Time To Lee-ve?

After starting the season so well, with a flurry of goals and a string of performances that reminded me why we'd paid so much for Lee Peacock several years ago, we now seem to be back to an all too familiar square one with dear old ‘Leapy'.

I find Peacock hard to define as a player at the best of times. Too big and lumbering to be a pacey ‘fox in the box' type striker and too small to be a genuine target man who will win the knockdowns and give a central defender a torrid afternoon. He is the classic example of being neither one thing nor the other and, while he undoubtedly has it in him to produce a decent performance, he isn't doing it on a consistent basis yet again.

I can forgive a City player most things: A lack of skill; an inability to convert every chance that comes his way; a limited amount of ‘intelligence' in their all round game. But what I won't tolerate, is a lack of effort and commitment to the cause, which is something that seems to have pervaded Peacock's performances of late.

Football, these days, is a squad game. Ask Crespo, Veron, Duff and Hasselbaink if they think they should be playing every week for Chelsea, and you would get an unequivocal ‘Yes' from all of them. However, they accept that, frustrating as it is, they will not start every game, but they are fully aware that their role in the squad is no less important, as a result. The performances of the players I've named, when called upon, reflect their mindset and, rather than letting it affect their game in a negative way, they use the playing opportunities they get to stake their claim in the first team and try to give the manager a selection dilemma.

Now, let's compare this with the attitude of Peacock. A man who has, for far too long, lived in the comfort zone at City, finally found himself dropped from the first XI, following a mystery illness and some superb performances from Lee Miller, in his absence. For the first time, in my memory, Peacock would have to play himself back into the team and hope that, when his chance did come along, he would make himself indispensable. So, given this situation, allied to the fact that his contract is up in the summer, surely, on his return, we could expect to see a focussed and determined Lee Peacock, intent on proving he was worthy of his place…… Apparently not.

He seems to be as lumbering and unfit as ever, constantly getting caught offside and fouling defenders thanks, in the main, to poorly timed challenges and half-hearted leaps for the ball, causing attack after attack to break down before it's begun.

Is this really what we should be expecting from a man who cost a large fee and is playing for his very future at our club this season? Is this really what we should be expecting from a man who has supposedly ‘settled down' following the announcement of his engagement and the news of Peacock Junior on the way? I, for one, am prepared to stand up and say I don't think it's good enough. A player shouldn't actually need the incentive of a contract coming to an end to improve his performance, but, if even that doesn't focus his mind, then I'm afraid all hope is lost.

What else do we know about Lee Peacock this season? Ah yes, Lee Miller plays better without him, as does Christian Roberts. So, he isn't even bringing out the best in the players alongside him, which is surprising, worrying and unacceptable, coming from the ‘senior statesman' of our frontline.

All in all, Lee Peacock is fast becoming the misfit of the team. With time running out on his contract and younger, keener players available, I wonder if it's the moment to call time on Peacock's career at Ashton Gate. Yes, he's useful cover for Miller for the time being, should we need it, but, as far as I can see, he doesn't deserve a place in the starting line-up and doesn't deserve to have a new contract offered to him in the coming months.

I never like to criticise an individual player, if I don't feel it's justified. But Lee Peacock has been paid handsomely by Bristol City for far too long and, with the start of this season looking more and more like another false dawn, I hope that the preferential treatment he has enjoyed draws to an end and, come the summer, we are promoted, shaking his hand and wishing him well as we go onwards and upwards and leave Mr. Peacock to rue what might have been.

You could have been somebody, Lee, you really could, but, for me, you've spent one too many seasons taking the piss and it's time to say goodbye…… Goodbye.