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Yet still did more than Payne

 

Payne was utter shi&e

 

Feel for Payne. He is clearly quality for this level and his goal return has shown that in a dire side for a midfielder.

I still maintain what I said a few months back, Imagine him in a McCall team we had? If we had him the season we got to play off final, IMO we wouldn’t have needed the play offs we would have gone up via autos. Him behind the front man rotating with law on the left. What a dream. He would have got 15 in that side.

 

I think most of this squad with the exception of Caddis, LOB and Payne, are at the their level or below.

I’ve said it before, recruit players from relegated teams and you run the risk of them returning to type when the going gets tough. It’s in their DNA.

When you look at January, we lost Jim O’Brien and Henry but never replaced like for like. McGowan replaced by a kid who can’t get in the worst defence in the league. We signed players who hadn’t played much football and we’re injury prone. Guess what, they’re injured. Jones never replaced, Gibson never replaced. Scannell being 2 weeks away in January and it’ll be April before he’s ready (cough, cough).

Hopkin and Rhodes are responsible for blowing January. We could’ve have and should’ve not only strengthened but plugged the gaping holes in the squad. Pace, wingers, striker and dominant centre half, leaders. We signed none of the above, in fact we exacerbated the situation. This can’t be laid at the door of Rahic or Abbott.

This club needs a total rebuild. Scouts who know the lower leagues, a Manager who has a proven track ready, coaches who command respect, a CEO in it for the long haul and able to implement a blue print for the future and an Owner with deep pockets.

Next season isn’t about recruiting premiership potential, it’s about rugged been there, done that, streetwise players who want to play in front of the largest crowds in league 2. Who will embrace that and not fear it. Go back in for your Jim O’Brien and Henry’s because that’s what we’ll need to get out of the khazi.

 

S

Yep agree but with the proviso before signing a player as well as having the right ayributes and cjaracter we look at their injury record first. The squad had carried too many of these types this season.

 

Julian Rhodes is a disaster, he should do one now.

5th November that muppet came back to the club.

January recruitment was the final nail in the coffin.

“I do not want to be disrespectful to the players who have left or gone out on loan, but I feel we have achieved that. We moved players out to make a decent saving and brought in players at very good value.”

Read more at: https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/bradford-city/julian-rhodes-confident-of-turning-bradford-city-s-fortunes-around-1-9575663

 

We had Cullen.....are you suggesting Payne is better.

 

Even Jake Reeves is better than Cullen isn't he?

 

100% spot on this.

It was our business in Jan that has cost us!

Hopkin, Rhodes and Rupp should hang their heads in shame. The business in Jan was an utter shambles!

 

Actually he made more difference in the first 10 mins than Payne did in the first half. I can see he is creative and way better than this shower.

 

I agree Rhodes is culpable in all this. He and Lawn failed with their due diligence that opened the door to Rupp and Rahic. Rhodes and Lawn "got lucky" with Parky and the Cup exploits that righted the financial problems at the club. If the Cup Final had ever happened the Club would have meandered along in League 2. Remember Rhodes sank us into League 2 when he disastrously axed Colin Todd as Manager in 2007 and put Wetherall in charge !?. It took 7 years to clamber out of League 2 with a team that is revered as "History Makers" and yet they struggled to deliver the Club from the grip of League 2 drudgery. If Rhodes wants to hang around ? then it's not enough to hole himself up in "the Bunker" he has to front up and tell us what the Plan is ? So too Herr Rupp and if they don't then I'll take it there isn't a bloody Plan ! For me Rhodes and Rupp can ship out and I know you will say well "what happens then" ? But something WILL at least happen and then we know where we stand.

 

What? Cullen played in central midfield. Not even same position as Payne.

He would have played where Clarke/Hiwula played behind a front man

 

Undoubtedly, January was a disaster (again).
It's hard to get a handle on why we weakened the defence by allowing McGowan to leave, just as he was coming into decent form, let O'Brien go and failed to bolster obvious areas of weakness (striker, wingers, better CB etc).

Did the December blip fool Hopkin and the board into thinking that we didn't need much reinforcement?
Did the club's league position and well publicised troubles deter decent players from joining us?
Did Rupp fail to provide sufficient funds (after blowing a fortune on keeping Payne) to sign anything other than crocks and has-beens?
Or was David Hopkin's judgement of players seriously flawed?

Maybe the problems left by Rahic combined to make good January recruitment impossible. Maybe the inside story will emerge some time in the future. I'm sure many of the players and others at the club will have many hair raising stories to tell about this disastrous period in the club's history.

 

Correct. We needed a target man and a creative winger in addition to keeping Payne and OB.
Rahic started the problem last January and the above finished it this January.

What we need to hear now is promises to put it right this coming summer to at least put us back to league 1 level at the first attempt.
Only then will they have a chance of selling a decent amount of season tickets.

 

The season ticket deal is great value, but it’s gonna backfire big time if someone doesn’t sell the vision.

We’re pretty much fked with the current regime running the club, and that is minus the chief assassin.our chief financial backer has no real loyalty to the club and that’s worrying, what’s stopping him pulling the plug.

They were fretting about a Jan deficit, that’s gonna be small fry compared to where we’re going now and what it does to our threadbare finances.

We are well and truly in dire dire straights.

 

It needs a marketing genius, with some added incentives as a relegated side eith some sort of loyalty bonus ( yes will cost and some supporters will need this) and communication from the owner including what the plan is with all the short term contracts.

 

You're in the best place believe me mate, first half was shocking, Bowyer changed it at half tims and we started the second half well, ref gives us a penalty and Doyle miss's it ( although the lad read it well as it was resonably well placed).
One we missed that their heads went down and it was inevitable Blackpool would score more, but it was the way they scored 2 of there goals, bringing the ball out of their own half without a challenge/tackle from any Bradford City player.

 

I remember those comments well, from the usual sources. Even now those same sources will be adamant he is just as good, 'just needs a good pre season'.

 

It was utterly bizarre for anyone to suggest that Reeves is/was better than Cullen. They must have been on some strong wacky drugs.
But, before he started carrying the injury Reeves did look a decent player at this level. Who knows what's going on with him that's preventing him from playing, but it's a shame because he could have been the ball winning holding midfielder we have been sadly lacking this season.

 

Most of the goals we conceded are crosses in every game ?ffs let me make it easier for you management new centre half and a winger ffs