Derby manager Nigel Pearson has discussed the exit of striker Chris Martin and the importance of pace in his side.
Nigel Pearson admits that Derby County needed more pace in attack this season, hinting at the reason behind Chris Martin’s departure from the iPro Stadium.
Scotland international Martin scored 52 goals in the last three Championship seasons for the Rams but Pearson wasted little time in farming the 27-year-old out on loan to Fulham with an option of making the move permanent for £9 million, according to the BBC.
The decision to dispense with the club’s top scorer in the last three seasons has divided Derby fans, especially with replacements James Wilson and Matej Vydra (below) netting just eight times in 56 appearances between them at Brighton and Reading respectively in 2015/16.
However, Pearson, who won the Championship with Leicester City in 2014, is adamant that he needed more pace in his attack as Derby look to finally achieve promotion after successive play-off failures.
“I think that we needed [pace]. We’ve got fresh faces into the squad and hopefully they will complement what we have here already,” Pearson (below) told the club’s official website.
“It isn’t about making sweeping changes, but getting the best out of what we’ve got here.”
Martin, despite his impressive goalscoring record, was accused of laziness by some Derby fans, something Pearson will not tolerate in his direct, fast-paced philosophy.
Therefore, Vydra and Wilson, allied with the likes of Tom Ince, Andi Weimann and Johnny Russell, appear a much better fit for the 53-year-old’s gameplan.
And the former Hull City boss will be hoping he can discover another Matty Fryatt or Jamie Vardy (below), two speedy frontmen who thrived under Pearson’s leadership.
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