Mark Robins expects Ryan Shawcross to offer a lot to Stoke City’s first team as he makes the switch to join his senior coaching staff.
Shawcross, who had been caretaker manager between the exit of Narcis Pelach and appointment of Robins, has moved over to be part of Robins’ key team following this week’s exit of Alex Morris.
The long-serving club captain has made it no secret that he has managerial ambitions of his own and Robins believes he can make an immediate impact.
Robins said: “With Ryan, when you speak to him, he’s always saying he’s eager to learn but what he can’t forget and what he should understand is that he’s got a lot to give and offer. He’s got more than 400 games here for this football club, which is really important. When you’re humble like that you just think you’re you and you’ve got bits of understanding that you might be able to give to other people but people look up to him.
“He led the team before I came in really well. He’s got a lot of experience in terms of being a defender – he’s young in terms of being a coach but he’s not necessarily going to be a coach at the end of the day but he’ll be able to give us things on the grass and in the meeting rooms and in the office. There will be pearls of wisdom I’m sure and he’s going to play a bit part of it.”
It has been a busy start to the New Year at Stoke, with Robins’ appointment alongside assistants Paul Nevin and James Rowberry, the exits of Morris and Dean Whitehead, losing Tom Cannon back to Leicester and recalling Lewis Baker and Nathan Lowe.
But Robins insisted: “I’m settled, yes. When you’ve got good people around you, things settle down really quickly. They’ve got a really good understanding, they’ve worked at a good level. Yes it’s been a whirlwind but in a good way. Things have to move and have to change and we’re only just starting. We’ve been here two weeks.
“It isn’t fundamental change but there are things that do need to change to make this club function the way it needs to function and move forward from that position; to have something that’s tangible in terms of success. That will come incrementally. That’s a really important word, step by step.”
The manager was pleased to get his first Stoke win under his belt last week away at Sunderland in the FA Cup third round, when he was encouraged by the resilience his players showed as the tie moved into extra-time.
“I think the two performances since I came in have been slightly different,” he said.
“The willingness to work is there and they have to maintain that, it’s a prerequisite, we have to maintain that. And I’m looking at things and training really pleased me yesterday because it was much more like it. We’re starting to get there but getting players back around training, good players, are going to make a difference to the level of training. When that goes up it can only benefit everybody.”
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