Out of contract players

We need a serious, serious overhaul in the summer. And notwithstanding the fact that I don’t really trust anyone at the club to do it properly, or have faith in this ‘promise of investment’ from Rupp, just for sh*ts and giggles I’d want to see us preparing for next season by doing something along the lines of:

First of all, building a genuinely, leaner and meaner squad. Focus on quality over quantity, a squad size of around 22, with 15 or 16 first choice level players, 4 or 5 reliable squad players and a couple of young players, possibly on loan.

I’d also like to see us shape a squad that’s suited to a more fluid 433 system.

Goalkeeper: Walker is fine as first choice, if he’s up for it, Doyle having another year as player-coach and backup, with Richardson as 3rd choice, is all fine.

Right Back: No-brainer. A new contract for Halliday. Release Hendrie, and don’t even think about bringing Ogeyoke back. Bring in a backup right back, probably one who can cover a couple of other positions.

Left Back: Release Ridehalgh. Bring in a quality left back and have Richards as a backup.

CB: If possible, sign Tomkinson. I’d retain one of Stubbs or Platt, probably Platt, but we need to be in the market for a quality Centre back, with pace. A starting pair of Tomkinson and a more experienced but mobile partner would allow us to defend higher up the pitch. Release/Settle out Taylor. Bring in a backup centre back.

Central Midfield: Release Smallwood. Have McDonald as the backup option for they holding midfield spot, and sign the best deep lying midfielder we can. 26 or under, mobile and decent technically. Someone who the side can be built around. Then I’d play with 2 number 8s who can each push on. Pointon and Pattison could be an excellent pair, keep Gillead for depth, and bring in another quality option. Release Walker - too hit and miss, and misses too many games with injuries.

Forwards: A mobile front 3 who can interchange, 2 of which should be Young and Kavanagh. Odour as a backup, send Cook on his way, try and do the same with Smith. I’m 50/50 on Chapman. Derbyshire needs to retire, possibly joining the coaching staff. Bring in at least 2 quality front players to add to what we’ve got.

Basically, of the 10 out of contract players, the only ones to keep are Halliday, Pointon, Platt and possibly Chapman. Of what’s left, try and shift Cook, Smith, Taylor, Wilson.

Which gives a platform of Walker, Halliday, hopefully Tomkinson, Pointon, Pattison, Kavangh, Young as the starting quality group, McDonald, Lewis, Kelly, Platt, Odour, Gillead and possibly Chapman as squaddies, and 7 or 8 quality new signings to come in.

That’s the level of rebuild needed, but I don’t for one second expect it.

 

Agree with pretty much all that apart from the ship out Cook part, yes his form is very up and down but I'd blame that in the main with our assembled squad as we rely on him too much and as a result flog him to death. On his day there isn't anyone better in L2 so we just require quality alternatives to him within the squad and then use him accordingly.

 

I'd actually be happy to keep him in the squad, but I'd like to see us more to a more fluid and higher energy approach. Cook from the bench with a handful of starts would still be a useful weapon.

 

Certainly don’t disagree with any of the context but if you include three young professionals, 22 is nowhere near enough . 18 for a matchday squad , plus 3 young ‘ uns leaves one spare. At that rate we could never afford injuries and suspensions.
Certainly a quality squad is required but you are going far too lean imho.

 

22 as a base plus 3 younger ones. i.e. 25ish total.

 

I’ll raise you one , 26 and we could be there , it still allows maybe another two in the Jan window as injuries and suspension bite giving 28 in total. The only other way would be having only one young pro, say a keeper and have Doyle as a player coach?

 

I'm getting slightly concerned that a few scrappy meaningless good results when the pressures off at the end of a disaster of a season may cloud judgement to the managerial team, I don't care if we win every remaining game left my thoughts stay the same, which is bar a selected few as in like say 3 or 4 at max I'd let the whole lot go if given opportunity, the thought of Smallwood and Oyegoke who GA bizarrely rates both still here next season makes me feel ill and contemplating just packing the whole thing in all together.

 

Whilst it's clear there are changes required to become promotion contenders, I'd be cautious about having too much of an overhaul in the summer.

Everything I gage about transfer windows, particularly at league 2 with limited resources is how chaotic they are. It's a case of scouting the right players, finding the right fit for our team, the right personalities, competing with rival teams for the same players, missing out on targets and moving onto plan B and C...

