Martyn Waghorn may not have been brought to the club primarily for his goals, however, his overall level of performance has been disappointing and shows little sign of improving. That Mark Robins has opted to play with one up front in recent weeks, despite Martyn Waghorn being fit and available, underlines the lack of impact the forward has made. It’s not through a lack of effort, but whether it’s because he is on the decline as a footballer or just does not fit into the system at Coventry City, Martyn Waghorn looks like someone who will surplus to requirements over the summer.
There was promise early in the season, where Martyn Waghorn started regularly with Viktor Gyokeres in attack, and both the Swede and the team were in excellent form. While he didn’t quite look up to speed with the rest of the team, at times, in that period, Waghorn looked like he was getting there until he picked up an injury. The timing of that setback may have been more impactful than the injury itself, with Waghorn unable to build up the rhythm to play to the level to force his way back into the team. Additionally, there appears to be an issue of Waghorn not quite appearing to know whether he should drop deep or look to get in behind, often finding himself getting in the way of his shaper, more certain, team-mates
Perhaps, a full summer to regain sharpness could help Martyn Waghorn get to the level that was expected of him when he signed for the club. However, at 32 years old, it is hard not to feel that Waghorn may have lost the physical capacity to be effective at Championship level, having been an all-action, hard-running attacking player in the past. It’s not that Martyn Waghorn is not trying, it’s not that Mark Robins hasn’t been giving him opportunities, it just looks like he has arrived at Coventry City a year or two too late. It’s a shame as a Waghorn closer to his peak could have been worth a few places in the table, however, it would be placing a lot of faith in an ageing player to expect him to rediscover his mojo next season.
Sideways Sammy 