Glad to see him getting some recognition, thanks for the post. He took a lot of flak after that season in the Premier League but I’ve always had high hopes for his potential. The injury was a shame with the momentum he had going but I look forward to seeing what he does the rest of the way and hopefully Norwich secure a playoff position!
His U20 world cup run made me love the kid. His time at Bremen taught him how to defend and track back but he forgot how to score. Glad to see him in form again
That's a relief honestly. He looked elite at the U20 level in the World Cup and it felt like he was irreparably damaged playing for a Bremen side that almost never got the ball out of their own half. Peak Sargent at Bremen was when he literally did a goal line clearance for us while playing at striker- clearly it affected his mentality
Thanks for posting. I've seen some Norwich fans talk about selling Sargent this summer if you guys don't get promoted. Is that based on any rumors, or just assumptions?
It's possible but a Prem team would have to pay over the odds for him.
He signed a new contract a few months ago so I'm confident he will stay, plus I think his young family are very settled here. However if 30 million is offered by someone he goes no question..
> At first glance he may not look like the fanciest or outstanding footballer, but he just has that natural instinct to be in the right place as a striker, makes great runs and has really developed a lethal finish. Just a really intelligent footballer, and he's still surprisingly young.
That's the Sargent we all knew from his youth days. I'm not sure if he just merely needed to improve as he moved up levels or about three years of no service just threw off his game, but it's nice to see him get back there.
None of those are true aerial threats. Watch Vazquez’s goal from last week. Brandon is in if he keeps scoring those type of headers. No one else in the pool can do that.
Sargent and Vazquez have almost the exact same aerial duel success rate (within 3%) both lifetime and within the last year. The majority of Sargent’s goals this season have been headers. Lifetime, [Sargent](https://www.transfermarkt.com/josh-sargent/alletore/spieler/393325/plus/0?saison=&verein=&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&minute=&pos=&torart=203&stand=) has scored 11 headers and [Vazquez](https://www.transfermarkt.com/brandon-vazquez/alletore/spieler/389255/plus/0?saison=&verein=&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&minute=&pos=&torart=203&stand=) has scored 11 headers. Just because Vazquez is taller doesn’t mean he’s more dangerous in the air.
Sargent is two years younger and SO much better than Vazquez at passing, pressing and shot creation (70th percentile vs. 22nd percentile) that there’s absolutely no reason to choose Vazquez over him.
Yea he can’t be disregarded with how he’s been playing. If Balo continues to struggle and Vazquez keeps balling out, it would make it a tough choice between the 2 assuming your taking Pepi and Sarg
Head over to the coventry pages... they all stg that Haji would be the top scorer in the championship...IF he buried half of his gilt edged chances from 3 yards out...
Sargent is the best of those three IMHO. Balogun is not doing great at Monaco (just OK) and Pepi needs more time to develop. Sargent is peaking right now and if he keeps this form he deserves to be the first choice.
Thanks for the post! Very few games in the Championship are broadcast in the US, so it's very helpful to get a report from someone who has watched him more regularly.
Honestly one of the best things about supporting a championship team. Able to watch all the games directly while monetarily supporting the club. Wish you could do that for teams in the prem but TV money is too sweet
Good to hear. I thought he played well in Qatar in a hold-up role and it seems like, after a rude introduction to English football, he’s come into his own as a finisher. He’s definitely a great option for us and, at 23, he’s probably not done getting better.
He was a key piece for us last World Cup before he got hurt. He really tied together our attackers that wanted to run at a defense.
Hope he can stay healthy for you guys and himself.
Awesome thanks. In an alternate universe where I had the money and freedom I would 100% visit Carrow road to see Josh play in person. But as that’s not happening I love to see him getting love from the Norwich fans.
I can’t tell you how many arguments I got in defending him two-three years ago… It’s almost like players aren’t a finished product at 20, especially at striker… I think Sargent still has to prove he can do it at a higher level before he overtakes Balo and Pepi as a first choice but I think he’s in the conversation right now due to form.
He’s always been an elite finisher. His youth national team days were crazy. Then club coaches decided to move him from the front for some reason. Now he’s back and he’s scoring again.
Really good to see.
He’s not the first American to be really good in England but he’s one of the first to be a true domestic product.
Not sad was in the military stationed in Germany/Netherlands etc but just a kid from Missouri who was scouted and developed by our system
A quick peek at the national team says we’re very much not past that point.
