The Championship Side That Have Fallen Apart Out of Nowhere

The Championship Side That Have Fallen Apart Out of Nowhere

It wasn't that long ago that we, and everybody else in the Championship, had the name Stoke City on our lips week-in-week-out.

The Potters were absolutely flying into November and were one of the very select number of teams that were applying any sort of pressure upon Coventry at the top of the table, alongside Middlesbrough.

Flash forward a month and they've won just two of their last eight games, not only dropping away from the title race, but out of the play-offs too.

What's happened by the River Trent for Mark Robins' side to have taken a dramatic turn for the worst from seemingly nothing?

Promotion Potential

It's important to outline just how impressive Stoke were at the start of this season to really be able to comprehend how bad the last month has been for the Potters.

They had put together a strong tally of eight wins, three draws and three defeats at the start of November, which saw them regularly mentioned in the same conversation as high-flying Coventry and chasing Middlesbrough, an impressive group to be part of.

They kicked the month off with quick back-to-back fixtures against Bristol City and Oxford, two sides that would prove a good test of Stoke's quality and consistency.

The former side had kicked off the season well, sitting in the play-off places that they were starting to become accustomed to after their sixth place finish last season, so the game would be a good opportunity for the Potters to see how they could compete against a decent side.

Oxford, meanwhile, had opposing fortunes and were caught in the early relegation scrap with the likes of Sheffield United and Norwich, so avoiding a slip up here would also be a good sign going forward.

Stoke were nothing short of emphatic.

A 5-1 win against the Robins, courtesy of a Divin Mubama hat-trick and Junior Tchamadeu wonder goal, was followed by a very comfortable 3-0 win away at the Kassam stadium, and all of a sudden the promotion hopes were starting to become real.

The dream became short lived.

Coventry was their next test, and so followed a monumental crash-out.

Stoke city August 2025- November 2025. You won’t be forgotten. pic.twitter.com/XxZvEzuSbo

— ryan greenhalgh (@RyanJosephJack) December 10, 2025

Spiralling Stoke

Now a defeat by one goal to Coventry this season is nothing worthy of raising alarm bells, as Frank Lampard's side have made light work of the Championship this season, but the loss to Leicester immediately after would have hurt given their poor form.

They recuperated well to beat a competitive Charlton side 3-0, though it quickly became evident that was an anomoly.

Hull superstar Joe Geldhardt found the net in the closing stages at the bet365 stadium to make it three defeats in four, despite Sorba Thomas' best efforts to turn their form around.

Next up came an utter embarrassment at the hands of Sheffield United, a 4-0 thrashing from a side who had become used to being on the other end of the scoreline this season, only for a Jaden Philogene stunner to condemn Stoke to their third defeat on the bounce.

Robins' team overcame late pressure from Swansea to pick up a much-needed win to hopefully dig them out of their rut, yet old habits die hard as they slumped back to a loss, this time against Watford in their last outing.

Not happy at all with Stoke today and the first time this season I’m actually feeling angry about the performance

Watford are a dreadful team but we are so weak and lacklustre in the final third

Slipping down the table fast & it’s a worry that we struggle to score every week

— Wayne Thomas (Tommo)🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿STOKE CITY FC (@WTommoSCFC) December 20, 2025

Six losses and two wins in eight games is an unprecedented drop in form for a side who were flying so high. Not only are they now nine points behind Middlesbrough in second, but they have dropped out of the play-offs completely, instead adopting eight place off the back of their woeful month.

Good Form on the Horizon?

Of course the Championship is a league that always throws up surprises, and it can be very difficult to judge how a side will fare in a run of fixtures, but when you look at Stoke's upcoming games, it isn't looking good.

Their next five games in all competitions are:

• Preston North End (H), December 26
• Sheffield United (H), December 29
• Hull City (A), January 1
• Norwich City (A), January 4
• Coventry City (H), January 10 - FA Cup

Dared to dream for a few glorious weeks. It was fun while it lasted. Back to normality following Stoke City FC. 💩

— Dan (@dangiallorossi) December 10, 2025

Next up is Preston, who have leapfrogged the Potters into the play-off places and are unbeaten in five. Tough game.

They follow that up with a game against Sheffield United, who put four past earlier this month. Ouch.

Then comes Hull, who have also beaten them in the last few weeks. Then Norwich. I don't want to jump the gun, but this HAS to be a win when you look at how unbelievably poor the Canaries have been in this campaign. Anything short of three points will be a major disappointment and a huge opportunity missed.

Oh, only Coventry after that. The very side who kicked off their dismal slump in form. There'll be no chance for a Championship redemption just yet for the Potters, but kicking them out of the FA Cup in the third round may feel just as sweet.

If these games go as poorly as their recent outings, though, then I'm sure they'd rather just have three points than progress in the cup.

Stoke are destined for a mid table finish, I fear. Unless we get January right. We just don’t have the consistent quality and threat in the final third. #SCFC #Stoke

— Jonathan Davies (@JonnyPotter87) December 20, 2025

Mark Robins has a difficult job on his hands to steer the ship back in the right direction, and with his experience, there's a good chance he'll be able to manufacture a better run of form before long.

There must be something in the water in the River Trent, with Port Vale sitting rock bottom of League One and having a disastrous season for the most part. Perhaps fortunes will change for both sides, but I wouldn't bank on it, Darren Moore's side have been atrocious.