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The beginning of the end for Maynard?

Following a vastly improved performance and result for City against relegation rivals Doncaster Rovers on Saturday, Stu Radnedge returns to The Exiled Robin with this post-match view and what the future holds for star striker Nicky Maynard. (ER - written prior to City's announcement that Wigan had been given permission to talk to Maynard)


From the despair of last weekend’s result against Brighton came a stellar performance and victory for the best team in Bristol on Saturday as City recorded Derek McInnes’ seventh victory in his time as manager.  The victory saw new signing Chris Wood and Kalifa Cisse score well-orchestrated goals in the first half – mounting pressure on the lowly visitors, Doncaster Rovers, who replied with a goal in the second half.  No more so due to them having to play with ten men after Habib Beye was sent off in the inciden that led to City netting their second goal.

But, more interestingly for me was the noted absence of one player who was rested completely – Nicky Maynard. Is this preparation for the inevitable sale or was it forced by an unnamed buyer who stipulated he was not to play?

With the transfer window just over one week away from the close we could find out soon if or where the lad is off to. But one thing is for sure, we have to sell him in this window or risk losing him for nothing.

At the beginning of the year I was one of the many people saying we shouldn’t sell him. Now I wish we had and pocketed the cash that was on offer for him as what he will go for now will be minuscule in comparison!  The cash on offer for him in the summer transfer window would have been vital to offset some of the financial losses we have had. I’m not sure why he’s not signing another contract. It strikes me as being a similar situation as our intrepid former goalie Basso. I think the line from the gaffer was when Basso refused to commit to another terms at Ashton Gate was “For his sake I hope he knows something that I don’t and someone signs him” – or something like that. It’s a risky game to be played.

Nearly 15,000 witnessed Saturday’s victory which I’m sure will delight those in favour of a move away from the Gate to a new stadium in Ashton Vale. 

Positives from a victory are a lot easier to find than finding them in a defeat like last week – but the big one for me is the smiling assassin (if I keep using it, it will stick) Yannick Bolasie.  Hopefully his performance on Saturday will ensure he continues to grow as a player, enjoy his football even more, and keep entertaining the crowds with the creative flair he showed on the weekend and transfer it to this weekend’s match away against Reading.

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  1. Micluther27 January 2012 at 08:13

    The victory saw new signing Chris Wood and Kalifa Cisse score well-orchestrated goals in the first half – mounting pressure on the lowly visitors.

    ReplyDelete

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