Derby County striker Martyn Waghorn had yet another disappointing afternoon as he contributed very little during his side’s slender defeat at Blackburn Rovers.
The Ram’s shocking away form rumbles on following a 1-0 defeat at Ewood Park.
It is now five defeats in succession on the road, all without scoring a single goal.
Derby have attacking options. However, the form of last season’s pairing of Jack Marriott and Martyn Waghorn is incredibly concerning, and questions are now being raised.
Waghorn arrived at Pride Park for a reported £5 million fee in the summer of 2018. He was a Frank Lampard signing, joining after scoring 16 goals for Ipswich Town in 2017-18.
MORE DERBY STORIES
But this year, the 29-year-old has shown little of his former goal scoring form.
In 2019, Waghorn has featured in 40 Championship games. He has scored just eight goals in open play. The rest of his strikes have been made up of set-pieces, mostly penalties.
If Waghorn isn’t scoring, he must at least contribute in other areas. However, it seems the former Rangers man has struggled in general team play too.
His first touch isn’t the best. He rarely wins headers against tall centre-backs, averaging just 1.3 aerial winners per game. And two assists in 40 games shows he isn’t a creator.
Manager Phillip Cocu, however, still sees him as Derby’s number one striker. Waghorn started against Blackburn, with both Jack Marriott and Chris Martin on the bench.
It’s a decision which has frustrated supporters. Derby’s best away performance recently was at Nottingham Forest where both Marriott and Martin started upfront. That game saw the Rams have seven shots on target. On Saturday, they managed just one.
Waghorn’s presence is seemingly keeping the duo out. His recent form, however, doesn’t justify that decision and Phillip Cocu must consider making the change in midweek.
Also see: ‘Clown; Awful’: Some Derby fans hammer player after Blackburn defeat
Also see: Derby to miss out as reported target sets sights on signing deal with Championship rivals