Everton: Sky Sports pundit reacts to Tom Cannon situation as Toffees miss out on Preston goal machine
We’re delighted to welcome former Everton striker Kevin Campbell as our exclusive columnist. Each week the former Toffees captain will be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Goodison Park…
Tom Cannon’s scoring streak is a product of more opportunities and a lack of pressure compared to at Everton says Kevin Campbell, so it wasn’t necessarily a mistake to let him leave on loan.
Jeff Stelling had suggested Toffees fans would be left “scratching their heads” that they had been struggling for goals while the Preston loanee was scoring for fun on Sky Sports Soccer Saturday after his third in four vs Blackpool on 1 April (1.43pm).
The 20-year-old made three brief substitute appearances for the Everton first team this season, then left for Deepdale in January where he has scored eight Championship goals, packed into a 10-game run, but Sky Sports pundit Campbell isn’t convinced he would have been able to produce like that if he had stayed at Goodison Park.
Speaking exclusively to Goodison News the former Toffees captain said: “You can say that [he would have been useful] but it doesn’t always transition like that.
“Everton have been struggling for goals and performances, and sometimes you go somewhere else and it’s like the shackles are off.
“Everton are playing under huge pressure, and the opportunities that he’s getting in the Championship I’m sure he wouldn’t get them in the Premier League.
“Could he have been useful? You could say yes, but again it just doesn’t transition like that usually.”
Dominic Calvert-Lewin is finally back fit, for now, and his presence in the side appears to have made a significant difference to the overall scoring capabilities.
But in his absence Sean Dyche was scrambling between Neal Maupay, Demarai Gray and Ellis Simms, and while the latter came up big with his first for the club to dramatically draw 2-2 at Chelsea on 18 March he wasn’t rewarded with a significantly greater role.
So the likelihood that Cannon would have got enough chances to recreate his form from the Championship is low, and fans will just have to hope that his teammates back on Merseyside can do enough to stay in the Premier League and he can bring his scoring touch back next season.