Match Thread Most liked posts in thread: Away v Crawley, Sat 25th September @3.00pm

It’s a squad that finished 15th last season. On what I’ve seen so far none of the signings made over the summer are an upgrade, maybe Songo’o but he’s looked off the pace. The front line is worse than a year ago. Derek Adams is a good manager but he’s not a miracle worker.

I’ll keep saying it, Rupp isn’t getting his money back until we’re at the pointy end of League 1, a couple of hundred grand on a good striker and a good midfielder instead of wasting money on Lavery and Gilliead and the club goes up. Much more of this shit and next season in League 2 will have a tiny budget because nobody will buy season tickets. It’s typical short sightedness that’s blighted this club for years

 

What he said in the interview was spot on in nailing the utter complacency of previous managers and the shoulder shrugging nature of our club in the past. I'm glad we at last have a manager who's telling it like it is - ergo, there is a reason why this great club has allowed itself to be shite for far far too long. Long may he stay here and turn us around.

 

I’d say Bradford City need Derek Adams more than Derek Adams needs Bradford City. He’s a good manager with a proven history of promotion. We’d struggle to get a manager with his pedigree and he knows that. If Sparks or Rupp sack him then he’s getting the rest of his three year contract paid up. It also deflects the blame and the pressure upwards which is what Sparks is paid to have on his shoulders.

 

He won't walk. Adams is a proper serious manager with a long term plan for City. I think too many people are underestimating this guy. He's here on a mission not for another pay day. Come back to me in 18 months time.

 

Every year I feel like it takes less and less time for the optimism and enthusiasm to be drained out of me.

 

I'm shocked how so many here are blind to see he didn't call out Crankshaw. He wouldn't have mentioned him if he didn't get asked about him. Everyone was poor. Learn to listen

 

The problem is nothing is ever Derek's fault. He'll blame anyone and anything but himself. He's proving a major disappointment. A completely uncalled for response about Crankshaw's performance today. The guy seems to be losing it, by the week.

 

Another season with the same “big January coming up” nonsense.
Who are we going to sign!?? Its a dreadful window where there is very little movement of players of any quality. If anyone on here thinks any cash is going to spent then you’re in for a shock.
Our first fixture of 2022 is 15 league games away. Unless this group of players and manager pull their fingers out then it really doesn’t matter what kind of January we have.

 

Best interview I’ve heard in years related to the current state of this club. For me, I don’t hear a meltdown, I hear an honest assessment of the players and the club. Couldn’t agree more with his reaction of Crankshaw and the same goes for the other subs and starting XI.

Where should it leave Adam’s? In exactly the place he is now - manager of this club. We should be listening and learning from him and that starts with the players, owners and board.

Last week I was disappointed in Adam’s lack of changes till 80mins and maintain IMO they should have come sooner. Today this sits 100% with the players. The performance and goals against were just so poor. No responsibility taken for their jobs - hope the managers message was 100% received and taken on board.

 

Hope I don't run into the M25, I'll be more worried than frustrated.... I'm on the train

 

He might not be everyone's cup of tea, but his record clearly suggests he isn't a poor manager

 

This poor form isn’t purely down to ROD. We got panned by a team of 18 year olds midweek with a different goalkeeper. This run of form is deeper than that.

 

I think the October statements needs bringing forward and let us fans know just what is happening at our club, injuries happen without doubt that has effected the footballing side, but when someone who has been brought in to do a specific job leaves for no apparent reason things don't add up, over to you Mr Sparks or Mr Adams.

 

All true. And all irrelevant when your building a squad with a full back released by Salford, a striker de-registered to make room for Kurtis Guthrie, Non-League Centre backs and run on such a shambolic basis year on year.

We're big for this league? Maybe. Do we act like it? F*ck no.

 

Wow indeed. And I absolutely agree with Adams. People have been dodging the truth at our club for far far too long. This was the most honest - brutally honest - manager's view of us as a club for a long time, not just on today's result, but on the player culture at the club, the complacency, the sense of entitlement just to go up. I think it will be a very tasty week in training this week! Players are going to be eviscerated.

 

And yet all this could have been avoided had we have pushed the boat out and signed a decent striker, you know, like Bolton did Doyle or an attacking CM, like Bolton did with Sarcevic. Because thats what Bolton realised they had to do to get out of this mess of a division. And yet somehow we got taken in by the hype machine built off the back of strengthening with jorneymen like Gilliead and Cook, injury prone Lee Angol, non league Kelleher and strikers that no one else wanted. Add that to what was already a bang average squad and you can see why Adams claims he hasn't a player who can score out of nothing. Adams can now see what we've seen for years. Lets just blame Turnbull, that'll appease the masses won't it....

 

If this carries on, it's going to be quicker to state those players who aren't suffering from "strains".

Wasn't Sparks supposed to be eradicating this?

 

I genuinely don't blame Adams. He's a proven, capable manager. But its as if we've looked at his exceptional achievement of getting Morecambe promoted on one of the lowest budgets in the league and seen it as a template.

Until we show some proper ambition thats reflected in how we recruit, we're just throwing a random hand in with 90% of other clubs in the league. The whole 'too big for league 2' narrative is bullshit. We're completely tin pot.