Plymouth Argyle

At least one new era will begin at the Bet365 Stadium on Saturday (12:30 GMT) when Mark Robins takes charge of his first game since being installed as Potters boss, having watched their 0-0 draw at Burnley from the stands on New Year's Day.

It will be Plymouth's second match since parting ways with Wayne Rooney, with Kevin Nancekivell and Joe Edwards having taken charge of the dramatic 2-2 draw against Bristol City to kick-off 2025.

Argyle remain bottom, effectively five points from safety, but City are too close for comfort, seven points ahead of Plymouth, but having played a game more.

• Stoke City have won their last two league meetings with Plymouth Argyle, last winning three in a row against the Pilgrims between March 1963 and October 1987 (four in a row).

• Plymouth have never won away to Stoke City in the Football League in 20 previous attempts (D6 L14); among current EFL fixtures, the only teams to go away to an opponent more often without earning a single victory are Mansfield (25 v Reading), Coventry (23 v Preston) and Blackburn (22 v Luton).

• Three of Stoke City's four home wins in the Championship this season have seen them net the winning goal in the final 15 minutes – the Potters could win back-to-back home matches for the first time this season.

• Plymouth have conceded more goals (35) and scored the joint-fewest goals (3) of any team away from home in England's top four tiers this season – the Pilgrims (2.69A, 0.23F) are currently only the second team in English league history to average more than 2.50 goals conceded per game and average fewer than 0.25 goals per game in an away campaign after Gainsborough Trinity in 1901-02 (3.23A 0.24F).

• For the third year in a row, Stoke City will have a different manager in the dugout for their first home match of the year (Alex Neil in 2023, Steven Schumacher in 2024).

Image source, Getty Images

Plymouth Argyle caretaker manager Kevin Nancekivell says Matthew Sorinola has deserved his recall to the side.

The 23-year-old full-back has started the last two matches having struggled to make an impact this season.

The former Milton Keynes Dons youngster moved to Argyle a year ago after leaving Belgian side Union St-Gilloise and had not played for a month before a substitute appearance on Boxing Day.

"Some players feel like it seems they're miles away from the starting 11, but it can change very quickly in the space of a few days," Nancekivell said.

"Matty's trained well every day, he always does, he's a great lad.

"He's kept himself fit and when he's come in his performances have shown his hard work that he's put in when he's not been in the team."

Image source, Rex Features

Plymouth Argyle caretaker manager Kevin Nancekivell says captain Joe Edwards is doing a "great job" helping take charge of the side.

Long-serving coach Nancekivell and Edwards, who is out with a hamstring injury, are leading the side while Argyle find a replacement for Wayne Rooney, who left as head coach earlier this week.

The pair led Plymouth to a 2-2 draw with Bristol City on New Year's Day and will be at the helm for the trip to Stoke City on Saturday.

"Joe's going through his coaching badges at the moment, but I'm sure he'll say what he's gaining in the next 10 days and the last two days makes up for probably two years of education courses," Nancekivell said.

"He's having a great experience, he's enjoying it, and he's a great help to me, so I'm sure in the long term it'll be a valuable exercise for him.

"We wish he was on the pitch, we need him fit to get back - he is a player and he'll come back as a player as well.

"We're very similar in what we both stand for in terms of energy, enthusiasm, high work rate and our values are very aligned.

"We work really well together and he's doing a great job."

Image source, Rex Features

Interim boss Kevin Nancekivell paid tribute to Wayne Rooney following Plymouth's 2-2 draw with Bristol City in their first game since the former England captain left the club.

"I've seen Wayne. He's obviously disappointed and really sad. It's a horrible time," Nancekivell told BBC Radio Devon.

"People see the Wayne Rooney who's an England international and legend of world football, but they don't know him as a person.

"I've been privileged to get to know him. He's a super human being and he showed a lot of class when he came and said his goodbyes to us."

Argyle twice had to come from behind to collect a point against City, only their second in the past eight games, with Julio Pleguezuelo equalising in stoppage time in his first appearance since the end of November.

"I'm really proud of the players, they did everything we asked and a little bit more," Nancekivell added.

"We'll take a point and we'll move on. Plegue's a warrior and a communicator. He deserved his goal and it's got us a point, so that's great."

Image source, Rex Features

We've been asking your thoughts on who should replace Wayne Rooney at Home Park.

Here's what the fans have been saying...

Terry: I really feel for Wayne, every club he's been at has their problems and all of them financial.

The players we have are at best League One, with the majority that saved us last year being sidelined for most of this year.

I know some are asking for Schumacher, for me that's a wrong choice, he didn't do any better on away games and jumped ship as quickly as possible taking half the team with him. That does no show loyalty in any way, shape or form.

The one person who was never really given a chance at Plymouth was Ian Holloway and I'd be happy to give him a shot again.

Tom: The board made a mistake in choosing Rooney and this is shown by his past record and it has shown here too.

Schumacher is the only manager who can unite the fans and give us a sense of togetherness.

Rob: After two pretty terrible choices of managers an experienced wily old fox is needed.

We have to stay in the Championship and establish ourselves. Pretty obvious I know but the board need to take a long look at themselves.

You can have your say on Rooney's sacking by clicking here.

We asked you who you would like to replace Wayne Rooney as Pilgrims head coach.

Here's a selection of your thoughts...

Peter: It might be unpalatable for some but Schumacher is available and he knows our system and a good part of the team and staff. Would the fans welcome him?And Stoke 4 Jan. Football is football so it is almost written in the stars.

Adam: We need someone who understands the club and its players, is available and plays the kind of football that got us here. Steven Schumacher coming back would be perfect for me, as even if we're doomed he's proven he can get us out of League One.

