Left before their time?

Andy Munro talks about a couple of happenings at St Andrews.

According to the Blues official website, Jacque Maghoma and Jon Grounds will not be having their contracts renewed and will leave the club some in June, or whenever it is that their contracts will expire whenever the season ends.

We might presume that this early announcement is because Birmingham City Football Club know something that we don’t, namely that this season isn’t going to restart. If that’s not the case we will be paying full wages to two demotivated players who might have been worth keeping on for a few more weeks.

That moral dilemma aside, I am particularly sorry to see the departure of Mags, as he was a tricky customer who scored some vital goals in a team not over-blessed with genuine wingers. In fairness, he was a bit of a Marmite figure due to some rather casual tracking back but still managed to win Blues’ Player of the Year award two seasons ago.

Regarding Grounds, as a free transfer he owed us nothing and though lacking in pace, in many ways he was Mr. Dependable. Let’s hope we don’t regret his passing if Kristian Pedersen leaves after a big money move to a Premier League club.

UPDATE 25th May:

Blues have told three more players that they would be surplus to requirements in June.

David Stockdale – Good riddance to a distinctly average but overpaid keeper who apparently wasn’t the best influence in the dressing room and a leftover from one of ‘Arry’s failed galactico spending sprees

Jefferson Montero – Equally good riddance to an injury-plagued player who had the skill to turn the same defender inside out several times but in doing so gaie the rest of the opposition time to get organised. His twinkle toes were also undermined by his complete inability to put in a half decent cross.

Chiekh Keita – Good, certainly ,and not fully sure about the ‘riddance’. Keite was a young prospect with loads of talent but maybe crashing a car and then running off puts a big question mark over his character. However, I’m always sorry to see a real talent leave.