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Mark Robins is pleased with a ‘fundamental’ change to his midfield department as Stoke City prepare to start their season. An overhaul of the middle of the pitch was one of the top priorities after last season’s slip back into the bottom half and Ethan Galbraith, Svante Ingelsson and Djibril Soumare were welcome arrivals early in pre-season. Lewis Baker and Steven Nzonzi have left while there may be further exits in the weeks before the summer deadline. Robins is pleased with the quality that has been brought in and could hand all three a debut in a Carabao Cup first round tie against Oldham Athletic at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday (3pm). He said: “I think they’ll get better as well. Three coming in changes the department fundamentally. There has been disrupted time for Ethan while Svante was out for a little while prior to coming but he’s worked really hard and will get better and better over time. “Djibril is somebody who can be really, really effective but he’s got to work hard to get to the level that he can get to – because he could be anything. He’s a physical specimen. He’s a really good athlete. Getting him to use that and for him to be able to reach his potential with us is going to take a bit of time but he will work towards that goal.” FOLLOW OUR FACEBOOK PAGE! Latest Stoke City news, analysis and more via the Sentinel Stoke remain in the hunt for new signings and the new financial rules have changed the market in the Championship. It might help a focus on quality rather than making sure the bench is full. Robins said: “You’ve got to aspire to bring in players who are going to really challenge the existing players, the existing group and, whenever you can, get real, real top quality in. That’s what we’ll aim for. “Over time things will improve too and it’s exciting and it’s really interesting. “You look at what other clubs are doing because that’s natural and the division looks really competitive this season. I think we’ve got a really exciting season to look forward to – really challenging but really exciting too.” Stoke have tweaked the way they work in pre-season on the back of a series of injuries last winter and Robins is sure that new staff recruits have helped create a new optimistic mood in the squad. He said: “I don’t think it’s about being better prepared because we were as prepared as we could be last season. We’re a work in progress. It’s not going to be a magic pill. It’s not going to be bang, straight away you’re top level. We’re working to a plan and that is interesting in itself, it’s challenging in itself because there’s a change in what we do. “Meetings in the morning have changed and there is intricate detail, which is challenging for coaches because you’ve got to get everything right. There are bits and pieces involved that are demanding and the organisation has to be spot on – and it is. It’s a really way of working. “I think you can see that in the players and the way they are. They know and you can feel that quality and the information they are being given is first class. “There is real optimism. You can feel the change in the building without a doubt. It has moved direction considerably.” What do you think? Click HERE to join the debate