Roy Hodgson made a successful return to management with Bristol City, defeating Charlton 2-1 at The Valley.

The Robins put up a good performance against the Addicks, and they will feel they deserved the three points after dominating the first half.

However, there’s no disputing that the hosts improved significantly after the break, and Bristol City had to rely on goalie Radek Vitek to deliver some key moments to secure the victory.

The 22-year-old has been superb since joining the club on loan from Manchester United in the summer, establishing himself as the number one at Ashton Gate.

Manchester United expected to get £10 million for Radek Vitek following impressive Bristol City loan.

While Vitek will end the season at Bristol City, there are concerns about his long-term future at Old Trafford, where he is obviously far down the pecking order.

According to reports, United may try to sell the Czechia youth international in the summer transfer window, with the Premier League club valuing him at £10 million.

When questioned by FLW if that was a reasonable price, our Bristol City fan pundit, Tom Sandy, was unambiguous – having watched him this season, he classified him as one of the greatest keepers in the league – and admitted Vitek’s performances would have put him out of reach for the Robins.

“He has arguably been our player of the season; he has been outstanding. In a side that has struggled at times, he has been consistent, dominant in the air, and one of the greatest keepers in the Championship this year.

“You only have to look at our defence. We’ve had Mark Sykes at right-back, Neto Borges at left centre-back, Noah Eile, who only signed in January, and three of the back four against Charlton haven’t played much this season, but we won because we had Vitek behind them.

“We’ve had 11 clean sheets this season, and even though we’ve had an injury problem, which has resulted in midfielders playing in defence for a side that has been ravaged by injuries, we’ve managed to keep clean sheets because Vitek has been so fantastic in goal.

“So, I think £10 million is a fair contract for him, but it’s not something I think we’d pay, nor do I expect us to.

“We need a huge revamp in the summer, when we will need to buy players in several areas, so £10 million on a goalkeeper would be ridiculous, for anyone in the Championship, unless it’s on a superstar, and a keeper is rarely regarded one.

“But he’s a fantastic goalkeeper, our player of the season, and I don’t think £10 million is absurd at all. It’s probably what I’d expect, and unless we can sign him on loan, we’ll undoubtedly miss him next season.”

Bristol City will struggle to replace Radek Vitek.

Many Bristol City fans will agree that Vitek has been the star performer this season, and it exemplifies the club’s use of the loan market effectively.

His performances this season have piqued interest, and it would be unsurprising if Manchester United received offers of around £10 million for Vitek, given his age and potential for improvement.

Clearly, that is not a deal they could make, but that is the risk you take when signing a loan player, and it has worked out for Bristol City.

However, it will cause the club another dilemma heading into the summer, since they will have to replace Vitek, which will be difficult.

Obviously, the first priority will be to appoint a new sporting director and head coach, after which the hard work of restructuring the squad can begin, as they are lacking in several areas, notably goalkeeping.

So, the hierarchy is preparing to make some major decisions, and there is pressure to get it right given the current level of fan outrage.