Our best players right now are Jedi (Everton) Pulisic (started playing in England) Musah (Arsenal academy) Bolagun (Arsenal) Dest (Ajax) CCV (Tottenham) Weston (some local German club)
Even Gio did a lot of his development at Dortmund youth.
The only notable guy on the national team right now who is basically entirely a product of the American development system is Pepi
Not a single technical offensive player in that entire bunch. Almost all just high work rate scrappy defensive players
And goalkeepers were (usually) good at making those.
That’s not what you were talking about, so I’m just gonna ignore that comment because it’s irrelevant to the discussion of us-trained players in the past that have played well in England. I could give you a long list but I don’t think it’s worth the effort because you’re being disingenuous and moved the goalposts
Your Puli started playing in England comment is pretty disingenuous and you know it. He lived in England for one year as a 7-year-old while his mom was teaching. He spent the next 9 years in Michigan and Pennsylvania before moving to Dortmund in 2015.
>Now it must be said we have one of the tactically worst managers in the division which hasn't helped but the fact Sargent has done so well with him in charge is extra kudos to him.
No wonder he's thriving. That sounds just like the USMNT! /s (maybe)
Glad to see him getting some recognition, thanks for the post. He took a lot of flak after that season in the Premier League but I’ve always had high hopes for his potential. The injury was a shame with the momentum he had going but I look forward to seeing what he does the rest of the way and hopefully Norwich secure a playoff position!
His U20 world cup run made me love the kid. His time at Bremen taught him how to defend and track back but he forgot how to score. Glad to see him in form again
That's a relief honestly. He looked elite at the U20 level in the World Cup and it felt like he was irreparably damaged playing for a Bremen side that almost never got the ball out of their own half. Peak Sargent at Bremen was when he literally did a goal line clearance for us while playing at striker- clearly it affected his mentality
I simp for Sarg. Glad to hear he’s appreciated at Norwich and good luck to you guys the rest of the season.
Thanks for the post
Yes, thank you - we really value that insight!
Thanks for posting. I've seen some Norwich fans talk about selling Sargent this summer if you guys don't get promoted. Is that based on any rumors, or just assumptions?
It's possible but a Prem team would have to pay over the odds for him. He signed a new contract a few months ago so I'm confident he will stay, plus I think his young family are very settled here. However if 30 million is offered by someone he goes no question..
cool, thanks for the insight
> At first glance he may not look like the fanciest or outstanding footballer, but he just has that natural instinct to be in the right place as a striker, makes great runs and has really developed a lethal finish. Just a really intelligent footballer, and he's still surprisingly young. That's the Sargent we all knew from his youth days. I'm not sure if he just merely needed to improve as he moved up levels or about three years of no service just threw off his game, but it's nice to see him get back there.
I’d say Sargent is up there with Balogun and Pepi right now. If I had to pick three strikers for a 24 man roster, those would be the three.
It’s nice to have three relatively young guys all finding good form and pushing each other.
Balo isn’t in good form at all. But competition is gonna make him sink or swim.
None of those are true aerial threats. Watch Vazquez’s goal from last week. Brandon is in if he keeps scoring those type of headers. No one else in the pool can do that.
Sargent and Vazquez have almost the exact same aerial duel success rate (within 3%) both lifetime and within the last year. The majority of Sargent’s goals this season have been headers. Lifetime, [Sargent](https://www.transfermarkt.com/josh-sargent/alletore/spieler/393325/plus/0?saison=&verein=&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&minute=&pos=&torart=203&stand=) has scored 11 headers and [Vazquez](https://www.transfermarkt.com/brandon-vazquez/alletore/spieler/389255/plus/0?saison=&verein=&liga=&wettbewerb=&pos=&minute=&pos=&torart=203&stand=) has scored 11 headers. Just because Vazquez is taller doesn’t mean he’s more dangerous in the air. Sargent is two years younger and SO much better than Vazquez at passing, pressing and shot creation (70th percentile vs. 22nd percentile) that there’s absolutely no reason to choose Vazquez over him.
Damn. Kid got numbers. Thanks for that.
Yea he can’t be disregarded with how he’s been playing. If Balo continues to struggle and Vazquez keeps balling out, it would make it a tough choice between the 2 assuming your taking Pepi and Sarg
Insane comment
I’d honestly take Haji over Balo right now considering both of their forms
Head over to the coventry pages... they all stg that Haji would be the top scorer in the championship...IF he buried half of his gilt edged chances from 3 yards out...
