Stoke & Staffordshire

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  1. Stoke attack 'now carries real threat'published at 16:07 BST

    Mark Elliott
    BBC Radio Stoke commentator

    Justin Devenny, wearing Stoke City's red and white striped home shirt, punches his right hand in the air and smiles while celebrating after Stoke's 4-0 win against CharltonImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    Justin Devenny signed for Stoke from Crystal Palace on transfer deadline day

    First halves can't really go much better than Stoke's against Charlton.

    Justin Devenny looked a proper player on debut, scored twice and provided a key pass for another goal, and George Hirst, the club's new first-choice number nine got off the mark too.

    Ethan Galbraith has channelled his inner Paul Scholes during the early weeks of his Stoke career and got his third of the season, having never scored more than six in a campaign previously.

    Galbraith looks like he could get double figures in goals this term, as does Devenny.

    And Hirst did that in a very good Ipswich side last season, so a team that's been short on goals for a long time now looks like it carries a real threat.

    That's despite losing more than 20 goals and assists from last season in the form of Sorba Thomas on deadline day.

    If anything, the change to a back three brought about in part by his departure looks like it could symbolise the start of a new era.

    The work done in the transfer window and the change in system has freshened things up and a 4-0 win has created belief in those changes on the terraces.

    On paper at least, they face some more favourable fixtures over the next few weeks than those they had at the start of the season, so the Potters will have the chance to turn a great week into some real momentum.

  2. Almost as we'd have scripted it - Stoke boss Robinspublished at 20:33 BST 5 September

    Ged Scott
    BBC Sport, West Midlands

    Stoke City boss Mark Robins applauds the fans at the bet365 StadiumImage source, Getty Images
    Image caption,

    It's not the first time Stoke City boss Mark Robins has turned round a poor start to the season

    Stoke City boss Mark Robins says his side's 4-0 drubbing of Nathan Jones' Charlton Athletic was just like they could have scripted it.

    After shipping four goals themselves at Molineux to suffer a third straight defeat, Stoke have hit back with two home wins in five days to catapult themselves back into the middle of the Championship table.

    Of course, for years, old-school managers have always stated that league tables mean nothing at this time of year.

    And this was classic proof. Stoke lost their first three. Charlton won their first three. What happened next? Robins' men win their next two and Jones, one of his predecessors in the Potters hot seat, fails to win his next two.

    Jones argued that Stoke's penalty opener from Justin Devenny was the turning point before Ethan Galbraith, George Hirst and Devenny again wrapped up the three points before half-time. But, ahead of Tuesday's trip to winless Cardiff City, Robins was very happy with the way his side performed.

    "If we could have written a script, then that would have been it," Robins told BBC Radio Stoke.

    "We played really well. And there was a lot to be pleased about. We've got the penalty and then we've scored some good goals.

    "Shooting has been really lacking for a long time, but they did that well.

    "When you look at what we have, then you're looking for goals. We've got players that are really hungry for that.

    "If we can get that throughout the team, well, then that really bodes well and I'd like to see us scoring more from set-plays too."

  3. Howley returns to Tamworth on loanpublished at 20:10 BST 4 September

    Tamworth have re-signed midfielder Ryan Howley on a three-month loan deal from League Two side Bristol Rovers.

    Howley played seven times in the National League during a previous spell on loan with Tamworth last season.