Sheffield Wednesday’s rivals raided in surprise Championship relegation switch

The Pilgrims may be three points – and three places - ahead of the Potters in the league table at this point in time, but it was confirmed on Tuesday evening that the former’s manager, Steven Schumacher, would be swapping green for red and white before Christmas.

Both clubs are still far from safe in this year’s relegation scrap in the second tier, but Schumacher seems confident that he can make sure that Stoke beat the drop come the end of the season – saying that the move appealed to him.

“I was attracted to this club by its history and everything it represents and, once John (Coates) and Ricky (Martin) shared their vision with me, I knew it was an opportunity I wanted to take. The infrastructure, the stadium and the facilities are top-class, and so is the support of the fans.

“The values that resonate with me for a Stoke City team are bravery and hard work, coupled with a desire to play attacking football and be a team our supporters can connect with. We have the players to do that and, if we can get back to a point where the bet365 Stadium is thought of as a tough venue to visit, we can really get it rocking again.”

In a big blow for Plymouth it was also confirmed that Schumacher will be joined by assistant, Mark Hughes, first team coach, Peter Cavanagh, and goalkeeper coach, Darren Behcet, all of whom leave Home Park to make the move further north.