Stoke City have made a positive start to the season and went toe-to-toe with Middlesbrough on Tuesday night

Lee Hendrie sees signs that Mark Robins is changing the culture at Stoke City with more togetherness in the Potters squad.

Hendrie, who had a season on loan with Stoke in the 2006/07 season as Tony Pulis’ side finished eighth in the Championship, believes Robins’ squad overhaul is starting to pay dividends.

He cites the unity showed in last night’s last-gasp defeat to Middlesbrough, in which the hosts twice came from a goal down only to lose 3-2 to an injury-time decider, as a signal things could be changing at the bet365 Stadium.

However, speaking on Sky Sports he said they can’t afford their customary mid-season collapse.

“I was really really impressed with Stoke, I really was,” Hendrie said.

“The game-plan looked like it was going to go in their favour at one stage. They go one down and you think ‘this could be Stoke going back to Stoke’ but credit they dug deep, they showed character twice and I have to give Mark Robins a lot of credit, he didn’t just sit back he threw two strikers on.

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“I thought Boro thoroughly deserved it, there was lots of character from both teams but I think the quality just shone through on the night.

“I think there’s more about this Stoke side at the moment, I do believe the squad of players he has got there I think you are going to see a big difference in Stoke City.

“There were lots that had to get out the door and I felt that his change in personnel there looks more togetherness.

“And I say that because there was character shown and there was character against Bolton when they went down to ten and really had to dig deep and defend.

“Lots to like, you have come up against one of the top sides in the Championship and in that first half they nullified a lot of what Middlesbrough threw at them. A loss with a really messy goal but lots to like about Stoke City.

“The big thing for Stoke this season is they have to be consistent throughout the season, they can’t get to Christmas and January time and then start to fall away like they have season after season.

“That’s where Mark is going to try to change things, you can clearly see that, he wants a certain identity about the football club and that’s being good defensively and showing a little bit more in those forward areas, which I felt tonight they didn’t quite have enough.”