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The GOAT needs to get down and dirty
Teemu Pukki has found goals harder to come by in the second half of Norwich City's season Picture: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd - Credit: Paul Chesterton/Focus Images Ltd
Teemu Pukki must not feel sorry for himself as he looks for a ‘dirty goal’ to get back on the goal trail at Norwich City.
The Finn has failed to score in open play since December 14, and sliced a big close range chance against the post in the weekend 1-0 league defeat at Sheffield United.
Pukki was instrumental in firing the Canaries to the Premier League and his head coach, Daniel Farke, knows City's survival hopes could rely on the club's reigning player-of-the-year rediscovering his scoring touch.
'We must give him lots of trust. He knows he has a club and a head coach who will back him in a difficult period,' said Farke. 'These are the periods all strikers go through. Of course in the first half you expect him to score.
'For such an experienced player he should score. But I can't think of too many players who have scored more goals than him in 2019. This is a dry spell. Even he is struggling a bit with the confidence.
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'What he needs is a goal from open play and the only thing that helps is a dirty goal, maybe he deflects one in, or the centre back slams a clearance against his back and it goes in. I can't accuse him of anything else. He invests everything.
'He works so hard for his team. But confidence was big 30 years ago, it is now and will be in the future. He has to stay greedy and keep getting in those positions.
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'I can only encourage him, I don't want him to feel sorry for himself. He can score fantastic goals. He needs a dirty goal and I hope he can get one soon.'
City's latest blank at Bramall Lane continued a depressing trend in front of goal on the road.
'In our position as a big underdog you cannot expect we go away in the Premier League and create 10 one against ones,' said Farke. 'You have to be effective and we had at least two or three situations where we must score.
'We missed our chances. We are not brutal enough. It is the last thing I still have to ask from the boys, but it is not something you just copy from the training pitch.
'Of course it is frustrating. But you cannot look at that without looking at the story of our season. We had so many injuries at the start and because of this we are in the most complicated position in the table.
'Judge us by our performances now and we are solid defensively and we can create more chances.'
