'Fans are vital going into pivotal month'

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For the first time this season, sections of the Stoke fanbase became audibly frustrated and second-half substitutions were greeted with boos, ironic cheers or a mixture of both as the Potters lost at home to Sheffield United.

Mark Robins called for unity, took aim at the criticism of individual players whose effort he could not fault and praised the supporters' response to Stoke's goal and improved second-half performance.

The fans' frustration and their response to that renewed hope was an outpouring of emotion provoked by the unmistakable and all-too-familiar feeling of a chance at success slipping away like a bar of soap in a power shower.

Stoke are on a run that cannot go on if they are to challenge at the right end of the table and end a slide that has now gone on for 10 league games after a brilliant start to the season.

They are without key players, low on confidence and face two away games to begin a vital January on and off the pitch.

They need to wheel and deal if they can to add attacking quality to the squad but they also, perhaps more than anything, need more of their summer signings to accelerate their acclimatisation to the Championship.

Lamine Cisse impressed in his substitute appearance and needs to become a viable starting option quickly, something he has the ability to do. Ditto Tomas Rigo and Robert Bozenik.

All three are new to the league and have understandably taken time to adjust to the demands of the EFL and all three have shown quality in bursts, having been signed for the long term.

But Stoke are looking to reinvigorate their season, are constrained by profit and sustainability rules and could really do with the additions they made at a cost of several million pounds to come good sooner rather than later.

It's not just those three. It's time for the likes of Sam Gallagher and Ben Gibson, fringe players until now, to show their worth, having made their first starts of the season.

Stoke are in a tough spell, as a group they will need to show their character to get through it and the support of the crowd is probably more vital than at any other time in this campaign.

The next four to five weeks will probably go a long way to deciding what, if anything, Stoke are playing for come March and April.

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