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Bristol City must hold on to hitmen to fuel League One promotion push

| 19.07.2012

Bristol City’s Sean O’Driscoll may have first hand-experience of guiding sides to promotion from League One, but he’ll need to fight tooth and nail to hold on to his strikers ahead of the new campaign if the Robins are to seal an immediate return to the Championship.

Of the squad O’Driscoll inherited from Derek McInnes, Tom Heaton, Lewin Nyatanga, Jon Stead, Cole Skuse and Paul Anderson have all departed Ashton Gate since the end of the 2012/13 campaign and now it seems that the club must brace themselves for bids for forwards Steven Davies and Sam Baldock.

Having inherited the Millwall hotseat from Kenny Jackett, Steve Lomas is keen to make Davies a Lions player, although their opening bid of circa £300,000 is thought to be roughly half of what the Robins believe their man’s value to be.

Former West Ham player Baldock has also been the subject of interest from numerous suitors according to The Bristol Post.

The latter plundered 13 goals for the Robins last term, whilst Davies rippled the onion bag 10 times, with only Wigan target Albert Adomah’s seven goals coming close to their contributions among the squad.

With assists taken into account, the pair were responsible for 27 of City’s 59 league goals last term and the loss of either would be a big blow to their chances of promotion, for which they can currently be backed as 3/1 third favourites.

Yeovil’s shrewd acquisition of 23-goal Paddy Madden last season showed just how much good a prolific striker can do to a side’s promotion chances and fellow upwardly mobile types Bournemouth had 19-goals to thank Brett Pitman for at a joyful end of season dinner.

O’Driscoll had previously dismissed speculation linking the out-of-contract Marlon Harewood to the Avon club, but it’s thought that should he lose a forward then the ex-Forest and West Ham man could come in.

Having scored just three times across the last two seasons the veteran would be an underwhelming replacement for either of City’s two comparatively up-and-coming goal-getters.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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Author

Thomas Reynolds