Stoke are ticking the right boxes in summer market...

HERE'S an old saying in football about what you want as you're putting together a balanced team: stop 'em, create 'em, finish 'em.

- By Mike Pejic

Stoke put a tick against the second of those with their first signing of the summer, Sorba Thomas. They'll put a tick against the first by bringing in Maksym Talovierov and it would be nice if Mark Robins and Jon Walters can quickly put a tick next to the third as well.

They were three areas for improvements from 2024/25, three priorities to address down the spine of the team in this summer window.

Robins was able to have a good look at what he had inside the changing room in the second half of last season and he knows who he can trust and what areas he has to bring in new blood to get it right. Get that backbone sorted.

Year after year I end up coming around to the same point about the importance of the spine of the team. Everything is set from that. That's what will give you consistency in performances and will earn you respect from your own supporters and the football world at large.

We have to come up trumps in those key positions to make sure we consolidate as a club and have genuine faith that we're going in the right direction. Never mind talking about the top six or chasing the moon, just get things straight and go from there.