Leicester loanee Cannon proves his worth as he scores four goals at Stoke - Pelach's faith in him pays off

Life at Stoke has been challenging thus far, and manager Pelach has addressed the struggles the striker has faced while adapting to the team.

He said, “We had a very nice chat this week because I replaced him the other day at half-time. I said: 'Look I cannot be waiting for performances in the middle of a game, I have to do what is right for the team but I want to let you know that I am going to back you. Three, four, five bad performances will not change my opinion about you.' 

“I know him, I know he is a good player but he needs game-time, he needs to get ready from a physical point of view. I said: 'Life is about confidence and I have confidence in you, you need to feel free, you will start again.' 

“The performance against Middlesbrough I wasn't happy with, I'm not that kind of coach. I want to do something that is based on trust. It was very nice to listen to his answer as well. He's a nice guy 

“We had a good chat together and today I'm very happy with his performance. I think he deserves this. On the pitch you do what you can, not what you want. There is an opponent in front of you and he’s a young player so we have to be supportive. Today he got his reward. I’m very happy.” 

The Spanish coach says this goal haul is the start of something better for the young forward, who looks to have kickstarted his season after a stumbling start. 

“He is a talented boy. He has a lot of jobs to do, not just him but the whole team. There are a lot of positives but negatives as well. Tomorrow, we have to review but hopefully this is the beginning of something nice for him and he has to know as well that there are lots of things to look at and to improve.”