Stoke have improved in a difficult season - Robins

Stoke City boss Mark Robins says the second half of the season has been "100% difficult" but is adamant the club will continue to build on the "incremental improvements" they have achieved after last term's battle against relegation.

After only securing their Championship status on the final day of the 2024-25 campaign, the Potters started this season superbly and were disputing the early lead of the division with Coventry City after eight wins in their first 14 games.

But an injury crisis, that has lasted most of the season, hampered their progress and form fell away - as, ultimately, did their promotion challenge.

"I think it has been 100% difficult, second half of the season," Robins told BBC Radio Stoke.

"I was saying this could be a really exciting season and that's been the disappointment because it turns into something different that I don't think anybody envisaged really with the level of injury, players missing and the fact you can't gain any momentum because of the amount of changes you've got to make on a game-by-game basis.

"It's been tough because it promised so much more than that."

Robins, who is in his first full season in charge having taken over in January 2025, said it was important the Potters "take stock, move forward and improve" next season.

He added lessons will be learned from their transfer business after several players were brought in from across Europe and took time to find their feet.

"I said in January, bring players in and they've got to get up to speed, they've got to know what they're coming up against on a weekly basis, whether that's a three-game week, different opponents, different tactics, different strengths, weaknesses," Robins said.

"Until you get to grips with that and make the best of your ability where you can compete properly and show off your attributes, then it can be a difficult and lonely place for individuals.

"That has been sort of borne out. But that isn't a surprise. If you get players in from different leagues, they have a totally different way of playing. So it just takes a little bit of time.

"We've got a stronger group together, but it's a work in progress. People don't want to hear it because they want instant success. It just doesn't happen unless you've got the wherewithal to go and spend millions putting your squad together that's ready-made."

In contrast to last season, Stoke are 11 points above the relegation zone heading into the final two games - at home to Portsmouth on Saturday and at Bristol City on 2 May.

Although the wait to return to the Premier League for the first time since 2018 goes on, two wins would at least give the 17th-placed Potters a good chance to finish better than 14th - the highest they have managed since dropping out of the top flight.

And Robins said achieving that - and being well clear of the bottom three - has to be seen as a positive.

"If incremental improvement is not being involved anywhere near the situation we were in last year, then that's incremental improvement," he added.

"We all want more than that. We started off really brightly, that changes people's perception, but also the expectation levels go up and you've got to manage that especially when things fall away a little bit.

"I'm always learning about the squad and the team. I think we've got a lot of work to do and [I'm] determined to take it forward.

"We've got to make sure we are better than we've been this year - I don't mean in terms of performance, because some have been really good."