Most liked posts in thread: 2024 Released Players & City transfer rumours

Hi Bradford fans, a county fan here. I hope you don't mind.

Just reading some of the messages on here about sarcevic and the so I thought I'd give you my thoughts as someone who's watched him every week.

Sarcevic is capable of playing as a 10 or an 8. He's never played deeper (infact powell as actually played as the DM more than sarcevic) and that's either in a 442 diamond or a 352. Our system doesn't change too much depending on formation so he's always been a pressing midfielder for us and while he may be slow he still uses his experience and his body very well. Sarcevic links up very well in small spaces but can also play an open game.

If he's to join you then he's a great leader and whilst he maybe on his last pay day that's why he's not signed the 1 year deal we offered like madden didn't and he signed a 2 year. They both are incredible and will work hard and aren't lazy.

I can see him being a cm for you and you will probably want abit of pace upfront which I think is something you lack (Barry and tanto olaofe - I don't think we could get much quicker)

I was told back at the start of April that you guys were after Sarcevic and Croasdale, sarcevic is seemingly set to happen so I can see Croasdale being the other one that you're set to sign.

Then two work incredible together and have been in our midfield for the past 3 and 4 years respectively and apart from our first season in league 2, sarcevic was barely injured and apart from a hernia injury at the back end of this season. Croasdale is never injured and will play more than 95% of the season easily. While Croasdale doesn't have the best of passing ranges. He can still do the simple passes but he's game is one of the best off the ball. He's up there for one of the best dms in the league.

Imo - both would be very good signings for you and are both upgrades on what you have in cm and DM.

 

The vitriol towards Ridehalgh is still tiring. The guy has played something like 500 games in his career and you don’t sustain a career like that if you’re “rubbish”. Yes his age is catching up with him but why people can’t just wish him all the best I don’t know.

 

Bloody hell, roll on the foorball season when we can all talk football instead of all this sniping ☹️

 

What makes me sad is the divisive nature of social media, which is obvious on here. What I would like is acceptance of alternative views. We have chatted and accepted fans and supporters on here for years. If someone has supported city for 40 years as an example, I have no problem accepting their decision not to renew. I know it will not have been an easy decision, because I was in the same position but decided to buy a ST. Likewise, all those that have bought ST, and will continue to support the club financially regardless of results and promotion or not. We are all city fans whether we have a ST or not. I supported City for years before even considering buying a ST. It was £7 on the kop in those days.

The hostility towards both sets of fans really upsets me. I would hate to see ppl being driven away from this site due their status either a city fan with or without a ST. Surely we can accept their decision either way. I have expressed my opinion for what it is worth that our club is in the doldrums and although the owner has said he will increase the budget so we can compete with the top clubs, however like previous years it doesn’t appear to have materialised as yet, still a few weeks to go.

What I would like for us all to consider is the negative quality of social media, ie it is hard to resist not picking up the vibes (sorry that is my best effort) of what is going on. If you read these boards as I do most days, it is hard to get a balanced view and we can all slip into being too optimistic and or too negative it is just the way social media works; it can and does affect the way we see things. I am eternally grateful for the knowledge some posters have on outside players, @Jordan is one example. The we have strategists as an example @Faithful Bantam @WilsdenBantam @Inspector. We have posters with historic knowledge like @Bronco as an example. Financial experts like @Dennis, who keeps us up to date with good accurate information. This is a community we have here, with all kinds of expertise, let’s not jeopardise or make ppl feel unwelcome. Soon enough we will see what kind of squad we have, give it six weeks, middle of September before we see the nuts and bolts of the team.

 

I'm not sure being in the mix for the play offs is acceptable at this level if I'm honest. I think the absolute minimum should be in the automatic promotion mix and if we fall short then the play offs lottery is the consolation.

 

Never mind being envious of Peterborough...i'm jealous of a whole other host of clubs that have been fairing way better than us for several seasons now - Stevenage, Shrewsbury, Crawley, Exeter, Lincoln, Plymouth, Burton - flying high and probably punching above their weight, and fair play to them....while we contemplate our 6th successive season in L2. But as long as Sparks continues with his bullshit and lies, and Rupp's non-existent investment, then that is perfectly acceptable with certain supporters...

 

Harry Lewis was there ,top man

 

Was he even on the list? We know that the Cowleys were first choice but turned us down. After that there was an embarrassingly long gap when no one was interested until Alexander put his hand up.
So, when signing Wilson, we would have had no idea that we’d shortly be forced to accept a manager that doesn’t play wingers. To suggest, as you did, that they deliberately appointed a manager who doesn’t play wingers, despite having Wilson on a three year contract, credits the club with more agency than they actually had. In reality, they signed the only manager who was remotely interested, regardless of his tactical preferences, and then blatantly lied afterwards that he was their first choice all along. That’s what the Rupp/Sparks era has reduced us to - prospective managers effectively interviewing us rather than the other way round.

The jury is still out on Alexander for me. He seems like a decent bloke and, at times, he’s had us playing effective winning football. But some of his formation and selection decisions baffle me. Pointon and Walker ahead of Smallwood and behind two strikers, with Kav as as a chaser/harrier alongside Cook, worked really well at the end of last season. So why rip it all up by starting Pattison and Sarcevic with Cook alone up front and Kav (who is clearly not a natural 10) in between? And why keep bypassing the best crop of AMs we’ve had for years with long bombs over their heads? Perverse.

 

Good. I'd love love him to get a run up front with Cook. I think there's plenty of goals in that partnership.

 

Quite happy with my user name thanks.

There's something of an irony here, which I'm not sure you grasp. I don't know whether you were engaged in or supportive of the 'movement' that started just a few weeks ago to protest against the ownership and running of the club. I was, and I stand by it. I've reached the point I have, after decades of following this club in every possible sense, and after years of mismanagement. This isnt about a handful of results, or a couple of transfers, or any one manager. To see it being run into the ground in the same way the City is, with Supporters being fed lies and dross, is heart breaking. I won't enable it, I expect more from the custodians of this football club. And why has that movement fallen away? Because of hollow promises that once again haven't materialised, and a token gesture to recruite David Sharpe.

If there's any fickle thinking or behaviour going on, it ain't here. I'll stand by my principles, which i suppose is a defintion of 'faithful'. This football club will NOT move forward without material change, starting at the top.

 

Good luck to the lad, as Alexander has quoted he needs to be playing in a team set up with wingers. Shame we aren't playing with wingers as I've seen some great wide players at city over the years but our style now is with wing backs. Reminds me of the season Mark Marshall won the player of the year under McCall, nowt better watching a winger take on a full back.

 

Recovering well thankyou. I had a stroke, fortunately my good lady insisting on phoning an ambulance and they arrived in just over 5 mins. Spent 2 nights in the BRI but on the mend now.

 

Can’t even get his name right.

What a pro.

 

I still cannot believe we dished out 3 year contracts to the likes of Wilson, Tyler Smith, and Oliver (our highest earner) and heads haven't rolled

Disgraceful mismanagement of our self-sustainable funds.....

 

Think you misheard him mate, he said he was fit and ready for the PAYOFFS.

 

Guessing that was January 2023 when he signed for Hartlepool.

We signed Costelleo and Nevers that window so we didnt miss out.

 

Age has caught up on him but we have had far worse players than him. I hope he finds a club