Reasons to be cheerful

STOKE City supporters know better than to start dreaming in August - but it is nice to even have to be reminded about that considering the lingering night terrors of recent years.

- Peter Smith STOKE CITY

The first two results have been spot on, the performances have been sharp and, whisper it, there is a sweeping feeling of something approaching positivity.

Mark Robins and his squad have a long campaign ahead and the next week and a half up to deadline day might still be interesting - but here are five way too early takeaways from a club that is longing to be upwardly mobile.

STRONGER IN BOTH SENSES OF THE WORD

Fitness has been a recurring frustration in recent years but Stoke look quicker, and more robust.

Sorba Thomas, for example, adds genuine pace on the wing and the average height of the new signings is 6ft lin (or 6ft 2in without Aaron Cresswell).

It should help that there are genuine options from the bench and Million Manhoef et al can use up their tank in 60 minutes without worrying that they'll have to keep going with the red light flashing for the final half hour.

A caveat here that Junior Tchamadeu, whose power and presence is a major attribute, went down with cramp late on against Sheffield Wednesday. Still work to do.

A DEEPER, MORE BALANCED SQUAD

And starting with a caveat here that there are players coming back from the treatment room who have to get fit to give Robins something to think about.

Only one near-automatic starter from the end of last season, Wouter Burger, has been lost, and nine new faces have come in with expectation that they will genuinely affect the starting XI.