“Stats don’t tell the whole picture” - Summer signing gets Derby County backing despite barren run | OneFootball

Jerry Yates has been praised for his impact at Derby County since his move from Swansea City.

This article is part of Football League World’s 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Jerry Yates has been praised for how he has adapted to life at Derby County, even though the forward is yet to get off the mark for his new club.

It was a busy summer for the Rams following their promotion back to the Championship, with Paul Warne and the recruitment team looking to strengthen the squad.

In the end, a lot of business was done, and one deal Derby sorted early in the window was that of Yates, who joined on loan from Swansea City for the current campaign.

Jerry Yates enjoys positive start at Derby County

The 27-year-old has played four games for his new club, and whilst he has yet to score his first goal, the team have picked up six points in that period.

And, Yates has seemingly made a positive impression, as fan pundit Shaun Woodward told FLW that he has been pleased with the all-round game of the striker, and he is confident that the goals will follow if he maintains this performance level.

He said: “I’ve been really impressed. His stats don’t tell the whole picture, as he is hardworking, very intelligent, he has quick feet, and he had a really tough job as a lone striker, as he can be isolated but it doesn’t seem to impact him.

“He has good body language, he looks really up for it, he’s a handful for centre-backs, and he just needs that first goal really.

"We don’t create that much on the road, so it will probably come at Pride Park, where he has been really unlucky on a few occasions. It will come, and 99% of the fans will be impressed by the way he has played, so we just hope he can get a few goals and get his confidence up. But, you can’t fault him at the moment.”

Jerry Yates is playing an important role for Derby County

Most strikers will be judged on goals and Yates will be desperate to get off the mark for his new club.

However, as outlined above, he is still having a big impact on the team, and you can be sure that many other fans, and, most importantly Warne, appreciate what he is bringing to the side right now.

Derby’s success this season has been built on a good work rate and solid organisation and structure. Therefore, the striker has to set the tone with his pressing from the front, and he must do the hard yards out of possession, whether that’s winning fouls to relieve pressure or offering himself as an outlet.

That’s exactly what Yates has done, and his teammates will have benefited from his presence up front.

Jerry Yates will be playing for his Derby County future

Yates joined the Rams for the season, so he is set to return to Swansea next summer, as he has a contract with the Welsh side that runs until 2026.

Realistically, the ex-Blackpool man will know that he could earn a permanent switch to Pride Park if he performs well, and it might be a case that he isn’t suited to what Luke Williams wants with the Swans.

So, Yates will be keen to extend his stay in the Midlands, and Derby will no doubt be assessing him over the coming months to see whether they can make it happen.