SAIDO JUST NEEDS BREAK

PREMIER LEAGUE Lambo backs misfiring Bera

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PAUL LAMBERT admits he can’t get his head around Saido Berahino’s goal drought.

This weekend marks the last chance for Berahino to score if he is not to hit the unwelcome target of two years without a goal. Stoke boss Lambert is baffled as to why his £12m striker has suffered such a lengthy barren spell. He says that on the training ground, the 24-year-old is right up there with the best he’s seen. Now he’s banking on getting goals out of the former West Brom hotshot to boost Stoke’s fight with relegation. Berahino’s last goal was on February 27 2016, netting for West Brom in a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace. He also served a two-month ban for taking a recreational drug before his move to Stoke in January 2017. Lambert said: “Obviously I’ve worked and played with great strikers and his finishing on the training ground is right up there.

Grabbed

“The boy can score, there’s no two ways about it. What a natural finisher – he’s absolutely brilliant. The boy just needs a wee bit of confidence and game time.” Berahino has too often grabbed the headlines away from the sports pages for a variety of misdemeanours. But Lambert firmly believes he’s worth persevering with in the hope of getting him back to his best. He added: “What happened previous to me coming is irrelevant, with regards to Saido. It’s only now that I’m concerned with and since I’ve been working with him, he’s done well in training. “He did well against Brighton when he came on, he just needs that goal again to get going. Why is it not happening for him? I don’t know.” With Peter Crouch crocked, Lambert will include 18-year-old striker Tyrese Campbell in his plans for tomorrow’s trip to Leicester. The son of former Arsenal and Everton striker Kevin Campbell caught the eye with a hat-trick for the club’s Under-23s against Fulham recently. “Tyrese has knocked the door off,” said Lambert. “He’s scored 17 goals this year and you can’t turn a blind eye to that. “So he deserves an opportunity and it won’t be through a gift to him, it will be through earning it.” DS142 THERE ARE 3 WAYS YOU CAN ORDER Price £29.99 P&P** £1.99 Qty £ £ Total