Stoke City's attack has not looked this dangerous in years. A 4-0 home win over Charlton Athletic has offered the clearest evidence yet that the summer rebuild in Staffordshire is pointed in the right direction, and BBC Radio Stoke commentator Mark Elliott is among those now willing to say so plainly.

Devenny announces himself

Justin Devenny, signed from Crystal Palace on transfer deadline day, scored twice and laid on a key pass for a third goal on his debut. For a club that has spent a long time starved of creativity and goals, that kind of return from a new arrival is not just encouraging; it is genuinely significant. Elliott's assessment was unambiguous: Devenny "looked a proper player," which is the kind of phrase a Championship commentator does not reach for lightly.

The caveat, as it always should be with a four-game sample, is that one electrifying debut proves very little about what happens across 46 matches. The Championship has a habit of flattening players who burst onto the scene. Devenny will face tighter, deeper defences than Charlton offered on Saturday, and the real test of whether that early promise is genuine will come over the next two months, not the next two weeks.

Galbraith's goal threat is the bigger story

If Devenny's debut was the headline, Ethan Galbraith's form may be the more telling subplot. The midfielder has now scored three times this season, having never managed more than six in an entire campaign before. Elliott suggests double figures is achievable for Galbraith this term. That would represent a dramatic step forward, and it would transform what Stoke can threaten from midfield.

George Hirst, brought in as the club's new first-choice striker, also opened his account against Charlton. Hirst scored ten goals for Ipswich Town last season in a side that won promotion to the Premier League; the expectation is that he can replicate that kind of output in the Championship. Ten goals from a number nine is a workable platform. The question is whether the system around him can sustain that level of service.

The back-three switch

Much of the tactical shift at Stoke has been driven, in part, by necessity. Sorba Thomas departed on deadline day, taking with him more than 20 combined goals and assists from last season's squad. Losing that kind of output would normally be a significant blow. Instead, the club responded by switching to a back three, and Elliott argues that change may, in retrospect, mark the beginning of a new era at the club.

It is tempting to get carried away after a result like this, and supporters should be wary of doing so. Charlton arrived at the bet365 Stadium having made an encouraging start to their own Championship campaign, but they were dismantled here. Whether Stoke's system holds up against sides with more defensive structure and greater quality in the final third remains to be seen.

What comes next matters enormously

According to Elliott, Stoke's upcoming fixtures look, on paper, more manageable than those they faced at the start of the season. If that is accurate, the Potters have a genuine opportunity to build momentum and climb the table. A good week of football is not a good season; four wins in a row in this division can mask problems that resurface the moment the schedule turns difficult again.

The optimistic reading is straightforward: Stoke now have a striker who can score, a midfielder who can contribute goals from deep, and a new wide attacker who looks capable of double figures in contributions. That is a credible attacking unit for a Championship side with ambitions in the top half. The honest reading is that we are still early in the campaign, the fixtures will get harder, and the real verdict on this rebuild will be delivered in November and December, not in early September.

For now, though, the terraces at the bet365 Stadium have genuine reason for optimism. That has not always been the case in recent seasons, and it should not be dismissed.

Frequently asked

How did Stoke City's Justin Devenny perform on his debut against Charlton?
Devenny scored twice and set up another goal in a 4-0 home win over Charlton, impressing BBC Radio Stoke's commentator as a player who looks capable of contributing double figures in goals and assists across the season.
Why did Stoke City switch to a back three this season?
The change was prompted in part by the deadline-day departure of Sorba Thomas, who accounted for more than 20 goals and assists last season. The new system has so far looked like a positive adjustment rather than a forced compromise.
Can Stoke City challenge for promotion this Championship season?
It is too early to say. The 4-0 win over Charlton is encouraging and the attacking options look stronger than in recent years, but the Championship is long and unforgiving. How Stoke perform when their run of reportedly favourable fixtures ends will tell us far more.