With Amadou Bakayoko and Maxime Biamou departing the club, but with Tyler Walker and Matt Godden still in residence, the task facing Mark Robins this summer is to find the right kinds of forwards to balance out the team’s attacking options. One key part of that jigsaw looked to be adding an experienced Championship forward who can provide an element of nous that was arguably missing from the team’s attack last season, which is why the addition of Martyn Waghorn seems to make a lot of sense.
The former Leicester City man appears to have matured over the course of his career from an energetic but wasteful forward into a more reliable presence in front of goal. That was why, just three years ago, Derby County paid, reportedly, a £5 million fee to bring him from Ipswich Town, making his signing for Coventry City on a free transfer seem a good piece of business. However, at 31 years old, and off the back of a fairly lean goalscoring season, it is understandable why Waghorn was available on a free transfer.
Martyn Waghorn isn’t coming to Coventry City to be the team’s main goalscorer, but that isn’t the objective for this summer’s attacking signings. While Waghorn should be able to chip in with goals, his role this season is likely to be about his ability to facilitate scoring from the team’s other attacking players – primarily, Tyler Walker. Although not a traditional target-man, Waghorn’s work-rate will be useful in a role as a foil in attack for this side. He provides Mark Robins with a different option in attack to what is currently available and should be a useful option as part of a roster of strikers.
Sideways Sammy 