Nigel Pearson believes that Derby County injected more pace into their squad during the summer transfer window.
Strikers James Wilson and Matej Vydra, along with wideman Ikechi Anya, joined Derby’s ranks in the last two weeks of the window, while free agent Chris Weale penned a one-year contract to provide cover for goalkeepers Scott Carson and Jonathan Mitchell.
Wilson has joined on a season-long loan deal from Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United while Vydra and Anya arrived from Premier League side Watford for undisclosed fees.
Pearson has revealed that he was keen to add further pace into his squad to complement the other qualities that he already has at his disposal.
He told Rams Player HD: “I think that we needed it (pace).
“We’ve got fresh faces into the squad and hopefully they will complement what we have here already.
“That’s what it’s all about really. It isn’t about making sweeping changes, but getting the best out of what we’ve got here.
“If we can bring in players that can improve us then I think it’s an important thing.”
He added: “They (Wilson, Vydra and Anya) have a drive to be successful and a hunger to really be a success with us, which is important.
“When you add into that where the individual wants to go in their career, and what they want to achieve, then hopefully all those things will benefit the club.”
Pearson was also keen to highlight that the additions have been made to help bring out the best in the squad.
He says it is important to recognise the quality of player he is able to call upon.
He said: “I think it was always going to be an evolution of the squad (during the transfer window).
“To affect change takes a bit of time but it is also about recognising what we already have.
“We have players who are capable. If we are going to try and play a different way from time to time, then having more pace in the squad is beneficial for us.”
Jeff Hendrick, Lee Grant and Chris Martin all left on deadline day.
Hendrick joined Premier League outfit Burnley for an undisclosed fee while Grant and Martin joined Stoke City and Fulham on loan respectively.
Grant has linked up with Stoke until January 2017 while Martin will spend the entire season with Fulham, who have paid a substantial loan fee for his services and hold the option to make the move a permanent one.
Pearson said: “We were sad to see Jeff go but as a manager you have to accept that players will leave.
“He was a player that we would have liked to have kept around in an ideal scenario, but once we received the type of bid that we did from Burnley it meant we could do some other business as well.
“When you combine all the things together, you have to make sensible decisions and ultimately players drive decisions these days.”
On Martin’s move to Fulham, Pearson added: “With the additions that we have made to the squad, the competition is a lot stronger.
“We also received a sizeable loan fee for him going to Fulham. You have to weigh up the pros and cons of any deal and I don’t take decisions lightly, but moving forward I think it is a positive for him and us.”