Mark Robins pinpoints key feature for Stoke City to find this summer

Robins is expecting a tough fixture against a side that might have lost heavily at champions Coventry in mid-week but had won their previous three before that without conceding a goal.

The manager hinted that it was the kind of afternoon when there might be moments Stoke need to adjust their tempo and realise there is more than one way to crack a nut.

“They’ve been really competitive,” said Robins. “They are really difficult to beat, especially at home. If you go down to Fratton Park it’s a difficult place to play, always. They make it difficult for you. I watched the Ipswich game and they just suffocated Ipswich and stopped them from doing what they wanted to do.

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“Sometimes you have to adapt. That adaptability is sometimes difficult when you’re in a rhythm. So players have got to be adaptable against a team that is competitive and well drilled and have got some quality there as well.

“They’ve changed quite a bit in terms of personnel. They’ve got a lot of experience and they’ve got some real competitors in there. The first thing you have to do in any game is compete with that, match that if not surpass it.

“It’s something for me to look at going forward. When you got to places like Charlton away, where we suffered a 1-0 defeat this year, we’ve got to be better, we’ve got to be more robust in terms of an ability to churn out performances in the Championship at a level needed but also you need that ability and understanding that you might need to adapt during a game to overcome the opposition in front of you.”

Very much, in fact, like Stoke did at Fratton Park back in October when Sorba Thomas forced the goal in a 1-0 away win – helped by Viktor Johansson and some gutsy defending at the other end.

Robins said: “I think that’s right. At times we have done pretty well. The Norwich game on January 4 sticks out because of that. We were pretty good especially in the second half of that game. Hull away, things changed and we had to adapt and we overcame the issues that we were starting to suffer at that point and did really well.

“There are a lot of things to look at, look back at and think what was really good and what we need to do but we will stick to my principles generally but you have to play what the game gives you. That’s the biggest thing. If something is happening in a game – you can plan for something but if they’ve planned to combat it then you have to overcome that too. The ability to see it and do it is important.

“You have to be adaptable and that might be something we can look at during the summer ready for the next season.”

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