Championship latest: Portsmouth rivals Stoke 'sound out' replacements for Mark Robins | Danish boss wanted by Watford
Managerial changes are afoot in the Championship with reports suggesting more upheaval could be on the way
Pompey boss John Mousinho’s future has been a subject on many fans’ lips in recent weeks.
With the 40-year-old previously considered a ‘leading contender’ for the vacant manager’s Bristol City job and The News understanding that a second Championship club are keen on Blues head coach, doubts remain whether he’ll be at Fratton Park next season.
But Pompey and Bristol City aren’t the only Championship sides whose managerial positions are at the centre of attention.
Newly-relegated Burnley are on the lookout for a new pitchside leader, Blackburn Rovers need a new man at the helm after interim boss Michael O’Neill turned down the offer of a full-time contract, while Watford are currently seeking their 10th new boss since returing to the second tier in 2022.
Reports have also emerged on Wednesday that Stoke City, who lost 3-1 to Pompey on the penultimate weekend of the season, could also be on the lookout for a new manager, with pressure reportedly growing on Mark Robins.
Here’s the latest gossip as clubs weigh up their next moves on the managerial front.
Stoke City weighing up Mark Robins future
Just days after The News revealed Mousinho was of interest to a second unnamed Championship club, Football League World are reporting that Stoke City are weighing up Robins’ future at the bet365 Stadium.
They claim the Potters are considering relieving the former Coventry City manager of his duties after the Staffordshire side finished the 2025-26 campaign in a disappointing 17th position - above the 18th-placed Blues only on goal difference.
Despite consistently finding themselves in the top six over the first four months of the season, Stoke’s form nosedived dramatically.
Only five league wins were recorded following the turn of the year, with 11 losses suffered in their remaining 17 games.
Indeed, Robins oversaw four straight defeats at the end of the season - including the loss to Pompey at the bet365 Stadium - as they flitered with the threat of relegation.
Despite boasting a handsome playing budget, Stoke have finished no higher than 14th in the eight seasons they’ve played in the Championship since their relegation from the Premier League in 2018.
This year’s final league placing of 17th is one better than last season’s 18th-place finish.
According to Football League World, club officials are priming themselves to make a change and have sounded out potential replacements for Robins, who signed a new three-and-a-half year deal with Stoke in November 2025.
It’s unclear if Mousinho is one of those managers the Potters have reportedly enquired about.
Watford identify successor to sacked Still
Watford have reportedly identified the manager they want to succeed Ed Still in the Vicarage Road hot seat.
Still was sacked by the Hornets following their 4-0 home defeat to Championship title-winners Coventry on the final day of the season, which represented their fifth straight loss.
It brought a swift end to his short stint in charge of Watford, with the 35-year-old departing after less than three months in the role.
The Belgian’s dismissal lived up to the Hornets’ reputation for acting decisively when it comes to managers underperforming.
So it should come as no surprise to hear the club are also acting with urgency to find a successor to Still.
And the name that has emerged is current Lech Poznan boss Niels Frederiksen.
According to reports in Poland, the Dane is top of Watford’s wanted list having guided Poznan to back-to-back Polish titles.
The 55-year-old, who also won the Danish Superliga with Brondby, is out of contract next month.
It’s understood that he’s open to a fresh challenge after two years at Enea Stadium.
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