ANDY Griffin can be forgiven for barely raising a weary eyebrow at the prospect of facing Brazilian superstar Robinho and Shaun Wright-Phillips at the City of Manchester Stadium on Sunday.

That's no disrespect to the Man City stars, but tough Premier League assignments are nothing new to City's captain and right-back.

Griffin has surely had the toughest task of any Stoke player over the last two games as he has had to deal with two of the Premier League's speediest wingers.

Portsmouth wideman Armand Traore is the closest thing to greased lightning on a football pitch.

In fact, one of only a few players who gets close to him for pace is Tottenham's jet-heeled winger Aaron Lennon.

Griffin has had to mark both in City's last two games, a task he reckons he has met with mixed success.

The 29-year-old defender had Lennon in his back pocket for most of the Tottenham game, but is critical of himself for allowing on-loan Arsenal winger Traore too much freedom in Stoke's 2-1 defeat at Fratton Park.

Whereas Griffin didn't allow Lennon room to think in the 2-1 victory over Spurs, he says he gave Traore far too much time and space to turn and run at him.

Griffin said: "I wasn't particularly pleased with the way I played against Portsmouth or how I managed the situation with Traore.

"If you look at the last two games, the way I set out to mark Aaron Lennon is the way I should have marked Traore.

"When you play against speedy players you have to be there as the ball is arriving to their feet. That way you can make sure they can't turn with the ball, face you up and have a couple of yards run on you.

"You have to be snapping at their heels so you are sending them the other way.

"But I remember a few years ago, playing for Newcastle against Barcelona, when I tried that against Marc Overmars.

"His movement off the ball was fantastic. I was getting tight to him when he went to get the ball to feet, but instead he would then just spin in behind me.

"I was a little bit lost because I didn't know whether to stay tight to him or drop off so at least he couldn't run in behind me.

"The problem was that, when I dropped off, he then got the ball to feet and turned me inside out. This is what the Premier League is all about. You are playing against some of the best wingers in the world and every week is a challenge for me and for all the other players."

That is why Tony Pulis was so pleased to re-sign the experienced Griffin last season and why the manager has packed his side with seasoned campaigners.

Stoke won't find life any easier in Manchester this weekend as they take on a home side who have rattled in 12 goals in their opening four home games.

Mark Hughes's team have tended to play with two holding midfield players – Vincent Kompany and Dietmar Hamann, which gives an attacking midfield three of Robinho, Wright-Phillips and Stephen Ireland the freedom to roam all over the place in support of lone striker Jo.

That's not the easiest challenge for an opposition defence – just ask Portsmouth who were walloped 6-0 at Eastlands a month ago. However, Stoke's battling performances thus far have shown they won't roll over for any opponent.

Griffin added: "If you look at the combined purchase costs of Robinho (£32.5m) and Wright-Phillips (£9m) it is quite staggering.

"We have all heard of Robinho but I'd not seen much of him until recently.

"He definitely looks the part and we all know what Shaun Wright-Phillips can do.

"He is very good with the ball, works very hard without the ball and is a very tricky customer.

"It is another difficult game for us. But it is a game we will relish and will believe we can stay organised, be resilient and try to nick the game."

Stoke have only taken one point from their four away matches, but that was the small matter of a goalless draw at fortress Anfield.

Griffin believes the team could also have taken a point at Portsmouth and Middlesbrough, but says the result at Anfield proves they need fear no one.

He said: "You do have to look at that Liverpool game when we defended resiliently as a team and got a very creditable 0-0 draw.

"On another day we could have lost 4-0. They did have a goal disallowed which should have stood, but you need that bit of luck to get a result at Anfield.

"If Manchester United go there and draw it is a great result, so Stoke getting a 0-0 draw there is like three points.

"That gives us the belief that we can go anywhere in the Premier League and get a result.

"We are under no illusions how difficult it is to stay up, but we are doing all right and going about it in the right manner."