Jacob Brown winner was not only a big goal for Stoke but a big goal for himself

Stoke surpassed the 50-point mark in the Championship yesterday, defeating Derby 1-0 at the Bet365 Stadium.

Jacob Brown scored the winner for the Potters, his third goal in the Championship during a testing season for the striker in his first year in the Potteries.

Michael O’Neill was pleased for Stoke City’s match-winner post-match: “He’s had a bit of a difficult period. I think he knows that himself. We knew what we’d get from him; he’d work extremely hard; he’d allow us to stretch teams in behind. I’m delighted that his hard work paid off when he got the goal.”

Brown came to Stoke with good reviews from Barnsley, scoring three goals and registering ten assists for the Yorkshire club in their first season back in the Championship, dramatically staying up on the final day of the season.

Even so, Brown has struggled to find his feet since moving to Stoke with a section of the fanbase not impressed with his debut season at the club. Brown has four goals in all competitions this season and only one assist. In comparison, the forward was in double figures for assists at Barnsley, so he hasn’t adapted to Stoke’s level yet.

Brown’s goal could mean the start of a great deal of confidence. The forward has struggled with this during the 20/21 season, with O’Neill expecting and hoping his belief will increase after his important goal against the Rams on Saturday.

“His confidence will grow from there, and he’s still a young player, it’s been a big move for him to come here, and everyone in the dressing room is delighted for him.”

It hasn’t been easy for Brown, not just in terms of confidence, but having to fill Tyrese Campbell’s boots for the rest of the season after he suffered a season-ending injury. Campbell scored six goals for Stoke and had eight assists. He was top in both the scoring and assisting departments before his injury. It was never easy for Brown to replace a striker that had Premier League clubs circling prior to his injury.

The 22-year-old has been thrown into the deep end rather than developing progressively due to Campbell’s absence. The former Barnsley player has had to play on the right-wing, left-wing as well as centre forward. Meaning he hasn’t nailed down a position and can’t get a consistent number of games as O’Neill tries different formations and tactics to accommodate the injuries he has to deal with.

O’Neill has had to change between strikers this season. Steven Fletcher has been Stoke’s main striker since Campbell’s injury. However, Fletcher has been injury-prone for Stoke and hasn’t played consistently. He didn’t play against Derby because of a concussion protocol after being knocked out in the previous game against Cardiff City.

Sam Vokes has continued to be a Plan B and still hasn’t scored in the league this season for Stoke. It seems clear that Michael O’Neill doesn’t see him in his long-term plan, particularly once Campbell returns from his injury and if Brown starts to improve.

The main focus of the next transfer window looks to be a new striker for Michael O’Neill. Campbell’s injury has highlighted that Stoke has been too reliant on the young forward and can’t afford to lose him again. Having a striker next to him who can contribute with more goals and form a good partnership with Campbell will turn Stoke from mid-table obscurity to promotion contenders. Could that be Brown?

Brown has shown glimpses of quality in his short time at Stoke. Such as his winning header in the last game against Derby and his fantastic assist for Jordan Thompson in Stoke’s Carabao Cup quarter-final vs Spurs. Michael O’Neill likes Brown as a player and believes that all he needs is more confidence to consistently show what he can do. Brown is 22 and will only get better as he gets more games for Stoke.

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