Mark Robins excited about new-look Stoke City squad as mood transformed

Mark Robins is growing excited about the genuine potential of a new-look Stoke City squad ‘that will run brick walls for each other and supporters’.

Stoke made it four wins out of five when they came from behind to beat Sheffield United and the mood around the bet365 Stadium has changed beyond recognition in three weeks since a defeat at Wolves.

Robins came away from Molineux saying he knew it sounded ridiculous to say he could see the makings of a really good team coming together and, if he is still determined to keep his feet on the ground, he is not limiting expectations either.

“I’ve got to say it’s exciting,” he said. “That’s the word, the emotion, I feel. That’s the first time I’ve really felt that since the excitement of going down to the last day to avoid relegation – and that’s not the type of excitement we’re looking for.

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“I’m a lot happier with where we’re at but it’s really early. It’s really early days, there is a lot of football to play but there is a lot of improvement there too. I know we can improve and I know I’ve got players who will run through brick walls for each other and the supporters. Happy days.”

Stoke had stayed in the top two going into autumn last season and were still in the top six going into December. Robins isn’t suggesting they were in a false position at that time but he was wary of the tests of a long season.

He said: “This squad now is immeasurably stronger. That’s no detriment to anybody. Everybody has played a part. The fact that we had Sorba Thomas in last season who was pulling up trees and we had Lewis Baker in the building who was doing the same until he got injured and Million (Manhoef) was chipping in with goals.

“It was always going to be difficult even though we played some decent stuff at the start of it. It was always going to be difficult, which is why you look at different periods and chunking it down a little bit to make sure you’ve got the right detail in the right time of season.

“We are just looking at what we’ve done, how it can move forward, put the work in and put the preparation in for that to happen.”

Robins has mentioned trying to get ahead of the curve in terms of what Stoke need to get where they want to be come May. They were clearly behind it after getting no points from their first three games, even if two of those were two tough away days.

He said: “We’re sort of on it. You keep going. When you lose the first four games or whatever and don’t pick up any points it’s difficult and can be demoralising but the change came on or around deadline day with the new players coming in and being able to settle in as quickly as they have. I always say that the better the player, the quicker they settle down.

“There is still more to come from these players, it’s early days, it really is – and seasons change as you go and things change because the season changes. We’ve got plenty of work to do.”

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