There was a familiar line in any review of the Stoke City forward line at Plymouth last time out. Something about encouraging build-up play in the first half, the need to be more clinical and running out of gas in the second.

This was only the second time that Ryan Mmaee, Tyrese Campbell and Andre Vidigal had started a game together since joining forces in the Potteries in the summer. Their development as a trio has been slowed by injuries to all three while, behind them, Bae Junho has only just emerged as a starter too after his late August move from South Korea.

It will be the fortunes of these four that dictate Stoke’s fate over the next few weeks and months. It will be Mmaee, Campbell, Vidigal and Junho who will be tasked with linking, creating and scoring enough consistently to haul Stoke significantly up the Championship table. A lot rests on whether and how much they can they stay fit and find form individually and as a collective.

All seem like they have got the potential to change games at this level and they are at good ages to build; Mmaee is 26, Vidigal 25, Campbell 23 and Junho 20. There is a lot to prove and a lot to improve at a club which has only scored 19 times in the first 19 matches but this is the attack that Alex Neil is putting his hat on to lead the way forward.