Stoke struggles as substitutes fail to make impact against Southampton

Stoke City faced difficulties in their opening matches of the Championship as their substitutes struggled to make an impact in the heat against Southampton. Despite playing well for a time, Stoke's energy levels dropped, allowing Southampton to maintain control. Manager Mark Robins expressed concerns about the attitude and motivation of the players coming off the bench. Ben Johnson and George Hirst debuted for Stoke but did not change the course of the match. Stoke will need to improve quickly to capitalize on their summer investments in the transfer market.

• 9:06 AMYahoo Sports — Stoke undercooked as substitutes struggle