'You can't watch that' - Former Portsmouth striker Peter Crouch makes brutal Stoke City point amid Potters interest in John Mousinho
Former Pompey and Stoke striker Peter Crouch has chipped in with his verdict on the Potters’ end of season under Mark Robins
Peter Crouch believes Stoke boss Mark Robins could already be on borrowed time at the bet365 Stadium.
And with The News understanding the Potters have already identified Pompey head coach John Mousinho as a potential replacement, the former striker feels a change is management is likely this summer.
Doubts have emerged about Robins’ long-term future at the club after his first full season in charge ended in a 17th-place finish in 2025-26 - eight points above the relegation zone and 18 adrift of the play-off places.
That’s despite the 56-year-old signing a new three-and-a-half year deal with the Potters in November 2025, when Stoke where third in the Championship table and two points off the automatic promotion places after 15 games.
Their form since the turn of the year, however, was not that of a promotion contender. Indeed, just 21 points were recorded from a possible 69 over the second half of the season as the bet365 Stadium outfit saw their campaign implode.
That dramatic loss of form included a 3-1 defeat to Mousinho’s Blues on the penultimate match-day of the season, with Adrian Segecic bagging a hat-trick for the visitors.
And as the club’s sporting director, Jonathan Walters, continues to weigh up what the Potters’ next step should be, his former Stoke team-mate, Crouch, believes the fans won’t take much more of what they’ve witnessed over the past couple of months.
Stoke’s form has ‘not been good enough’
Crouch, who enjoyed two spells at Pompey, spent eight years at Stoke following a £12m move from Spurs in 2011.
He remains in contract with Walters and Ryan Shawcross, who is currently part of the coaching set-up under Robins.
And speaking to speaking to Sportbible via Paddy Power, he believes both will be hurting by what unfolded at the club over the second half of last season.
‘I’ve text Jon Walters a couple of times, and spoke to Ryan early on, but not recently,’ said Crouch.
‘It’s frustrating all around, but they are good lads, and I they know they very much care about the club, I would back them. I’ve obviously not being privy to exactly what's been going on behind the scenes, but they'd have been as disappointed as anyone.
‘It’s not been good enough, the form's not been good enough at all, so it looks to me that it's probably leading towards potentially making a change in the summer.
‘I think that's probably where the stick for (Walters) comes from, because you can't watch that week in week out and not get offended by it.’
Mousinho a potential successor to Robins
Mousinho, who has guided Pompey to relegation safety twice now with one of the division’s lowest budgets, has emerged as a potential successor to Robins should the ex-Coventry boss be relieved of his duties.
The News understands the 40-year-old is firmly on their radar as they continue to assess thei current manager’s situation.
Prior to Stoke’s interest emerging, Mousinho was heavily linked with the current managerial vacancy at Bristol City.
Bournemouth assistant manager Tommy Elphick is now expected to replace interim boss Roy Hodgson in the Ashton Park hot seat.
For your next Pompey read: Portsmouth rivals agree head coach deal amid Bristol City talk as Nuno Espirito Santo set for West Ham sack