Joey Barton believes Bristol Rovers loan striker Josh Coburn is the best striker in League One and is cautiously optimistic that the 20-year-old will complete the 2022/23 season with the Gas.
Coburn has made a major impact since making his delayed debut for the blue and white quarters on October 8, and scored his seventh goal of the season in the 4-3 defeat to Exeter City on Thursday night.
Aside from his finishing - a goal every 143 minutes and with an impressive 29 per cent shot conversion rate - what’s stood out with each of Coburn’s appearances is how he’s adapted to the physicality of the third tier.
Constantly playing with his back to goal as the frontline striker, Coburn has been the subject of some rough treatment from opposition defenders but on each occasion has stuck to his task and diligently carried out the game plan.
Having previously tipped him to earn England honours in the future, should he continue on this trajectory, Barton doesn’t think there’s a single striker better than Coburn across the division.
“I think we’ve got the best striker in the division,” Barton said. “I think he’s as good as anybody. Another goal against Exeter, but his overall play is really improving and the regular starts and 90 minutes, Middlesbrough are going to get a hell of a player back. Hopefully in the summer, when they recall him.”
As for the contenders for that title, assuming Barton isn't considering Aaron Collins - more of a withdrawn forward, as is the case with Exeter's Jevani Brown - former Gas striker Jonson Clarke-Harris leads the goalscoring charts with 13 and is the obvious candidate but there aren't too many notable names outside of the Peterborough United frontman.
Portsmouth's Colby Bishop has cooled off after a fine start, and Victor Adeboyejo doesn't possess the same all-round game as Coburn. Sheffield Wednesday's Michael Smith and Sam Vokes of Wycombe Wanderers would be the obvious more established other names, but they have six and three goals, respectively, this term.
Last week, Middlesbrough head of football Kieran Scott and manager Michael Carrick were in agreement that despite Boro holding a January recall clause, it makes sense for the 20-year-old to remain at the Mem until the end of the season.
Providing he stays injury-free, at his current rate of usage he’ll have made more than 30 appearances and likely exceeded 15 goals, an experience that is of considerable benefit to Boro in the long-term than him occupying a bench place in Carrick’s matchday 18.
Barton admits it’s impossible to say definitely that Coburn will still be a Rovers player on February 1, but with Chuba Akpom on fire in the Championship and Duncan Watmore and Matt Crooks also occupying attacking roles with Rodrigo Muniz, Marcus Forss and Matthew Hoppe also in the squad, unless there any of them sustain serious injuries over the next month, the Gas should be able to continue to use their No40.
“They never are, are they?” Barton said, when asked if it’d been confirmed whether Coburn will stay beyond this window. “First of Feb, he might be. Because it’s only Middlesbrough he can play for.
"I see Chuba Akpom scoring a hat-trick and Forss, so they’ve got some talent there. Michael has come out and said this is the perfect place for him, so barring any madness at Middlesbrough in terms of a bad run of games or injuries, I don’t think (he’ll go back in January).”
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