by Steven Schumacher is a well-respected progressive head coach with a growing reputation.
Last season’s League One Manager of the Year, who led Plymouth Argyle to the title with 101 points, Schumacher arrived at Stoke last month with his career on the upswing.
The first question, then, is perhaps inevitable: why did he choose to join Stoke, a club that has created such a difficult environment for young British head coaches in recent years?
Dropped out of the Premier League in 2018, they’re in dire need of a boost: their highest Championship finish was 14th (twice) under Michael O’Neill.
Experienced operators in the division such as Gary Rowett, Nathan Jones and Alex Neil have come and gone, and succeeded elsewhere, but Schumacher is confident he can break the cycle.
“It’s important that someone succeeds, so why can’t it be us?” he says, looking out over the immaculate pitches from a room at Stoke’s training ground.
“If I wasn’t confident that we would succeed I wouldn’t have accepted the job. I could not deny him, he might not have come again. I’ve seen what’s gone on in the last five years, but it’s not something you live on or think will happen to you.
“We have to look forward, be positive and see what improvements we can make. We need to figure out what has gone wrong in the past and do something about it.”
A former England youth captain, Schumacher is a very dedicated person who clearly means business. He is only 39 but already has a wide range of experience, from helping close friend Ryan Lowe at crisis-torn Bury to playing a major role in Plymouth’s promotion to the Championship from the fourth tier.
Having obtained his License in June 2022, he is the pinnacle of a modern coach, completely in tune with data, analytics and an innovative approach to tackling opponents.
Taking over at Plymouth following Lowe’s departure to Preston on 21 December, it soon became clear that he was one to watch. Argyll only missed out on the play-offs on the final day of their first season and were champions the following year on a playing budget of just over £4 million.
Last season’s title win was also secured on the basis of a home record which read W20 D1 L2.
“We’ve been very successful in Argyll over the years, and we’ve been doing well this season with the basic budget in the league,” he says.
“It’s all about timing and I hope I have the right timing to make this happen. I believe in what we do. I’m only young but I want to make sure I get things right and don’t cut corners. When you come to a club of this size, you understand the task ahead of you.”
‘I want us to be recognisable’
Stoke asked for official permission to speak to Schumacher before Plymouth’s game against Rotherham on December 16.
Schumacher was still keen to take the game, which Plymouth won 3-2, and later that evening he was in Staffordshire for talks with Stoke co-chairman John Coates and Ricky Martin, the club’s technical director.
At that meeting he gave a very detailed presentation outlining his philosophy and style of play, which also brought into play his knowledge of the Stoke squad.
Coates is understood to have already been a long-term admirer after watching Plymouth play Ipswich in League One last season. The appointment was confirmed 48 hours later.
“John is a big Stoke fan and wants the best for his club,” says Schumacher. “He’s invested huge sums of money and he’s worried about it, and he wants to get it right.
“There is more pressure and expectations here but we have a way of working that has earned us success in the past.
“The team has to be like our team. I want us to be recognizable by recognition.”
Schumacher’s style of play is based on speed, attack and ruthless exploitation of spaces in the final third. Usually operating with four at the back, he likes to play with one defensive midfielder and two No. 8 who can score and create goals.
Key members of staff who have followed him to Stoke include assistant Mark Hughes, first team coach Peter Cavanagh and goalkeeping coach Darren Behcet.
Stoke will be active in the January transfer window: they have held talks with Wolves over a £2million deal for midfielder Luke Cundle, who played under Schumacher at Plymouth, and Leicester goalkeeper Daniel Iversen is expected to go on loan. A goalscorer is also a priority.
Data will be central to their recruitment: at Plymouth, potential signings were analyzed using key performance indicators and whether they were an upgrade on position players while fitting into the club’s budget.
“We believe in data and if you have information you should be using it, for recruiting and game planning,” says Schumacher.
“You would be mad today not to do that. But there are always unassignable things to me and ground rules that I expect players to follow. There are simple messages and layers of detail. I love being on the grass and training, that’s what I’m good at.”
‘Roberto is one of the best people’
A boyhood Celtic fan, Schumacher reflects warmly on his experience dealing with Postecoglou, who left Glasgow for Tottenham in the summer.
“For a young coach like me, it’s very important to have managers like Ange to talk to,” he says.
“I spoke to him last week about ‘Haks’ [winger Sead Haksabanovic, who is on loan at Stoke from Celtic] and gave me a few pointers on what he is good at and help him improve.
“I watched Ange train last season at Celtic and learned about their system. That’s something I tried to implement in the Championship but, of course, it will take time.”
The advice of England manager Southgate and his assistant Steve Holland was also invaluable.
“Gareth had a good relationship with Neil Dewsnip [Plymouth’s director of football] from the FA so I was on Zoom calls with him. I’ve also spoken to Steve a few times over the years and it’s nice to have that relationship.
“Being a manager is not easy and you need that support. Sometimes you need to pick up or, when you fly, take back down a little.
“They are coaches who have worked at the highest level for years so you’d be crazy not to ask for advice.”
Schumacher’s introduction at Stoke was a shock, with four games in ten days and he is unbeaten. Next week will be his first week of uninterrupted training, as he looks to further implement his ideas.
But first, Brighton’s FA Cup visit to the bet365 Stadium this weekend.
“They are so exciting to watch and it will be a very difficult game,” he says. “Roberto [De Zerbi] he is a high level coach and one of the best.
“I want to give the fans something to shout about – I told my wife this week that I can’t wait to hear the noise when we score a goal at home, and hopefully it will be on Saturday the day.”
