Richard Smallwood

Yes of course, but it’s only turning half of our draws into wins surely?

 

It is Fordy but at the moment, I am more optimistic than pessimistic.. Had we had Mark all season with the same players, I feel sure we would have had 50% of the 19 required. On top of that, there won't be many better players in the division than Smallwood and Walker and they and Chapman will not have come cheap. They would also not have come without the assurance of support good enough for a promotion challenge. Mark has clearly identified what he wants and who he feels can complete the task, hence he has moved quickly and decisively. Because we don't know most of the players he has signed, it doesn't mean that they are shite so for now let us at least trust his judgement. Come September we will have a better idea of how the close season has gone.

 

What's really boring is that Rupp has brought in potentially the highest profile manager possible apart from Sir Parkinson, has backed him immensely and you still can't see it. If we don't go in next season only Hughes and his sideswipe are to blame

 

Ha ha ha ha !

 

I'm very sceptical about our many young signings. But to be fair that is hugely down to our recent history failings. The one thing I do find refreshing about the coming season is the positive comments regarding our signings from previous clubs, the lad from Walsall apart I'm used to glad he's gone etc. Maybe it'll work maybe it won't but I definitely like the new direction.

 

If City don't finish top 7 I'll donate £150 to the burns unit. If we do you put in £50?

Either way it's a winner for a great cause. Get behind it @Fordy117 , over a season it's not a huge amount of money and whatever happens someone will benefit

 

Doesnt seem like a fair bet that. He should match your stake!!!

@Fordy117 I will have you £50 City go up automatically. Proceeds to the burns unit.

 

Bet rejected!

Believe it or not I want Bradford City to finish in the top 7. Well top 3 if I am honest.

Just saying at this moment we are still not good enough.

 

Who's better?

Seriously. I've looked around our rivals and it's very hard to find anyone with a better / more skilled squad than ours at this stage. Or should I say very hard to find 3 to 7 clubs that are better.

Last seasons position is irrelevant. L2 is always a division, with high player turnover, where each season is rarely linked to the previous one. We saw that with the 2012/13 promotion season.

 

This is exactly the reason we shouldn't have employed Derek Adams. It didn't matter how he had gotten them promoted, he was never the right fit for this club. Huddersfield showed when they were promoted to the premiership that last season's finish was irrelevant, they finished 19th the season before promotion. All about getting the right balance and the stars aligning. Wrexham pumped a fortune in but again without the right manager it's all pointless, the right managerial choice is absolutely pivotal and the timing crucial. Only.time will tell if we are to be successful, all I can say is at least we are giving Mark Hughes a fighting chance of bringing promotion, the club over the last 5 years has been guilty of giving managers little to no chance of success because the clubs structure on and off the field has been non existent.
Feels like we are all singing off the same hymn sheet for the first time in years.

 

Bang on Rog. One can see there actually is a structured “plan” emanating from the club by improving Commercial activity, media ( Its kept fans “ interested” throughout the close season and played it’s part in increased season sales) , scouting and recruitment , and one that will take a fair while and that is of young player development.
It’s all showing signs of paying off even at this early stage. Dare we dream?

 

You've got to have a dream Kev, if you don't have a dream, how you going to make a dream come true?

 

I've always said if you get beat by the better team in the day it's part of football. What a lot of folk don't seem to realise that eleven on the pitch come match day is the piece of the jigsaw puzzle comprising of months, even years, of vision and structure on and off the field. Meticulous preparation covering every detail of transfers, fitness and conditioning, the pitch surface and training facilities, that eleven is a team of more like nearer a hundred for a club of our size. And each of that near hundred had a role to play no matter how small. The past five years we've had no infrastructure to speak of, just trying to wing our way through each week hoping a manager can wave a magic wand over the chaos. Slowly we seem to be building a structure to give the players on the pitch a.decent go of things.

 

Last season isn't irrelevant at all.

What a Leeds going to win the PL now. We finished in 14th and the other teams above us were all better.

We have brought in 2 -3 decent players. The rest that finished above us will sign players for sure that will improve them. Don't forget we have lost 2 starters and more than likely a 3rd in Watt.

Currently in my mind we are about a top 10 team but we are still far off from top 7 and certainly top 3. Not saying or hoping we can't finish in the top 7 but our squad isn't that great currently.

 

That's just Happy Talk!

 

You can't compare the Premier league with league 2.

Leicester's completely spectacular season aside, we all know who's going to be at the top. Definitely not the case in any other league.

 

Spot on Roger.

plus for me it was a disaster appointing Adams. He didn’t have a plan. Recruitment or even a plan for recruitment was kicked into touch as the recruitment guy was kicked into touch.

 

When was the last time there was a team who became League Two champions after a poor season?

Accrington in 17/18 was the last time it was a team that didn't make the play offs.

If we're making bets on who wins the division, you'd be hard pressed to look outside of last season's play off teams.

Law of averages.

For a top three finish, it's pretty unlikely (statistically) that a team outside the top 13 would make it.

Like it or not, we're going to have to go against the grain here.

 

Yes to certain extent we are. If we can look at this as a 2 year project with a serious wish to do it in the first year. We have had to replace the whole squad give of take a few. If it clicks brilliant.

 

We have certainly flexed our muscles in the transfer market. We've left most teams behind.

That could potentially help level the playing field - but some teams will have established first team players from last season already in the building. That can be more valuable than making good signings.

We're doing the best we can to build on a series of poor seasons and bad leadership from the top.

But history still stands against us. Top 7 is the target.