From the Post Bristol City head coach Sean O'Driscoll ready to play Albert Adomah against Reading Wednesday, July 24, 2013 BRISTOL City head coach Sean O'Driscoll is ready to call Wigan Athletic's bluff by playing want-away winger Albert Adomah against Reading at Ashton Gate tonight. O'Driscoll has finally lost patience with a situation that has plunged Ghana international Adomah into limbo in recent weeks and prevented him playing any part in City's pre-season friendly programme. Albert Adomah is set to play against Reading Adomah, pictured, has not featured since handing in a written transfer request a fortnight ago, a ploy prompted by City's decision to reject two bids from FA Cup holders Wigan. Latics boss Owen Coyle wants to bring Adomah to the DW Stadium, but an offer of £800,000 does not match City's valuation and the situation has reached an impasse in recent days with neither club's board of directors willing to give ground. Although Wigan's bid remains the only one on the table for 25-year-old Adomah, City are holding out for a fee of £1 million up front. Latics chief executive Jonathan Jackson has proposed making up the difference in the form of various add-ons, which are chiefly dependent upon Wigan gaining promotion back to the Premier League, but the Ashton Gate board are holding firm. All of which has persuaded O'Driscoll to bring Adomah in from the cold and include him in the squad to face Nigel Adkins' Reading. Eager to draw a line under the whole saga, O'Driscoll believes Wigan have had long enough to conclude a transfer and, given that Adomah risks injury by playing in pre-season, his presence in the squad tonight sends a clear message to the FA Cup holders. O'Driscoll said: "We cannot allow this situation to drag on indefinitely. Either Albert moves on and we wish him well, or he is still here and becomes a part of our squad for the new season. "We have given the situation every chance to move along and the time has now come to draw a line under it. Albert is still here, so he comes back in." But Marlon Harewood will not feature in the starting line-up owing to concerns over his fitness. The 33-year-old striker, who has been training with City since last Friday, has not had a proper pre-season since being released by Barnsley in the summer and is some weeks behind City's players in terms of his preparation. O'Driscoll will select a starting line-up with next week's League One curtain-raiser against Bradford City in mind and Harewood will continue to train with the Robins. But the former Aston Villa and West Ham striker is pressing City for a quick answer as he seeks a club before the start of the season, and his future should be decided one way or the other by the end of this week. Meanwhile, Millwall appear to have dropped their interest in Robins striker Steven Davies after having three bids of around £350,000 turned down last week. Although Lions boss Steve Lomas is keen on the 26-year-old former Derby County man, he has now turned his attention to other targets and is set to hold talks with Scott McDonald, the out-of-contract Australian striker who is set to leave Middlesbrough. If Albert plays I can see it being as a sub as he has not played so far this preseason.
What do you think the starting 11 will be? Fielding Moloney Cunningham Flint Fontaine(not happy but seems likely) Wagstaff Winter Kelly JET Baldock Davies
I think we may be seeing our first team tonight. whether SOD changes it at half time I don't know but I think he will field what he thinks will be our starting line up/strongest 11 Fielding Moloney Flint Williams Cunningham Wagstaff Kelly Wynter JET Davies Baldock would be my team
Oh ah I forgot about Adomah so put him in but forgot you're only allowed 11 players Gone back to my original team
-----------------Fielding------------- Maloney---Flint----Fontaine----Cunningham -------------Wynter----Kelly--------------- Wagstaff--------JET-----------Bryan/Davies ----------------Baldock------------ That's mine with Kelly captain
Can't be bothered to go is the game available on player or have I got to keep upto date via twatter? also the under 18s are away to Paulton Rovers tonight http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/paultonrovers/news/paulton-rovers-v-bristol-city-996556.html worth a listen i suppose http://www.somervalleyfm.co.uk/live.html
Ill keep you up to date it wont be consistent as there is some good tv on tonight but ill be checking regularly enough.
Bristol City FC ‏@bcfctweets 1m #BristolCity v Reading: Fielding; Moloney, Flint, Fontaine, Cunningham; Adomah, Wynter, Kilkenny, Wagstaff; Emmanuel-Thomas, Baldock
Bristol City FC ‏@bcfctweets 1m Subs: Reid, Bryan, Krans, Harewood, Williams, Parish, Carey, Taylor.
