Keep up the hard work, urges boss
the bench or simply part of the matchday squad. The issue for the weekend is that each of the above trio can argue their respective corners for playing from the start.
“I understand players’ frustration when they can’t break into the side and we have got some good players who are finding it difficult to break into the starting XI,” Pearson said. “My conversations with them are always along the line of, you are going to have to continue to work hard so when you get your chance you are able to take it.
“It is really good to have healthy competition. For someone like Nahki it will be a big debate this week whether he gets a start. It is a great problem to have.
“I like having quality players who can’t get in the side because the players in there are doing everything they can to keep them out.
“We always consider our options going into games and I think it is important we stimulate the players enough to keep their belief in their opportunities at a realistic level.”
The expectation is, given their own form and Pearson’s reluctance to change too much from game to game if performance levels remain high, that Martin and Weimann will maintain a partnership worth seven of City’s ten Sky Bet Championship goals this season.
Wells will therefore likely take to the substitutes bench for the ninth time this season, despite being the Robins top scorer last term with ten goals. After eight games last season, the Bermudian had six starts under his belt. Unfortunately for Wells, Martin is the senior target man and Weimann looks undroppable.
Derby County manager Wayne Rooney has accused owner Mel Morris of a lack of honesty when telling the players and staff at the club that administration was likely.
Rooney also labelled Morris disrespectful for the way he has conducted himself, having not made the effort to speak with him for more than six weeks.
The Rams administration officially entered earlier this week, triggering an automatic 12-point deduction that sunk them to the bottom of the Championship, with the possibility of further points being taken away hanging over the club.
Rooney hit out at Morris a press conference for the way the owner delivered the news and handled the situation. He said: “In my opinion, it wasn’t sincere enough, it wasn’t heartfelt enough, and it wasn’t done with enough honesty.”