From Derby to Stoke: My Bold Move and the Real Reasons Behind It

Having managed both Stoke City and Derby County, I’m no stranger to either club. I’ve discussed my move from Derby’s Pride Park to Stoke’s Bet365 Stadium before, but sometimes you need to reevaluate where you stand professionally and make the best decision for your career. At Derby, we narrowly missed out on the playoffs, and I was incredibly eager to build on that success. I understood the need to reduce the squad’s age, improve athleticism, and probably lower the budget. I was ready to take on these challenges, but in some key discussions, it felt like we weren’t fully aligned on a forward-thinking plan.

It boiled down to a choice: I could stay, though I wasn’t fully convinced by the direction, or I could take a leap. Moving wasn’t easy—I lived nearby, and staying would have been convenient. But I chose ambition over comfort. I’d put in years of hard work to reach the top, and Stoke offered a new opportunity to chase success. Even though things didn’t go as planned, I’ve been transparent about my experience at Stoke. I believe, given more time, I could have pushed the team into the playoffs. However, results didn’t come quickly enough, and ultimately, the responsibility for that lies with me.

It was a tough call, and I often discuss it with Derby fans, who I still encounter regularly. Most understand; they know what it’s like to face career decisions in their own lives. If Derby had been committed to a concrete plan to reach the top six again, I’d have stayed. I came to Derby to pursue promotion, and in my first full season, we reached the playoffs but fell short in the semifinals. Derby had achieved similar heights before, yet I probably had the smallest budget of any manager in that period. I wanted to build on what we started, and if you look at my career, I typically spend two to four years with a team, developing and improving the squad. My decision wasn’t financially motivated, and I stand by it.

Reflecting on my time at Stoke, I remember reaching a point around 21 or 22 games in, where we were just three points shy of the top six. It was like steering an oil tanker—there were complexities I won’t detail here. I felt we’d made real progress, but it was frustrating to work so hard and face so many challenges. In hindsight, I let my frustration show, especially in post-game comments. If I had paused to consider what the club and fans had endured since relegation from the Premier League, I might have fostered more unity and adjusted my approach.

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