Joe Garner was popular to start off with at Rangers due to his huge work ethic – but a lack of goals meant the Ipswich Town striker quickly lost his support.
Martyn Waghorn simply can’t stop scoring for Ipswich Town. The summer signing netted for the eighth time in ten Championship starts for his new club with a stunning, swerving free-kick in Saturday’s 3-0 thrashing of Preston North End.
His strike partner, however, could only dream of embarking on such a prolific run. Like Waghorn, Joe Garner moved to Ipswich from Scottish giants Rangers in the summer but, unlike Waghorn, is yet to hit the net on a regular basis for Mick McCarthy’s side.
Garner has just four goals in 14 appearances – and is currently six games without a goal, a barren run dating back to Ipswich’s 3-2 defeat to Leeds United in September.
Though the 29-year-old’s prodigious work rate and aerial presence means he has remained an integral part of McCarthy’s starting XI, Ipswich might have wanted more from a striker they paid £1 million for in the summer, per the East Anglian Daily Times.
Ironically, a rather below-par goals tally was perhaps the reason why Ipswich were able to sign Garner for around half the price that Rangers paid Preston for his signature just 12 months previously.
The former Nottingham Forest man earned the admiration of many Rangers supporters due to his clear desire and commendable attitude. But even that was not enough to excuse a tally of just seven goals in 31 Scottish Premiership games.
A lack of quality and finesse in the final third meant supporters eventually lost faith in Garner. And while he is still a fans’ favourite at Ipswich, a continued barren run in front of goal could soon have those in the stands asking questions.
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