Stoke may be bottom of the Championship and without a win from three, but they could still be on course for a successful year.

They have already showed improvement in certain areas and despite a slow start there is plenty of time to pick up results and mount a play-off push, as Aston Villa evidenced last season.

There is still cause for concern, however, with the 10 summer arrivals still adjusting to Nathan Jones' style of play and individual errors still costing the team points, but these are mainly minor issues which should be fixed in a few weeks time.

Jack Butland, for example, has been the centre of much transfer speculation and it was his mistakes against QPR and Charlton which put his side behind.

Over the course of a season, though, Butland will help them earn more points than he costs and that should push Stoke towards the upper echelons of the league, as will their new strikeforce of Scott Hogan and Lee Gregory.

Both players were standout performers in the 2-2 draw with Derby County; Hogan grabbed the two goals and Gregory was vital in running the channels, stretching the defence and, of course, providing the assist for the Villa loanee's second goal.

Stoke lacked pace up front and the likes of Benik Afobe, Ben Vokes and Mame Diouf were all too similar in their approach, which meant The Potters were too predictable in attack.

Now Jones' side has pace and energy up front with two strikers who can hold the ball up well or playing counter-attacking football, and the more their partnership grows the more effective they will be.

Gregory was a great team player at Millwall and a key player in the Lions side which gained promotion from League One and then finished eighth in the Championship, and his determination and hard-working spirit is what Stoke have lacked and also what the fans will love watching.

Also, Scott Hogan's quality is clear for all to see. He has been prolific in the Championship before, and can be once again as he looks well suited to Jones' style.

If he can stay fit and start games regularly alongside Gregory he should get into a number of goalscoring positions, and if they can create an understanding then both will score and create goals.

Jones needs to settle on a starting eleven, and his strike partnership and defensive duo are the two most important areas on the pitch.

With Hogan on form, Stoke will know they can get points from any match and that alone would be a huge confidence boost over the course of a season.

Stoke could also use Vokes as an impact sub too to offer something a little different in attack, and he is also a player who could work well alongside Hogan, who could be in for a memorable season if he stays fit.