Stoke City evidence v Watford suggests Mark Robins can fix issue with rarely-seen duo | OneFootball

Ben Pearson and Jordan Thompson both started in midfield against the Hornets and impressed in a very rare outing together

Stoke City boss Mark Robins needs a settled midfield core ahead of a vital Championship run-in, and rarely-seen duo Ben Pearson and Jordan Thompson could be the answer to his selection woes after a good performance together in the Potters' goalless draw against Watford last time out.

Stoke's Championship status is far from secure for another campaign as yet, and Robins, who was only appointed in January, is the third man this season tasked with keeping the club in the second-tier.

He has had to juggle numerous issues around his squad's availability since he took over at the bet365 Stadium, not least in the midfield, where he has scarcely been able to pick the same players every week to keep continuity and cohesion in his squad with the Potters in desperate need of points to move away from the bottom three.

Last time out against Watford was no different, and he sprung a surprise as Ben Pearson and Jordan Thompson were each handed a starting berth in midfield for only the third time together in their respective Stoke careers so far, according to Transfermarkt's data.

The duo are pretty similar profiles of player, and have each suffered from lengthy injury lay-offs in recent seasons, so while it does come as a shock that they have barely ever paired each other in the middle of the park, the low number is also pretty explainable.

Robins will no doubt have been pleased with what he saw from Pearson and Thompson together, as they provided the ample grit, determination and energy needed to limit a play-off chasing Hornets side to help Stoke come away with a point.

They may well have played their way into his thinking together, and with key man Wouter Burger now also back fit, a potentially favourable midfield three could be forming at just the right time for the Potters.

Ben Pearson and Jordan Thompson have rarely played together in midfield for Stoke City

27-year-old Thompson is the Potters' longest-serving player as it stands, having joined the club from Blackpool in January 2020, and he has been of varying importance to different managers over the duration of his time at the bet365 Stadium.

The Northern Ireland international has often been used as a rotational player throughout his time in ST4, but started 25 games in all competitions in 2023/24, a figure only bettered by his 29 starts in 2020/21, and was a key player in midfield and at left-back in the season's run-in under Steven Schumacher as he surpassed 150 games for the club.

Thompson looked set for a successful campaign this time around after impressing last term, but the ex-Plymouth Argyle boss was sacked early on in the season, and he struggled for game-time under new boss Narcis Pelach, before a groin issue saw him sidelined in November.

Robins has now offered him a reprieve on his return to fitness, and with his current contract set to expire in June, he could well earn another new deal with some good performances over the next few months.

Pearson is a defensive-minded midfielder, and plays a very similar role to Thompson as the main player who likes to get stuck in and win the ball in the middle of the park. He came through the ranks at Manchester United, but made his real breakthrough in senior football at Preston North End after a permanent move to Deepdale in 2016.

The Oldham-born enforcer featured 165 times for the Lilywhites in the five years up to his exit in 2021, and was one of their key players as they came close to the play-offs on two separate occasions under Alex Neil.

His move to AFC Bournemouth did not really work out, however, as he struggled to make an impact and was sent on loan by a Neil-managed Potters side midway through the 2022/23 campaign.

He was one of Stoke's key players in his first few months at the club, so he made a permanent move to the bet365 Stadium that same summer, but the last 18 months have not gone to plan for him.

Pearson endured a tough time under Schumacher, and then suffered a serious hamstring injury last March that ruled him out for close to a year until his return last month.

The upshot of both Pearson and Thompson's respective inconsistencies and injury woes, as well as the similarities in their play, means that they had only played together 18 times before Saturday's game, and just two of those outings had seen them start alongside each other in midfield - against the Hornets in the 2022/23 campaign, and at Bournemouth in the EFL Cup last season.

Pearson and Thompson will have given Robins food for thought after their Watford showing

Boss Robins likely moved to pick the duo for a rare midfield foray together against Watford because he had little other choice. Stoke were well-beaten by Middlesbrough just days prior to the game, where Lewis Baker and Tatsuki Seko had both struggled to get a foothold in the middle of the park, while the former was then declared ill for the visit of Tom Cleverley's side.

Stoke bounced back from that Boro disappointment, as well as their previous 4-2 thrashing at the hands of Norwich City, with a controlled performance at home to the Hornets, and a lot of their good defensive play could be chalked down to much more spirit and passion being shown in midfield with Pearson and Thompson together.

The Potters lined up with Andrew Moran as the number 10 in front of the pair of holding midfielders, and limited Watford to only one shot on target in the 0-0 stalemate, in what was a stark contrast to the reverse fixture that did not feature Pearson and saw the Hornets cruise through the middle of the park at Vicarage Road with ease.

Their combined grit and determination saw them work well together, and their good connection meant that one was able to press, usually Pearson, and the other, usually Thompson, would stay on the halfway line and wait to pounce on a loose ball or make a tackle in midfield if needed.

The Northern Irish international has himself admitted that he "enjoyed" playing alongside the 30-year-old, and felt as if they had "a good bit of chemistry" on the pitch, in an interview with StokeonTrentLive.

A potential three in the middle of the park that includes fit-again Wouter Burger could be a great idea for Robins to deploy soon, as it gives the Dutchman the freedom to roam forward and play as a box-to-box number eight, and also adds security with two holding midfielders to try and stop the Potters conceding so many goals.