Key Stoke City figure leaves after just half a season | OneFootball

Stoke City fans have been left unhappy following the news that head of recruitment Lee Darnbrough has departed the club.

Stoke City's head of recruitment Lee Darnbrough is leaving his role after just half a season.

The Potters were defeated 2-0 by Bristol City on Wednesday evening, thanks to a brace by Anis Mehmeti. Less than 24 hours later, journalist Pete Smith confirmed via X that their head of recruitment was departing the club.

This new revelation has left many Stoke fans disappointed and frustrated, as he follows two managers out of the door this season already. He also becomes the latest head of recruitment to depart in a string of changes since relegation from the Premier League in 2018.

Lee Darnbrough departs Stoke City after just half a season

Darnbrough joined the Potters in the summer of 2024 from Championship rivals, Hull City. The 47-year-old replaced Jared Dublin at the Bet365 Stadium, who went on to take the vacancy left by Darnbrough.

He signed 10 players in the summer, including striker Tom Cannon, who became a huge success before being recalled by Leicester City. However, his business in January was limited due to FFP constraints.

Since his arrival, Stoke are now on their third head coach after Steven Schumacher and Narcis Pelach were relieved of their duties earlier in the season.

Now under the stewardship of Mark Robins, the Potters are edging dangerously close to the relegation zone.

To add insult to injury, another appointment has ended prematurely. As Smith has now confirmed that the head of recruitment will be leaving his role after just half a season and two transfer windows overseeing player recruitment.

Fans left frustrated at another failed appointment

As mentioned, Stoke has had several head coaches and backroom staff changes since its relegation from the top flight in 2018, which has led to serious frustration from its supporters, as they seem to be unable to find a long-term setup.

The response to Smith’s report on X garnered some disappointed reactions from Potters fans, who are beginning to notice a theme with some of the club’s recent appointments. Below are some of the responses from bemused City supporters after the news was broken on Thursday morning.

This season has been an enormous disappointment for City, and following Cannon's departure in January, they’ve now had to start looking over their shoulders at the relegation zone. With an incredibly high turnover of staff in these crucial roles, this could be a massive red flag for any candidates looking to fill the vacancy left by Darnbrough.

Three managers and two heads of recruitment in one season don’t bode well for the former Premier League outfit, and the outcry of frustration is understandable from the supporters.