Wagner stands by strike force despite drought

since the big kick-off on August 11, with Jon Gorenc Stankovic on target at Manchester City, Philip Billing at Everton, Mathias Zanka Jorgensen at Leicester and Christopher Schindler in the draw at Burnley.

No-one has managed to find the net on home soil, although the likes of Laurent Depoitre (against Tottenham) and Jonathan Hogg (against Liverpool last time out) have been desperately unlucky with cracking efforts against the frame of the goal. Town’s spell without a goal at home now stretches to 630 minutes since Tom Ince netted the last-gasp winner against this coming weekend’s opponents back on April 14. But Wagner is not worried. Quizzed about goalscorers being hard to find, the John Smith’s Stadium chief launched a passionate defence of his strike force.

“I am totally happy with my two No.9s which I have,” said Wagner, whose side pushed Champions League finalists Liverpool all the way in a 1-0 defeat.

“Steve Mounie and Laurent Depoitre, for a club like us, we have two very, very good No.9s.

“And even if they haven’t scored so far in this season, I have every belief and every trust in them that they will help us.”

Wagner also reiterated his belief that if Town continue to perform well as a team, they will score the goals and pick up the points necessary to move away from the danger zone.

“I know this is so difficult, but don’t get driven away (from the right way to go about things) by the results,” he said. “This is a results-driven business - absolutely it is and this is correct but I always say we should not judge ourselves before the season is over, before the last match is played. “If you perform consistently on a high level you will collect points and you will score goals, and this is exactly what we are focused on. “We will see it and we will know it at the end of the season,” he added. “There are 29 games to go and everything is still very tight together. “This is why we are only focused on the next opponent.” Depoitre’s last competitive goal was in the 1-1 draw at Chelsea last season which sealed Town’s survival in the Premier League. It was his sixth of the campaign. Benin international Mounie hit nine goals last term, including two in the FA Cup. His last strike was in the 1-1 draw at Brighton on April 7.

I am totally happy with my two No.9s which I have