Stoke have surprisingly won four of their first five league games, prompting hope that Mark Robins may finally be the man to snap this club's seven-year stretch in the bottom half of the Championship. We spoke to Ben Rowley (@BenARowley).

So, Stoke, what's going on? A very good start to the season...

To be honest, I’m not quite sure what’s going on. There’s been a consensus amongst supporters that Stoke have had a good transfer window, without it being eye-catching. There’s been a focus on building a squad with versatility, availability and power. It appears that’s paid off, as those arrivals who’ve broken through to the starting XI have made an impact, and those who haven’t are raising the game of some of the longer-standing members of the squad. Stoke have been in tight games for the most part and have ended up on the right side of them. It’s been a welcome change, as we’re usually left licking our wounds and cursing our luck after matches in previous seasons. We can tentatively say that Stoke are good…(?).

Stoke in the league so far…
Stoke 3-1 Derby Bsker 70, Mubama 90, Thomas 90 – Morris 60
Sheff Wed 0-3 Stoke Manhoef 1, 69, Mubama 46
Southampton 1-2 Stoke Harwood-Bellis 79 – Baker 54, Thomas 75
Stoke 0-1 West Brom Phillips 14
Stoke 1-0 Birmingham Lawal 21

Impressions of Mark Robins?

A very experienced, thoughtful, level-headed manager who seems to be the tonic that Stoke have needed for a while. It appears he’s more of the statesman that Stoke have been used to in the past, rather than the unsuccessful head coaches that have preceded him. He’s enthusiastic, but calm. It appears he’s been delegating much of the hands-on coaching to his staff whilst he works on cracking Stoke’s latest problem, of which there’s always been one. After a slow start to his reign, albeit inheriting a squad that he’s admitted to not being good enough for the level, he’s now had time to get his hands dirty and drip-feed what he believes Stoke City should be. Whatever it is, players and fans alike are buying into it.

What sort of style are you playing? What sort of Stoke side shall we be facing this weekend?

Stoke aren’t conceding many high-quality chances, first and foremost. The high-energy forwards are trying to win the ball high up the pitch and are rather successful at it. The defenders are also quick to win the ball back and distribute in a variety of ways, whether it be a long cross-field diagonal or intricately passing their way around an opposition press. Most of the threat is coming from the wings, Sorba Thomas taking his man on down the left wing, and Million Manhoef cutting in on his stronger foot on the right wing. Divin Mubama is a threat both in the box and causes enough chaos around him to bring the midfielders into play. Stoke aren’t taking many shots, but when they do, they’re of good quality and more often than not cause a problem.

What business did you do in the summer? How do you rate your window?

Wouter Burger is the only first team regular that we’ll miss following his departure. Stoke were keen to replace him with Tomas Rigo, who looked keen to both defend and move the ball quickly on his debut last weekend. Sorba Thomas has been the standout addition, who’s always created chances at this level and is now under a manager who clearly trusts him to play to his strengths. Capable experience has been brought in with Aaron Cresswell and Steven Nzonzi, the latter making a sensational return after ten glittering years away. Lamine Cisse, who we’ve yet to see in anger, promises to be quite the threatening winger after impressing in France. Divin Mubama, Jamie Donley and Ashley Phillips are excellent loan signings, albeit only the former has seen much daylight this season. Maxsym Taloveriov and Robert Bozenik are interesting signings who will surely get their chance to impress in a long Championship season. It’s a 9/10 transfer window for me, but only Stoke fans will really see it this way.

Ins >>> Tomas Rigo, 23, CM, Banik Ostrava, £3.5m >>> Lamine Cisse, 22, RW, Bastia, £2m >>> Maksym Taloverov, 25, CB, Plymouth, £1.5m >>> Aaron Cresswell, 35, LB, West Ham, Free >>> Róbert Boženík, 25, CF, Boavista, Undisclosed >>> Sorba Thomas, 26, RW, Huddersfield, Undisclosed >>> True Grant, 19, GK, Man City, Undisclosed >>> Steven Nzonzi, 36, CM, Sepahan, Free >>> Divin Mubama, 20, CF, Man City, Loan >>> Ashley Phillips, 20, CB, Spurs, Loan >>> Jamie Donley, 20, AM, Spurs, Loan

Outs >>> Wouter Burger, 24, DM, Hoffenheim, £3.5m >>> Souleymane Sidibe, 18, CM, PSV, £2m >>> Lynden Gooch, 29, RB, Huddersfield, Free >>> Jordan Thompson, 28, CM, Preston, Free >>> Niall Ennis, 26, CF, Blackpool, Undisclosed >>> Ryan Mmaee, 27, CF, Omonia Nicosia, Free >>> Nikola Jojic, 21, RW, Radmolje (Slovenia), Loan >>> Emre Tezgel, 19, CF, Crewe, Loan >>> Tommy Simkin, 20, GK, Orient, Loan >>> Nathan Lowe, 19, CF, Stockport, Loan >>> Michael Rose, 29, CB, Salford, Loan >>> Enda Stevens, 34, LB, Released

Who are the stand outs and the weak links so far?

Sorba Thomas was nominated for Championship Player of the Month of August, and boy did he deserve it. Two goals and three assists and could have had plenty more to boot. He's direct, tireless and playing under a manager who clearly loves him. Bosun Lawal is a surprise addition at centre back, considering the wealth of options we have there, but he's been exemplary in both the attacking and defensive side of his game. Having missed the whole of last season, he's got plenty of catching up to do but he's doing so at some pace. It's hard to identify any weaknesses at the moment. Perhaps we can be a little lightweight dependent on team selection. We found this out against West Brom, although we've recruited Tomas Rigo since and Steven Nzonzi is now available, as is Ben Pearson. The only identifiable blunder has come from Viktor Johansson, who has enough credit in the bank to make a mistake every five minutes this season. Perhaps QPR will be the team to expose Stoke.

Revised expectations for the season? Is this long run of bottom half finishes at an end?

I really hope so. It's still so early in the season and Stoke have been known to be the masters of their own downfall. Are we in form, or is there a consistent underlying quality that's been woven into the side? There's more optimism than usual due to the wealth of options who haven't really bene blooded into the team yet, should there be injuries, suspensions or a drop off in performance. I can't expect Stoke to reach the project 110-point tally that they're on course for at the moment. However, we've probably done enough already - through performances and points delivered - to alleviate any relegation concerns. All I expect from Stoke this season is to have a sensible season. Even if this form is unsustainable, Stoke would benefit from a season of natural development and bonding. If this isn't Stoke's year, keeping the faith might be the key to unlocking it in the near future.

Links >>> Stoke City official website >>> Stoke Sentinel — Local press >>> The Oatcake — Message Board >>> The Wizards of Drivel — Podcast >>> Every Step Along The Way — Podcast >>> Stoke City official website >>> Stoke Sentinel — Local press >>> The Oatcake — Message Board >>> The Wizards of Drivel — Podcast >>> Every Step Along The Way — Podcast

Pictures - Reuters Connect

TacticalR added 11:36 - Sep 20 Thanks to Ben. An interesting test to see if Mark Robbins can succeed without his old backroom staff. I agree it's too early to say if Stoke have turned things around.
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