The Voice - Match preview Mansfield Town vs Bradford City Saturday 2nd September 2023 3:00pm

I personally don't see us finishing in the play-offs. 8th to mid-table perhaps. But if I am totally honest, I would still want to keep Hughes in charge. All we have done is sacked manager after manager, give us at least 3 seasons with the same one and then if it is clear it isn't working, part ways. We need continuity for a change

 

If Hughes has us mid table he won't even last the season, never mind get the next one too.

His football is largely terrible so the fans will turn quickly if the results are also poor.

 

I think it depends how far off we potentially fail. Lets say we finish within 3 points of the play offs, it's still regression but it's a game or two going your way over the season from being in the play offs again, it's not like falling off a cliff. Whereas if we finish say 15th and are out of the play of picture around March, it's tougher then to see Hughes being asked to stay on. I only see Hughes getting another contract offer if we finish in the top 7.

As you say it's a gamble but whoever is in charge next season will have a fair amount of players with another 12-24 months on their contract who he might not fancy either, which means a new man might have to work with a lot of Hughes' men if he cant offload any long term contracted guys he doesn't want.

 

We're naming all time worst players and all time worst managers.

 

That my friend is utterly made up to suit an agenda. They were always mentioned by fans and bookies. Please don’t claim otherwise…we ain’t all cluless.

 

I thought Pointon on loan for 6 months would do him good, but so far, I’m more than impressed. I was wrong. He’s been impressive. I can see him easily replacing Walker if he needs a rest, suspended or injured?

 

Always used to be towards the BFD end Dave…funny how things turned around?

 

I'm a bit too young to remember much of that Kevin. Although I'd been to VP pre 85, the first season I can really remember bits of is games at Odsal and then of course the first season back at the rebuilt VP so the Bradford End was the usual away end in those days.

 

Stockport in amongst ?

 

Yes the disaster was the transition Dave. The atmosphere, projected by the low shed roof, was pretty damn good up until then. Some of the noise in local games Barnsley, Huddersfield, and Cup games, Spurs & Southampton to name but two stick in the memory . Even a low 3,000 crowd seemed to create a great atmosphere. I’m sure @Bronco and RCB will confirm.

 

Watch you don't break the internet.....!!

 

Even when we had microphones up in the Bradford end roof trying to make a better atmosphere, that had its moments with some of the old songs and someone deciding its time for a f£>ckin p÷ss

 

I don't disagree that fan power will prevail

I'm just saying that in my personal opinion, i'd like to see someone last longer than 2 years. Since Parkinson, the longest serving manager was McCall straight after PP left, and he only lasted 20 months-ish

I think it is utterly pathetic that we have had 11 different managers since PP left only 7 years ago (12 if you don't count Trueman & Sellars as one manager). Make no wonder we have been languishing in this bloody division for so long. There has to be a point where people think "it must be something in the hierarchy of the club, rather than the manager". They can't all have been sh!te

As Einstein allegedly once said. the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Very true in our case

 

10 goals in 34 from midfield in his 1st season

 

Well said Steve.

Also: when Derek Adams laid bare exactly how pathetic our managerial merry-go-round was, people on here were saying it was a lie and deluded Derek was wrong - except he wasn't!! We really have been that bad at it.

 

Didn't think they were owt special to be fair Kev. Then again no one in this division is. That should be the mind set of any manager in this division, no team is unbeatable home or away.

 

I agree it would be nice to have some stability but, if something isn't working and there are no signs it will under the present incumbent, then I see little point in persevering.

I really thought this one would work but his tenure has been somewhat underwhelming.

I see he's now going to spend this week trying to work out how to play without Cook. I know he's been somewhat handicapped with Oliver unavailable, but couldn't this have been resolved before the window shut?

As you say, there's something inherently wrong when you look at our manager turnover since PP left.

I've just been reading the T&A forum and it's clear more and more fans are losing faith in Hughes.

I'm expressing an opinion but am stuck for laughs with the solution!!

 

And there was the 4-4 with Bolton, where we were down 2 men...

Oliver had three more seasons with us, playing a lot in the next two, but that season he was either injured or out of favour.

Overall, not a very happy time for us, Despite bringing in Babb and McCarthy, as already mentioned, other player movements weren't so good, and though not the worst manager we've had in terms of numbers, the football just didn't work. Whatever golden touch he might have had left him after that bit of success with Millwall.

RCB

 

It IS in the hierarchy, it's Rupp. I thought everyone knew that?

 

That is probably what grates on me most - Hughes is not responsible for player recruitment! He will ask the powers that be to track players with a certain skill or attribute, and there are very well paid people at the club who's job it is to find them. I think MH shows that frustration in his interviews, reading between the lines

But another manager before the end of this season will just start afresh and bring in his own players, as all those before have proved

For us to make a last minute deadline day signing of an inexperienced striker from a mid-table championship club, to replace someone of Cook's calibre, is absolutely insane. Why do our fans think this is acceptable, and why does the buck stop with Hughes and not Gent/Sparks etc