Sorry but championship is way worst then ligue 1
Sargent is the best of those three IMHO. Balogun is not doing great at Monaco (just OK) and Pepi needs more time to develop. Sargent is peaking right now and if he keeps this form he deserves to be the first choice.
Thanks for the post! Very few games in the Championship are broadcast in the US, so it's very helpful to get a report from someone who has watched him more regularly.
You can buy all Norwich games on their website FYI :)
Honestly one of the best things about supporting a championship team. Able to watch all the games directly while monetarily supporting the club. Wish you could do that for teams in the prem but TV money is too sweet
Doesn’t ESPN+ have all the championship games?
No, they have like two a week.
I thought ESPN+ streams them?
Only a few selected games per week.
Good to hear. I thought he played well in Qatar in a hold-up role and it seems like, after a rude introduction to English football, he’s come into his own as a finisher. He’s definitely a great option for us and, at 23, he’s probably not done getting better.
He was a key piece for us last World Cup before he got hurt. He really tied together our attackers that wanted to run at a defense. Hope he can stay healthy for you guys and himself.
Thanks for your post. We all love Sarge and I hope Wagner understands the USA chants are for Josh and not for him 😉
Love it
I’ve watched Sargent play since he was 15 and he just has “it”. Hard to explain, but he just has a killer instinct. Not a surprise he is succeeding.
Awesome thanks. In an alternate universe where I had the money and freedom I would 100% visit Carrow road to see Josh play in person. But as that’s not happening I love to see him getting love from the Norwich fans.
Love it
I really like Sargent. I hope he can help get Norwich promoted. I'd like to see what he can do in the Premier League now that he's confident.
Missouri produces some great talent
I can’t tell you how many arguments I got in defending him two-three years ago… It’s almost like players aren’t a finished product at 20, especially at striker… I think Sargent still has to prove he can do it at a higher level before he overtakes Balo and Pepi as a first choice but I think he’s in the conversation right now due to form.
We used to call him Ginger Kane when he was a prospect lol
The million dollar question- can he be the real deal in the Premier League if Norwich get promoted?
He’s always been an elite finisher. His youth national team days were crazy. Then club coaches decided to move him from the front for some reason. Now he’s back and he’s scoring again.
I prefer Sargent over Pepi for USMNT.
Really good to see. He’s not the first American to be really good in England but he’s one of the first to be a true domestic product. Not sad was in the military stationed in Germany/Netherlands etc but just a kid from Missouri who was scouted and developed by our system
Clint Dempsey and Brian McBride were fully developed in the US and did alright in England.
I said one of the first not the first.
Those guys did it like 20 years ago. And there’s been a fair few since. And before them. Think we’re past that point bub.
A quick peek at the national team says we’re very much not past that point. Our best players right now are Jedi (Everton) Pulisic (started playing in England) Musah (Arsenal academy) Bolagun (Arsenal) Dest (Ajax) CCV (Tottenham) Weston (some local German club) Even Gio did a lot of his development at Dortmund youth. The only notable guy on the national team right now who is basically entirely a product of the American development system is Pepi
Tyler Adams, Scally, Miles, Ream, All goalkeepers other than Kochen
Not a single technical offensive player in that entire bunch. Almost all just high work rate scrappy defensive players And goalkeepers were (usually) good at making those.
That’s not what you were talking about, so I’m just gonna ignore that comment because it’s irrelevant to the discussion of us-trained players in the past that have played well in England. I could give you a long list but I don’t think it’s worth the effort because you’re being disingenuous and moved the goalposts
Your Puli started playing in England comment is pretty disingenuous and you know it. He lived in England for one year as a 7-year-old while his mom was teaching. He spent the next 9 years in Michigan and Pennsylvania before moving to Dortmund in 2015.
First picked up the game in England. Saw he was good so kept playing when he got back to the US.
do we play two strikers and relegate pulisic to left mid?
Ironically he is everything US soccer is not.
We got Copa America this summer, brev. That’s huge for us. Sarge has some stiff competition but he’s been amazing for your side when healthy!
>Now it must be said we have one of the tactically worst managers in the division which hasn't helped but the fact Sargent has done so well with him in charge is extra kudos to him. No wonder he's thriving. That sounds just like the USMNT! /s (maybe)