Michael O'Neill returns to Stoke City this weekend. (Image: PA)
Michael O'Neill returns to Stoke City this weekend. (Image: PA)
Michael O'Neill returns to Stoke City with the club hitting the same wall that he experienced which Blackburn Rovers will try to profit from.
The Potters dismissed the Northern Ireland boss in August 2022 after just five games. O'Neill was largely popular in the Potteries after saving them from relegation in 2019/20 but couldn't turn around the juggernaut that is yet to finish in the top half since relegation from the Premier League.
Mark Robins, a manager of similar pedigree in Championship circles, has hit a wall this season too. Having been around the play-off until Christmas, they're now marooned in mid-table and going neither up or down once again.
The Stoke boss accused some players of 'not being bothered' about being at the club, based on their performance at Derby County last weekend. Like at Birmingham City, it is an opportunity for Rovers to profit on the relative unrest.
Injuries have been an issue for the Potters, like every other club in the league. They are still without star man Viktor Johansson whilst Robert Bozenik is back in training but won't make the weekend.
“Robert is probably a little bit more advanced and that’s because he’s not a goalkeeper," Robins told Stoke-On-Trent Live.
“Viktor has to throw himself about and land on his shoulder so that will take a little bit more time but he’s clearly in a better position now than he was a few weeks ago.
"On the back of Sweden qualifying for the World Cup I think it’s given him a spring in his step, not that he wouldn’t have tried to get fit anyway. He wants to be back in and training properly as soon as he possibly can be.
“Robert has been joining in as a non-contact player, which means just that. He’s in sessions but on the periphery of, or in the middle of, but no one can go near him. That’s how we’re trying to reintegrate him and he should be available in the next week, 10 days.”
Robins is hoping that Junior Tchamadeu (hamstring) will be back “pretty soon” while winger Ato Ampah continues his recovery from a toe injury.
Ben Wilmot (calf), Maksym Talovierov (ankle), and Favour Fawunmi (hamstring) are out for the season.