Town striker Brett Pitman says he doesn’t feel sorry for team-mate Daryl Murphy as he endures a lengthy goal drought.
However, don’t get the wrong idea because Pitman is fully supportive of his colleague, last season’s leading Championship scorer with 27 league goals but yet to get off the mark in the current campaign.
Pitman said: "I don’t feel sorry for him. You could see what he contributed against Bolton on Tuesday night and he contributed plenty in the previous games as well.
"I’m sure he would be the first to say that he wants to be scoring and obviously we all want him to be scoring, but I thought his contribution on Tuesday stood out.
"Wayne Rooney has been getting criticised left, right and centre for a lack of goals but he’s doing alright. Murph will get a goal sooner rather than later and when he gets one hopefully they will start flowing.
"He will be getting frustrated more than anyone else but he’ll know that once he gets one he’ll get a few.”
Pitman’s summer arrival from Bournemouth added to the competition for places in the Town attack and he added: "We’ve always said that there are four of us and any of the four can play together and probably any of the four can play out wide if needed. I think that helps the manager because there’s a lot of versatility there.
"Didz and I can play just in behind an attacking two or even one, in front of a midfield three. Whatever the manager wants to do, I think we’re quite flexible with it.
"Playing wide is not too alien for me either. I played it a bit for Bournemouth, especially prior to last season and the season before that.
"I played there a few times and I understand the position and what I’ve got to do for the team. I don’t actually mind doing it so it’s fine.
"We all have our different attributes. Murph is the target man with a good presence about him, Freddie is quick, lively and sharp and likes running in behind and Didz likes dropping in, getting on the ball and making things happen.
"I think we all complement each other and whoever plays alongside whom, hopefully that’s what we will do.”
Pitman has proved to be an impact substitute throughout a career in which he has been a regular marksman. But when asked if he was surprised to be given a place in the starting line-up for the game against Bolton he replied: "No, not really. The gaffer knows I’m ready to start and it’s not about me giving him a nudge.
"He knows what I can do and he decided for that game that it was me who was going to play with Murph and Freddie on the wing. Maybe at Rotherham on Saturday it will be totally different — we don’t know.
"I don’t find it difficult being in and out of the team. Every player wants to play every week but it’s something I got used to last season. I was needed for certain games and for others it was someone else.
"But even if I’m not playing I try to help, whether it’s in the changing room, on the training ground or on the sidelines. If I’m on the bench I want to come on and help the team.
"I’m probably more used to it than the other three strikers. There were only three of them at the club last season and Didz was injured for a spell, which meant Murph and Freddie were probably guaranteed to play every week. It might be slightly different now.”