Having failed to find the net in his first five matches for Latics, the on-loan Manchester United man now has three goals in his last two matches.
Hugill converted a penalty after coming on as a half-time substitute against Morecambe last week in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy, and his first-half brace at Bristol Rovers on Saturday put Latics on course for a 4-0 triumph.
So has something suddenly ‘clicked’ for the player.
“No,” replied Maloney. “He’s already shown me what he can do. He’s been in those positions all season, our problem has been that final pass, that final cross, into him.
“Joe’s been in there, and he should have had probably double figures chances…but he hasn’t been given those chances. At Bristol, those balls fell in the right areas for him, and you saw what happens.
“It’s up to us to keep finding him in those positions.”
Hugill – who came through ranks at Sunderland, before joining United in the summer of 2020 – admitted after Saturday’s game that Maloney had been helping him out on the training field.
And the manager went further in his defence of a player who arrived with huge expectations over the summer.
“I read something online written by someone that wasn’t particularly positive about Joe’s start here,” said Maloney. “It suggested he was struggling here, but he was never struggling.
“He was actually learning about the positions I’m wanting him to get into, and he was managing to do that.
“We just weren’t finding him in the first few games, but he was still absolutely fantastic without the ball, and his positioning was really good.
“So I’ve never been anything other than really pleased with him, because I would never judge a player by their goals.
“I’ll judge him on the amount of chances he takes when we manage to find him, and he’s staying to find the back of the net now.”
Maloney was also asked what level he believed Hugill could reach if he fulfilled his potential.
“Joe’s extremely fast, he’s a very good finisher, and once he gets better at holding the ball up against more physical players, he’s become even better,” added the Latics chief.
“Whatever level the lad wants to reach, there’s no ceiling I’d ever put on him, he has so many attributes.
“I know that when forward players score, it gives you that lift, but he’s still got work to do. There’s different ways of scoring that he can get better at, but he’s had a very good start here.”
Maloney has also been pleased with fellow forward Dale Taylor, the Northern Ireland Under-21 international who is still waiting for his first start after arriving on a season-long loan from Nottingham Forest just before the transfer deadline.
“Dale gives us something else, and I’m really excited about what he can bring to the squad as well as Joe and Josh Stones.”
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