Mark Robins was left with a familiar early-season concern after Stoke City’s loss to Southampton on Saturday: not just who started the match, but who was available to finish it well. The Stoke boss’ frustration was shaped by the quality of his substitutes, but the broader issue was that the game exposed how much the Potters are still trying to work through fitness and physicality problems.
That was the point Gareth Owen made after the match on Radio Stoke, when he suggested it would be too simple to place all the blame on the changes Robins made. Owen said he would also look at the starters because some of the changes Robins probably did not want to make in the first place.
Why the late stage mattered
One of the clearest examples came with Eric Bocat. Owen said Robins did not want to take Bocat off or disrupt the back four, but felt he had to because Bocat was flagging physically. That detail matters because it shows the substitutions were not only tactical choices. They were also a response to players running out of energy.
Owen added that the circumstances around Stoke remain complicated. A couple of players missed pre-season, while two new players coming in had not been the priority players at Ipswich and therefore still had work to do to get back up to speed. He also pointed to the amount of football Sam Gallagher and Ben Gibson played last year as part of the same physical picture.
A longer-term issue, not just one result
The final 30 minutes stood out for a reason. Owen said the club have spoken about improving over the course of the season, but warned that you do not want to leave yourself too much to do. On the evidence of the last 30 minutes, he said, there was a clear difference in the physicality of the players.
That helps explain why Robins’ frustration felt bigger than a simple reaction to a defeat. The substitutes may have been part of the problem, but the match also suggested Stoke are still building toward the level of sharpness and depth they need. In other words, the loss to Southampton was not only about one bad afternoon. It was a reminder that Stoke City are still paying the price for being behind in their physical preparation.
