How do we bridge the quality gap

If we don't get promoted this season then I think we need to be prepared to build slowly over a number of transfer windows. Unless there's a huge cash injection from somewhere we don't really have a choice. It's amazing how well we've done this season but I think it's obvious we lack a bit of quality and depth but I don't see why we can't have a good summer window where there will be decent players available out of contract etc. Whether or not we can match or better this season straight away remains to be seen.

I don't necessarily think the clubs coming down are to automatically feared. Leicester and Wednesday are in a mess. Leicester had a squad for mid table at least so the fact they'd have been relegated even without the points deduction shows something must be badly wrong at that club.

 

You were convinced we were going to struggle this season and now you’re moaning that we probably won’t win the playoffs. Everyone raving about Bolton ,we are literally 1 point behind them after 45 games ,let it go and enjoy what has been a great season whatever happens in the playoffs.

 

We can only comment on what we've seen so far this season, so lets break it down Lincoln and Cardiff are up leaving Bolton who have not beaten us home or away, Stockport County who we did the double over, Stevenage we got a point at their place and failed to stick our chances away at home but more or less controlled the game,
Then it becomes a guessing game Bolton home to Luton I don't go along with those who believe for one minute Schumacher will play a weakened team losing and allowing Stockport or us to drop them down to the 5th play off place, but if Luton did get in again we beat them at home and losing away, so in answer to your question yes I always believe on the day our club can get a result.
Of course we want to develop each year but this season not one Bradford City fan could have predicted how well we've done, and listening to the oppositions managers they respect what Alexander has achieved, accepting were not the best footballing side in the division "but what we do we do well" you can't ask for more, just as we saw yesterday never say die and ground an equalizer to peg Bolton back.
You say its not about being negative but in my original reply I believe that's how you come across in the majority of your posts, which of course is your prerogative but expect to be challenged on your view, we have had a wonderful season yet it seems some won't accept that, God help us if we do make the play offs and lose.

 

We've seen the situation of getting to the play offs and losing and having to start all over again in the same league, and not performing as they did the previous season, Leyton Orient being a perfect example, if it does happen then I'd hope Rupp is prepared to back the manager and players who have done so well this season, we look to have a decent squad to build on, but as I posted it means nothing going forward, Lincoln have been in League One 7 seasons finishing as low as 17th and before this season as high as 5th in season 2020/21.

 

In theory we have a decent core and we just need to add some quality and depth. Trouble is these things aren't always linear. It wouldn't surprise me if next season ends up not being as good as this one. I just hope we can keep Alexander and back him and see what he could do with a better squad.

Still, worry about that in summer.

 

Wherever we are at the end of the season we need a better transfer window in the summer than we had in January. We could be in serious trouble otherwise ;-)

 

Absolutely. But to be fair January is a different beast. Everyone is under contract and no one wants to sell good players. The summer window will have more players out of contract or clubs looking to move players on. We'll probably be releasing some players too so more flexibility in terms of wages potentially. Whatever money we can invest will almost certainly go further in a summer window.

 

Still a leap though. Which league one team convinced a striker to sign for them that had made a difference?

From what I've seen/heard no one aside from Taylor who went to Wigan. Next best is the lad who went to Bolton from Celtic and he's only got 5 goals.

Players are becoming reluctant to take chances in mid season.

 

Don't disagree. I have no idea who might have been available or if we could afford them, I was just saying that taking into account how we were playing, the camaraderie and attitude in the team, GAs management style and personality, I think we were an attractive proposition at the start of Jan.

As an aside, the Bolton lad might only have 5 goals, but he looked a good player

 

Plymouth had an interesting guest at their game on saturday, American billionaire John McEvoy was spotted at their home game over the weekend. McEvoy was at one stage one of the interested parties in Sheff Weds but the costs involved was a red flag he couldnt overcome. Charlie Methven was also seen in the crowd, McEvoy has said before that Methven was his initial contact for getting the Sheff Weds interest off the ground. Methven was involved in the Sunderland ownership during their Netflix doc.

The club have said before that they are openly looking for investors, could be another big spender in the league if this one moves forward? It's not really a secret at this point that McEvoy is looking for the right lower league club to try and turn into the next big thing.

 

Yanks have money but they don't really understand our game that's my opinion.

 

100%, could be said for a lot of ownership models really rather than just the Americans. If these models are a success or not usually falls on whoever they hire as a sporting director type to do all the actual running of the club.

 

Actually,I think of we do make the play offs,and get beaten,people will accept that a lot easier than if we fail to make the play offs at all.I think most fans realise that we don't have the quality the other play off contenders have,Stevenage excluded,but after being in a play off place all season,failing on the last day would be a real sickener.

 

Johnny Kenny has 6 goals in 13 appearances since signing on loan from Celtic. He was injured at the start of his loan period. He looked a class act on Saturday.

 

What a finish. Sold Tilt (?) a proper dummy and “passed it” into top corner. Brilliant goal, but then again, Jackson’s wasn’t too bad either.

 

Sign quality instead of quantity. Put all our eggs in one basket.

For me i would rather have seen us bring in one quality striker and invest there rather than bring in Mullin and Wheatley. Push comes to shove then recall Ibbitson and use him as a body.

When its all said and done we didnt need both anyway.

 

I agree, they know little about the game, in Wrexhams case Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney did the right thing in bringing Shaun Harvey into the club in February 2021 as an advisor to the Board and now a director, I think it was Harvey who recommended Phil Parkinson and the rest is history.
If new owners came knocking I think the backroom structure is fine, you'd think with more finance it would help Sparks and Longo generate more off field finance.

 

I honestly do believe we will get a play off place, we know Exeter have to get all 3 points so they will have to come at us, we have enough to beat them, plus as I posted earlier I can't see Bolton letting the chance of 3rd place in the play offs go by playing a weakened team.