But Vale striker says he is happy to do a job for the team
Vale striker Tom Pope opened the season in fine goal scoring form, notching five goals in Vale’s opening four games – a ration any striker would be more than pleased with.
Vale’s top scorer over the last two seasons hasn’t managed to find the net since then, his last goal coming away to Oldham Athletic, but he certainly isn’t letting it get him down.
The 29-year-old front man has other duties to perform, and although he would like nothing more than finding the back of the onion bag, he knows the team comes first.
He said: “I feel like it is back to how I was three or four years ago where I am doing a job for the team and trying to be a bit of a battering ram without really getting any chances.
“I don’t mind which side of the game I do, but obviously I have been less of a threat in the last few games than I have in the last couple of years. I need to find a middle ground between the two jobs.
“Jordan Slew has come in and we are trying to switch jobs and help each other out, and I haven’t been in the box as much as I would have liked in the last few games.
“But as long as the team are doing well and I am doing a job for the team, then that’s the main thing.
“Obviously when I have scored the amount of goals I have over the last couple of years then it’s something that people expect of me.
“I do my best to try and score goals but obviously I haven’t really had any chances in the last few games.
“We have had a lot of joy with Mark Marshall out wide and he has been a big threat and when you have got a wide man who is beating full backs, coming inside and getting shots off you are just hoping for something to drop down to you.
“That is how the games have gone, but we have looked a lot more solid in the last couple of games and if we keep playing games, not losing and I am not scoring then that is fine by me.
“We want to get back up the league. I want to get back to scoring goals as soon as possible, but the main thing is to continue to do well.”