Frankie: Steven Schumacher for round two.

Image source, BBC Sport

Plymouth are now looking for their third new boss in just over a year.

Who would you like to see replace Wayne Rooney?

Have your say by clicking here.

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

Image source, Rex Features

Wayne Rooney deserves credit for taking the Plymouth job in the first place but the odds were always stacked against him.

Plymouth has the potential to be a decent sized Championship club but is geographically isolated, which makes getting players from the bigger cities incredibly difficult without spending more on wages.

The club has a data model, which led them to recruit a youthful squad but sources say it lacked the experience to keep them up and a major decision is looming next month over whether to buy for survival or keep going and accept relegation could be the consequence.

As for Rooney, it is another underwhelming short spell as a manager following on from his time at Birmingham. The question is whether clubs will continue to offer chances to someone who did okay with Derby and DC United without really setting the world alight.

The former England and Manchester United skipper will always be in demand as a TV pundit as he has shown himself to be quite fearless in his assessments, very much in the Roy Keane mould.

It is easy to see him settling into that role unless, like former international team-mate Frank Lampard, an opening appears from an unexpected source.

Image source, Rex Features

Plymouth Argyle's struggles are hurting the players as much as the supporters, says defender Brendan Galloway.

Sunday's 2-0 loss at Oxford made it nine games without a win for the Devon side, with just three draws in that run leaving them bottom of the Championship table.

"Every single time we lose we're down but we have a game in two days so we need to recover and train and prepare as best as we can," Galloway told BBC Radio Devon.

"I hate losing football matches especially for this club because of the amount of support we have and it hurts us as much as it hurts the fans."

The pressure has increased on manager Wayne Rooney during Plymouth's poor run, with a trip to managerless Stoke on Saturday to follow the Bristol City game.

"We need to keep on fighting - as long as we're at this football club we'll try to overcome the hurdles we're facing at the moment and we need to keep going," added Galloway.

Brent Pilnick
BBC Sport, South West

Image source, Rex Features

What do Plymouth need?

In short - goals. Only Hull and Cardiff have scored fewer goals than Argyle this season and someone who can reliably put the ball in the net would seem like a must if Wayne Rooney's side are to stay up.

What sort of business are they likely to do?

Argyle's attacking problems stem mainly from injuries. Muhamed Tijani has barely featured this season while Ibrahim Cissoko and Morgan Whittaker are both out until January with hip and foot injuries, respectively.

The Pilgrims' offence has suffered more blows in the past two games - Ryan Hardie gashed his knee while Burnley loanee Michael Obafemi injured his groin against Middlesbrough just before Christmas, while Boxing Day saw Mustapha Bundu hurt his hamstring.

It leaves Andre Gray as the only fit senior forward - and he is at the club on a short-term deal which ends in January. While the 33-year-old has scored a couple of key goals, he has not been the answer to Argyle's attacking problems.

Whether Rooney perseveres with him or opts to let him go and spend his wages elsewhere is possibly one of his biggest decisions.

The club may also look to strengthen at full-back, particularly left-back. Brendan Galloway and Lewis Gibson - more noted as central defenders - have played on the left in recent weeks as Nathaniel Ogbeta and Matthew Sorinola have struggled to make an impact.

How successful have they been in recent January windows?

January has never been a big month for Argyle - Adam Forshaw joined last January and has featured regularly since.

But you have to go back three or four years for the last January where any real impact signings were made.

Argyle brought Ryan Hardie for the first time in January 2020 and signed him permanently a year later along with Niall Ennis - both forwards went on to have key impacts in Argyle's promotion to the Championship.

Are there likely to be any notable departures?

A year ago all the talk was whether highly-rated Whittaker would leave, with reported bids from Rangers and Lazio. Now the forward is injured and has found the net just three times in 16 games - whether anyone will pay the rumoured £10m price tag touted earlier this year looks unlikely.

Rooney has said players will leave this month, but he must have suitable replacements lined up.

He must make a decision over Gray and a number of other players failing to make the squad - could Hardie, who has scored just once in 18 league appearances this season, be surplus to requirements?

Meanwhile, with goalkeeper Conor Hazard returning to full fitness you would expect Marko Marosi to leave when his short-term deal ends.

How key is the window?

Make or break might be a bit strong as Argyle have had their injury problems. But undoubtedly they must get more attacking firepower through the doors at Home Park if they are to give themselves the best chance of staying up for a second successive season.

If only Rooney was 10 years younger...

Oxford United welcome Plymouth Argyle in a bottom of the table battle at The Kassam Stadium on Sunday.

The U's crept out of the bottom three on Boxing Day but there was no such festive cheer for the Pilgrims, with Wayne Rooney's team succumbing to another heavy defeat.

Sunday's hosts are 20th in the Championship heading into the year-ending round of fixtures, while the visitors remain last in the league.

• Oxford United have lost their last four league games against Plymouth Argyle since a 3-1 win back in April 2021.

• Plymouth Argyle and Oxford United last faced in the second tier of English football in April 1992 – the Pilgrims, then managed by Peter Shilton, won 3-1.

• Oxford United have won their final league game of the year in four of the last five years, although they lost 3-2 to Derby in 2023.

• Plymouth Argyle lost their final league game of the year in 2023, losing 2-1 to Southampton, though the Pilgrims haven't ended a year with defeat in back-to-back years since doing so between 1994 and 1996.

• Plymouth's Morgan Whittaker has scored in both of his league games against Oxford United, netting for Lincoln in January 2022 and the Pilgrims in September 2022.