This all becomes harder and harder when you spread your focus on too many targets. I feel like the last few seasons we always seem to be trying to 'overhaul' the squad and end up with as many misses as we do hits. And even get some good players that just don't fit into our way of playing.

I'd much rather we focus on the 'leaner and meaner' and target 3-4 key areas to 100% get right. Even if that means it'll take an extra couple of windows to get our squad into shape I think it's better than having to offload huge numbers every summer and starting from scratch.

 

You're right about so much here in my opinion.

Our squad in 22/23 is pretty similar to the squad we had this season. Halliday, Ridehalgh, Platt, Stubbs, Gilliead, Smallwood, Walker, Chapman, Cook, but if you asked people at the end of this season if any belonged, they'd probably demand a clear out.

Not needed.

The squad we have now is capable of top 7, they've already done it, the very same players, they literally finished top 7.

"Weak division", "strong division", whatever you want, what's needed is progress. Hughes probably did bugger it up in the Summer, but he was under pressure to change it too from weak people - both at the top and the fans, in my opinion.

In any event: if a side that can finish 7th can finish 14th, that doesn't mean either one needs a total overhaul. We need to get over that obsession.

Hopefully David Sharpe provides some freaking vision and can explain to fans what's needed, why, and how patience is key - without tolerating obvious poor leadership that we've been subjected to under Ryan Sparks.

 

I think we just added the wrong piece to compliment the squad, but we needed to correct the spine and we did the opposite. Defence for example, Stubbs, Kelly and Platt were all there for the play off squad. But we conceded so many late goals last season, I remember writing a post at the time and we'd have finished 3rd if games ended on 90 minutes last season. Common sense says all these lads under or around 25 with little EFL experience needs a challenger next season, in his 30s who has done it before and can command a backline to see us through games..... than man is not Ash Taylor.

The Smallwood Gilly partnership was questionable even when we were winning, to only add Kev McDonald after he's barely played and still can't play 2 in a row, was a terrible decision. A strong spine wins, always has done. They don't have to be the best, but strong, commanding pros always know how to get results and we desperately need to improve the spine in the summer.

 

The problem this season as with last is that we have been too dependent on one player to score our goals and we have a lack of providers and players that make things happen. Cook was never going to be as prolific this season as he was last but he is still our top scorer and also top of the assists as well but despite that, he is still the scapegoat for many. Last seasons second top scorer was Banks with 6, a long way behind Cook's 28 and this year it's Walker, also currently with 6. Our central midfield pairing of Smallwood and Gilly have a total of 4 goals and 2 assists between them which quite simply, is not good enough. We need providers and chance creaters from that area of the pitch, not someone that runs around a lot with no end product and another that spends half the match pointing and the other half with his hands on his hips. I hope to god that at least 7 hours 59 minutes of the eight hour meeting Sharpe had with GA and Sparks on Thursday was spent convincing them Smallwood needs to go because if he's still here come August, it will be another wasted season.

 

Halliday club captain and build from there.

 

I don't think Halliday would make a good captain. I know he leads by example but I think we need a more vocal motivator. Halliday is more head down and does his job.

 

Don’t wanna crush peoples hopes but whilst GA is the manager, Smallwood will 100% be the captain.

 

Why do you say that. GA has inherited Smallwood and because there are no other viable options in the squad, he has had no option than to keep playing him.

Personally, I reckon Smallwood will be released this summer, whoever the manager might be

 

He’s been a major let down and on likely good wages. Hopefully Sharpe can pull rank and show the club how to get value for money. We can’t afford to spunk a good amount of the budget on a midfielder who’s played the majority of games and scored one penalty all season.

 

I agree the squad needs a overall, however how many of the players are living in the area? If players are not living within the Yorkshire belt they are travelling from Where, and are they committed to Bradford City FC and just here for the money?
If new players are brought i would insist they are in the area, and the manager! and commit to the cause.

 

There’s a small group that travel in from the north east like Cook, Halliday, Smallwood, Gillead but the rest probably do live locally.

 

Andy Kiwomya, made a good point around Smallwood.
Look around to see what might be available for the money he is on and if you can upgrade for that, then do it, if not give him 12 months.
Better players around him, might improve his game, Gillead i like for his effort but produces very little., Mcdonald quality but too old.