Stoke City manager Mark Robins has pinpointed Norwich City striker Josh Sargent as a major threat ahead of the two side’s meeting at the bet365 Stadium tomorrow.
The Potters have enjoyed an excellent start to the season and currently sit second in the Championship. This has followed seven successive bottom half finishes, stretching back to their relegation from the Premier League in 2018.
Robins has turned their fortunes around since joining in January and they look as if they are ready to compete at the top end of the table after battling against the drop to League One last season. However, they enter this game on the back of two defeats from their last three, including last weekend’s 1-0 reverse at Queens Park Rangers.
Robins Wary Of Sargent Threat
Norwich City make the trip to Staffordshire tomorrow have endured an inconsistent start to the campaign. They’ve lost all three of their fixtures at Carrow Road but are yet to taste defeat on the road.
The Canaries also possess one of the best attackers in the division in Josh Sargent. The American had scored 31 goals in the last two seasons and was the subject of interest from Bundesliga outfit Wolfsburg in the summer. However, the move fell through.
This has benefitted Norwich greatly, with the striker having hit six goals in seven appearances in all competitions this season. As a result, Robins knows that his team have to be wary. Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s clash, the former Coventry City boss said:
“They’ve picked up seven from nine, I think, away from home so they’ve been pretty good when they’re coming away from home. We’re expecting a tough game.
“With the players they’ve got, they’ve had a big turnaround, and I think that’s one of the reasons for it not quite settling down just yet potentially.
“But in Josh Sargent I think they’ve got one of if not the best striker in the division. He’s really, really good and keeping hold of him has been a real coup.
“It’s not just him, there are good players all over the pitch, and we know it’s a real challenge but it’s one we’ll look forward to and we’ll have a right good go to pick up the three points and get back on track.”
Writer’s View
Josh Sargent is certainly Norwich’s biggest asset and they rely heavily on him to bag the goals. He has scored 55% of their goals in the Championship this season, showing just how important it was to keep hold of his services. Stoke will no doubt have a game plan to combat that and it’s likely that he will be heavily marked throughout. However, Robins has acknowledged that the Canaries to have other options and it could be that Liam Manning opts to utilise Jovon Makam from the start as well after the former Lincoln City attacker grabbed his first goal last week.
