CITY TRENDING IN RIGHT DIRECTION

Manager sees plenty of positive signs to build on when action resumes after internationals

- Peter Smith

MARK Robins is sure there are improvements to come from his Stoke City squad as new players get used to the demands of the Championship.

Stoke sit fifth at the start of the second international break of the season and it will be busy when they return, with a game on average every four-and-a-half days up to FA Cup third round weekend at the start of January.

Robins was frustrated to go into this fortnight on the back of three straight draws but he is encouraged by what he has seen over the last couple of months - with further progress expected from a squad that added 10 new faces in the summer.

He said: "If we had looked at it and said at the start of the season that we would be on 15 points from nine games then I think people would have taken it.