Stoke City: Narcis Pelach must look to Blackburn Rovers exploits to bank best of Tom Cannon - View | OneFootball

The new Potters boss should look to play newly-fit Sam Gallagher alongside Cannon up front

Summer signing Sam Gallagher is fit again for Stoke City this weekend as they travel to Middlesbrough, and he should be utilised by new boss Narcis Pelach alongside Tom Cannon in attack given his past exploits in a front two at Blackburn Rovers.

Pelach has now had over a week to get to know his players since his appointment in the wake of Steven Schumacher's sacking, and he will be aware of Cannon's tough start to life in the Potteries so far.

The Leicester City loanee has only played three games for Stoke as yet, so cannot be judged too early, but has struggled to get involved in build-up play and is yet to score in red and white despite being handed a golden chance in the EFL Cup against Fleetwood Town and then also seeing his penalty saved at the end of the same game.

Gallagher, meanwhile, has been out of action for the Potters since getting injured in his first outing for the club in a pre-season friendly against AZ Alkmaar, but Pelach has confirmed in his pre-match press conference that the 29-year-old is ready to make his league bow for the club in the trip to the Riverside Stadium.

It may seem too soon to hand him a start, but Pelach needs to figure his best side out as soon as possible and should play Gallagher alongside Cannon in attack, as that set-up was where he was most successful in his time at Rovers.

Gallagher complimented numerous top strikers in his time at Blackburn

Gallagher struggled to find the net in his first few seasons as a professional at Southampton and MK Dons, but a loan to Ewood Park in 2016 saw him bag consistently for the first time in his career alongside Danny Graham .

Blackburn were relegated at the end of the campaign on goal difference under Tony Mowbray, but Gallagher and Graham formed a strong partnership in attack throughout the season, with 12 and 13 goals in all competitions respectively, and the Devon-born forward first proved that he was stronger when playing alongside another striker.

He returned to Ewood Park for good in 2019, and once again struck up a good partnership with a more clinical striker in Adam Armstrong, as they combined for seven goals across two seasons, and the former Newcastle man bagged 17 and 29 times respectively in both campaigns, and Gallagher netted seven and eight times respectively.

Armstrong soon left for Southampton, but Ben Brereton Diaz' emergence saw Rovers get even better, and a lot of the Chilean's success could be attributed to Gallagher being the foil with selfless play to allow the likes of him, Tyrhys Dolan and Reda Khadra to fire the team to eighth in the Championship.

Diaz and Gallagher bagged a combined 31 goals in 2021/22, then another 24 combined in 2022/23 as Jon Dahl Tomasson's side finished just outside of the play-offs on goal difference, so it is clear to see just how impactful Gallagher can be to helping a previously out-of-form striker find their feet to help a team up the table.

Last season saw his minutes limited due to injury, but he was still a key part of the Rovers side that avoided relegation, and the team was better with him in it as Sammie Szmodics finished as top-scorer for the Championship with some outstanding form in attacking midfield just behind the 29-year-old.

It is definitely no coincidence that Gallagher has been playing alongside numerous strikers when they have produced some of the best form of their respective careers, and he could continue that at Stoke alongside Cannon, who certainly has the potential to become a prolific scorer in the second-tier this term.

Gallagher should come straight in against Middlesbrough

Stoke have struggled for goals in the league so far this season, and one likely answer to that problem is to play Gallagher from the off despite him only recently returning from injury.

The Potters' two league wins so far this season have come by a single goal each, and Pelach's task will be to get the best out of his attack while finsing the right balace to make sure another repeat of the last outing against Hull City does not happen again.

Stoke were solid in the first half against the Tigers in the Spainard's first game in charge, and could have had more than one to their name if Million Manhoef had been more clinical in front of goal.

Dutch winger Manhoef has been Stoke's standout attacker so far this season, and was deployed in a second striker role against Hull instead of his usual right wing, which means Pelach is clearly open to trying different things with his team.

The Potters are arguably going to be in for an even tougher test in the North East, and so a more solid team would surely include Gallagher with his high-energy pressing and impressive aerial ability both likely to be big helps away at a team like Boro.

Pelach should look to move Manhoef back out wide this weekend, then drop one of Bae Junho or Lewis Koumas, who have each flattered to deceive in recent games, to bring Gallagher in alongside Cannon and get the two of them linking up as soon as possible.

The 29-year-old is going to be key to Stoke this season if they wish to move up the table, and needs to be thrust straight into the action if Pelach wants to see immediate results.