Mark Robins gives update on ‘head of recruitment’ replacement after key exit

Mark Robins has discussed the significance of alignment as Stoke City begins the process of appointing a new head of recruitment.

Robins is immediately focused on removing Stoke from the bottom of the Championship.
One week after the end of a frustrating January window, Lee Darnbrough left his position as head of the transfers department, leaving a critical void. However, the club is also working behind the scenes to ensure that everything is in place to move in the right direction in the long run.

Robins took Coventry from League Two to the verge of the Premier League in seven years, with a few notable additions like Gus Hamer and Viktor Gyokeres, but they were also able to improve their performance more steadily after that.

Even though Robins is adamant that this is “a totally different challenge,” Stoke will need to attempt to emulate it, and it will be crucial to make sure the next big appointment is perfect.

Robins said: “We mentioned before about the team behind the team and the work that goes on behind that and how aligned everybody must be to get that functioning properly as well. There’s lots to do, there’s no doubt about that there’s lots to do. But good people work here, really good people, so there’s no criticism on that front. To have a successful team, everybody has to be in line

We’ve got plans, we’ve got ideas, we’ve got ways of going about the job and it takes a long, long time to put things together.

“If you look back at my time at Coventry, we were at a lower level and in some senses that is more difficult – League Two, coming through – but sometimes that can also be a benefit to certain clubs and at Coventry I was able to do that.

“This is different, a totally different challenge but one that can be achieved. It’s not going to be straightforward, it’s not going to be easy but nothing is. Nothing that is worth doing is.

“We have to make sure those energies are put into the right areas and when we make decisions, those decisions are for the long term and the benefit of everything that is happening – so the right people, right areas, right roles. That goes right throughout from playing staff to support staff as well.

“There are areas that need improvement and that will come over time. My immediate focus has to be picking points up, enough points to stay in this division this season. It has to be that because at the moment it’s not clear cut is it?

“We’ve still got performances that are ok and we’re picking up some points, performances that have been good when we’ve lost games and performances that have been a little bit under par and we can’t sustain that because opponents are better than in most divisions. It’s a ruthless league so we have to be ruthless as well.”

Like Ipswich Town and Birmingham City, Coventry was able to rebuild in the lower leagues under Robins. However, Stoke cannot consider leaving the Championship, and they have a crucial three months to ensure they stay up.