Despite losing the consensus pick as the best goalkeeper in the Championship and all of their recognised full-backs, Stoke City's defence keeps keeping clean sheets.
Ashley Phillips and Ben Wilmot have been immense at the heart of a back four that has become ever more patched up and were again in the FA Cup against Coventry.
The players who have covered at left and right-back have done so bravely and intelligently.
The biggest compliment anyone can give Tommy Simkin is that the young goalkeeper has not looked out of place since replacing the injured Viktor Johansson.