Following the goalless draw with Cardiff, Alex Neil talks about striker Dwight Gayle in the latest Stoke City news from StokeonTrentLive.
Stoke City fans are betting on Dwight Gayle to rediscover his goal-scoring form this season.
On Saturday, the striker had two opportunities to end the scoreless draw with Cardiff City. But Stoke had to settle for a goalless draw at the bet365 Stadium, so he was unable to take them.
Gayle missed both of his chances in the first half, first on a one-on-one with Cardiff keeper Jak Alnwick and then again with a wide. Despite the squandered opportunities, Gayle’s overall performance pleased Stoke manager Alex Neil, who was pragmatic about it.
Neil stated, “In the first one, he missed the target. In the second, he had to decide whether to go around the keeper or hit it first, and he decided to hit it first.” As a striker, I believe there are instances when you make the correct play when you hit the initial shot, which goes between the goalie’s legs and into the net. Sometimes it will catch the goalie off guard, in which case I will advise you to have moved a little closer to them. That’s what the fine margins are. The situation is similar to that of a custodian; if the custodian makes a mistake or falls too late, the ball passes over the net and seems to
Gayle has made his first starts of the season in the last two games, a 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough and a draw with Cardiff. In nine games across all competitions, he has failed to find the net; however, seven of those have been cameos from the bench.
Neil went on, “I think we need keep in mind that Dwight has only played in the previous two games, so there isn’t a lot of football there. He has done a great job leading and linking the line for us, and I think his decision-making about positions he takes during the game is really astute. He will most likely consider those two opportunities and believe that I may have taken one, but we
Gayle, 34, has only managed three goals in 46 games since joining Stoke from Newcastle United in the summer of 2022. Neil, though, is still completely confident in the former front man for Crystal Palace.
“It’s like anything else, I think when you get that first goal, you grow in confidence, you grow in belief,” the manager remarked. “When the next opportunity slips through and lands in the net’s back, everything shifts.
“Dwight is an extremely smart player. On the tactical front, he excels. He knows when to go over, when to drop, when to connect it, and when the ball goes the opposite way. He still has all those components of his game; they never go away, but as you age, your body naturally begins to alter and you are no longer able to perform for others. Nevertheless, his role awareness and intellect are at the pinnacle, and he is an expert at what he does.”
Gayle can provide a wealth of knowledge as a seasoned player for the first team, and Neil has been pleased with his demeanour off the pitch.
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