Stoke City are three weeks into their summer holidays or, more likely, three weeks in earnest into their preparations for next season.
The objective is pretty simple for Mark Robins and Jon Walters, to try to end Stoke’s series of bottom half finishes in the Championship, but getting that job done has proven too much for plenty of others over the last seven years.
But in the close season, there is hope. The transfer window opens at the beginning of June for 10 days before reopening again in the middle of the month, plus there are pre-season friendlies and tours abroad to arrange or announce.
Clubs have released their retained lists with players on the hunt for their next adventure and the rumour mill is already in overdrive before the new season gets under way in August.
Here, four writers from our papers in the Midlands – Leigh Curtis (Derby), Pete Smith (Stoke), Andy Turner (Coventry) and Alex Dicken (Birmingham) – sat down to discuss the summer and beyond.
Which free agent looks like the best pick-up for a Championship club?
Leigh Curtis (Derby): Judging by the retained lists, there are not many standout names but in terms of Derby and what they are looking for this coming season, then a couple of names standout.
Grady Diangana has been released by West Brom and Derby desperately need to inject some pace and some quality down the flanks. Mad to think that West Brom paid £18m for him but now he’s available on a free and would be an ideal fit.
The wages might be an issue, but he’d be a good signing for somebody. Outside of that, I’d also say Emil Riis. Could be a 20-goal forward in the right team? He scored 12 last season in the Champ in a team that certainly struggled in the final stages of the campaign.
Pete Smith (Stoke): There are a few players on the Championship free agent list who have done well against Stoke over the last couple of years. Onel Hernandez and Jacob Sorensen were in a Norwich side that gave Stoke the run-around, Emil Riis was quick and direct at Preston and Duncan Watmore has always been lively.
But Harry Darling will be a catch at centre-half if he turns down a new deal at Swansea. He’s good on the ball, can carry it out of defence and he’s decent in the air. He scored five and set up another three this season, he’s been a club captain and he’s still only 25.
Andy Turner (Coventry): Callum Wilson or Jamie Vardy, assuming wages can be realistically adjusted. Pace, goals and Premier League class trumps any age concerns. In Wilson’s case it would be a case of his career going full circle and the potential for a fairytale ending if he returned to his boyhood and hometown club, Coventry City, where he made his name and whom he still supports to this day.
Alex Dicken (Birmingham): At 25, and with three full Championship seasons under his belt, Harry Darling looks like a very good option for most second tier clubs. Darling is a solid defender, good on the ball and popped up with five league goals last season.
However, I would say Harry Toffolo is going to be a very attractive option for Championship clubs in need of a left-back this summer. The defender is out of contract at Nottingham Forest and will surely move on and a return to the Championship looks most likely for the 29-year-old.
Who will win the sack race next season?
Leigh Curtis: Given the way they finished the season, and as much as I like him, I think Paul Heckingbottom at Preston could be on a sticky wicket if they don’t start well.
They had such a poor run at the back end of the season that it’s imperative for him that such form doesn’t continue into the new season.
Chris Davies had to get Birmingham City out of League One last season given the money they spent, but they seem fiercely ambitious given the level of finances the owners are prepared to throw at the club.
If they don’t start well, I can see Blues making a change there. And whoever gets the Hull job surely has to have them in the top six because if surviving relegation and finishing seventh isn’t good enough, and that spelt the end for Ruben Selles and Liam Rosenior respectively, then it leaves no room for failure, does it?
Pete Smith: Ironically you’d probably get shortest odds on the three managers who have won promotion to the Premier League. In terms of the Championship there’s a lot in flux. It’d be a turn-up for the books if Watford went through a second season without changing their boss, even if Tom Cleverley got the boot pretty much straight after the final game. There will be interesting appointments at Hull and probably Sheffield Wednesday and Chris Davies will have to live with very high expectations at Birmingham.
It’s worth noting here that I don’t think it will be Stoke. In fact, I’m pretty confident that Stoke will get through only a third season since 2016 without changing their manager. The other two were 2020/21 and 21/22 under Michael O’Neill. Mark Robins seems like the right fit.
Andy Turner: Well the smart money would surely be on serial P45 obsessive, Gino Pozzo, owner of Watford getting rid of their latest victim to pick up the poisoned chalice at Vicarage Road, 42-year-old Uruguayan coach Paulo Pezzolano. Since 2012, Watford have made 21 managerial changes. Come in number 22!
Alex Dicken: You can rarely look beyond Watford’s manager for this unwanted accolade but Hull City are becoming that club under Acun Illicali. The Tigers have somehow managed to sack Liam Rosenior and Ruben Selles in successive summers and my bet would be on their new manager not lasting the test of time too.
What are the ambitions for your club next season?
Leigh Curtis:Having survived relegation in their first season back in the Championship, I would hope that everybody is sensible when it comes to Derby. Seldom do you go from relegation candidates to promotion contenders overnight.
The realistic aim would be to be comfortable mid-table and try to build incrementally every season. However, if investment comes and that leads to an exciting transfer window, then that is a totally different conversation. But for me, to be in and around that mid-table without fear of overlooking the shoulder, would be progress.
Pete Smith: Chairman John Coates has spoken about incremental progress and that seems pretty sensible. Staying away from the relegation shake-up will be a dream and beyond that, the division is probably going to be so close that anything could happen.
Alex Dicken: Blues owners Knighthead want another promotion push and believe they have the financial muscle to compete at the top of the Championship straight away. I don’t think it would be a disaster if they failed to achieve that, but Blues want to at least be in the conversation.
Andy Turner: Promotion, with the play-offs a minimum. Owner Doug King demanded the club reach the play-offs three times out of five seasons and Coventry have achieved that feat twice in his first three seasons, losing the play-off final against Luton in 2023 and slipping up against Sunderland in the semi-finals last month.
