3), in which they have scored just two goals.

The Foxes have lost four on the bounce, are without a win in six (D1) and have just two victories from their past 11 games (D1 L8).

Their six-point deduction for breaching PSR rules - which they are appealing against - has only compounded their woes with Leicester facing back-to-back relegations as they start the weekend in 22nd, two points from safety.

• Stoke have lost their past three league meetings with Leicester, conceding nine goals in the process and only scoring once themselves. They have never lost four in a row against the Foxes in their league history.

• Leicester are unbeaten in their previous six league away games against Stoke (W2 D4), with their last defeat there coming in March 2007 (2-4) under Rob Kelly.

• Stoke City are winless across their past five home league games (D2 L3), losing each of the past two – they last lost three home league games in a row in October 2023.

• Leicester have lost four successive Championship games and will be looking to avoid losing more in a row outside the Premier League for the first time since January 2006 (6 defeats).

• Stoke City have failed to score in each of their past three games in the Championship, last going on a longer league run without scoring in March 2019 (4 games).

Image source, Stoke City FC

Stoke City's first team have moved into new facilities at their Clayton Wood training ground.

The £10m development has taken 15 months to build and includes new and improved performance, recovery, rehabilitation, gymnasium, nutrition and sports science facilities along with a cryotherapy chamber and hydrotherapy pool.

"This is a significant step for the football club and it fills me with great pride to see our new first-team training facility in operation for the first time," said club chairman John Coates.

"Stoke City is my passion and I will continue to do everything in my power to ensure our players and staff have the best environment possible to make us successful."

Image source, Stoke City FC

Stoke are now planning to redevelop an existing building on the site which will be used by their category one academy and women's team.

The club say it will take the total investment to more than £25m since it was bought.

"Clearly the facilities need to be matched by a culture of relentless hard work, which [sporting director] Jon Walters and [head coach] Mark Robins continue to drive every day, in our long-term pursuit of being better than we have ever been before," added Coates.

Stoke are currently 14th in the Championship table, five points adrift of the play-off places and meet Leicester City on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

Image source, EFL

Puma's Rainbow ball will return to the English Football League as part of an on-going campaign against discrimination and homophobia.

The special edition rainbow ball was introduced in 2024 to mark LGBTQ+ History Month and will be used at every EFL game from 20 February until 1 March.

Manufacturers Puma will make a donation to Football v Homophobia for every goal scored with their rainbow ball across the Championship, League One and League Two.

The donations will help support education against homophobia and promote inclusion across the season.

The EFL have released a video, external to coincide with the campaign which features a Preston North End fan who was charged with a hate crime following homophobic chanting during an FA Cup fixture against Chelsea.

The rainbow ball will also feature in EFL partner EA Sports' FC 26 video game.

"The rainbow ball is a powerful symbol of the values we uphold across the EFL all season long," EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch said.

"It not only reflects our longstanding commitment to ensuring the League is representative of all its diverse communities, but also reminds us that we all have a role to play in creating an environment in which everyone feels they truly belong."

Image source, Shutterstock

Stoke City assistant manager Paul Nevin has left the Championship club.

The 56-year-old joined in January 2025 following Mark Robins' appointment as manager, and was named as part of his backroom team.

He's been alongside Robins for 13 months, with the Potters 14th in the Championship.

Sporting director Jonathan Walters told the club website, external: "Paul leaves with our gratitude for his contribution during his time with the club and best wishes for his future career."

Stoke City boss Mark Robins has defended young goalkeeper Tommy Simkin after his mistake handed Fulham a late winner in their FA Cup fourth-round tie.

The match looked to be heading for extra time after Fulham's Kevin cancelled out Bae Jun-Ho's first-half opener.

But Harrison Reed intercepted a pass from Simkin, making his ninth Potters appearance in place of the injured Viktor Johansson, and Gavin Bazunu fired past the 21-year-old keeper to seal a 2-1 win.

"My teams play football and we want try and do that as well as we possibly can do," Robins told BBC Radio Stoke.

"The ball in that instance can go as far out the stadium as it needs to for me with four minutes to go when you're being pressed. Don't play into the press when the player's coming straight down the line of the pass.

"Tommy will learn from that, he'll get on with it and that's all you can ask from him. Other people can criticise.

"Unfortunately you've got to go through some of these moments when you're a young goalkeeper that's come in, and he's performing really, really well in the absence of Gavin and Viktor."

Robins has called on the rest of his players to learn from their near miss going into the Championship run-in.

"Trying to win the game was the mindset, to try and go through and go as far as you can in the competition," he added.

"We almost did it but I don't want to be an almost, nearly team and we will come out with better results in the future.

"It is disappointing to go out, but now it's done we look back and we can be pleased with a lot of elements of that performance to take into the 14 games that we have left."