Robert Calcutt Roberts' position as Stoke City manager is coming under increasing scrutiny, according to talkSPORT, with the club having managed only three Championship victories since January 2026.
The Potters dropped to rock bottom of the league table after succumbing to a 4-1 defeat at Wolves on Saturday, extending a scoreless run to open the season. That result leaves Stoke on zero points from three games, carrying the division's worst goal difference at -6 — a figure worse than every other side in the 24-team Championship.
Robins originally arrived at the club in January 2025 following his dismissal from Coventry City. He steered Stoke clear of relegation by finishing 18th that season, and the team improved slightly the following campaign, landing one place higher. Yet the current trajectory suggests a far more precarious situation than either of those seasons.
The prospect of further relegation is no longer purely hypothetical. Stoke have not tasted League One football since the 2001/02 season, back when it was still called Division Two. Their most recent taste of the top flight lasted ten seasons, beginning in 2008/09 — a spell that included a comfortable 12th-place finish and a Europa League appearance. However, a 19th-place outing in 2017/18 saw them sent back down, and they have remained in the Championship ever since.
Stoke's best-ever finish in the second tier is 14th, making a return to the Premier League appear increasingly remote. On top of that, this season's poor start has reignited fears of a third-tier fall.
After losses to Swansea City, Southampton, and Wolves, Stoke will now turn their attention to Tuesday night's clash against Norwich City at home — the Canaries coming off a 4-1 victory over Burnley. The run continues with a visit from league leaders Charlton Athletic, followed by a trip to Cardiff City, then matches against Watford and Sheffield United before the first international break.
Stoke's competitive action resumes on October 10 with an away trip to Bolton Wanderers.