After four games, the Potters have managed two wins, with victories against Plymouth Argyle and Coventry City being cancelled out by defeats to West Bromwich Albion and Watford.
Additionally, their 5-0 thumping of Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup will have given them hope that they can have a season of mixing at the top of the second tier.
Despite this, Steven Schumacher’s main worry is whether his side has enough firepower to consistently win matches. While the 5-0 victory is encouraging, it could well be a one-off, especially given Stoke’s recent struggles in front of goal in the Championship.
This is where new signing Tom Cannon will need to step up. At 21, he may be relatively inexperienced, but the flashes of talent he’s shown at Leicester City and Preston North End provide hope that he can become a regular scorer for the Potters.
Since returning to the Championship in 2018-19, the Potters have struggled enormously in the goalscoring department.
Multiple top-level second-tier strikers have tried and failed, with the likes of Dwight Gayle, Benik Afobe, Tyrese Campbell and Sam Vokes all hitting meagre numbers in comparison to alternatives at other clubs.
In fact, the statistics paint an even grimmer picture, with the best scoring season for a player at the club being Jacob Brown’s 13 goals in 45 games, during the 2021-22 campaign.
This isn’t a recent problem either; no Stoke player has scored more than 15 goals in the league since Peter Thorne achieved the feat back in the 2000-01 season.
While the strikers bear some responsibility, the rest of the team has also struggled to contribute, with Stoke’s highest goal tally since returning to the Championship being just
This will see them rely somewhat on the output of Cannon, and if he can step up, then those play-off spots may become more realistic as the season goes on.
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