Away vs Cambridge United - Sat 15 Feb 2020

Agreed the planning has to start now. I assume just about everybody not under contract will be off.

 

I'd think Stuart & Kenny will be doing their home work on the players who will not be required and those who will not be retained, but his first job has to be trying to save our season.

 

Agreed hundred percent- as you say they’ve got their work cut out. If we miraculously do get up this lot aren’t good enough to stay there. And if they can’t get us up we want players that can.

 

Taylor used to be a winger so make that nine who can play in that position and it’s a long time since I saw a decent cross from any of them. I remember a good one from Gibson that led to a goal at the beginning of the season but struggling to think of too many others from open play.

 

Bowyer pretty much devoted two pre-season friendlies to trialling non-league players and had high hopes for them. In the end he signed one who has yet to start. If you sign non-league players don’t be surprised if that is where you end up.

 

You're obsessed with a Sporting Director role and I don't know why? Please give the reasons why it is advantageous?

 

Years ago we had a player who was very similar called John Black but at least he had a shot on him.

 

Well first of all most clubs have them now! Swindon, Exeter, Plymouth, Crewe- so all the top 4 clubs in our league have one!

Bradford City has no identity on or off the pitch

The manager can't just sign players he wants, player signings are discussed to fit in long term with the identity with the club.

Our manager might need help or to talk to another footballing person. Instead of going to the CEO.

Rhodes and Rupp hide! We need more footballing people in the club.

Look, I could go on but this football club is getting left behind because we have Rhodes as CEO and he is incapable of making this club run with in the current times.

We've about 30 players and I would say only 3 of them(Keeper & Reeves, Devitt) can play how McCall wants. The CEO signed off the deals for the players but we have no vision, no plan!

Great McCall is back- NOW WHAT?

GET WITH THE TIMES!

 

What about Connor Wood Fordy? He’s the player of the season for me so far. I think Stuart will rate him. Not sure he rates Devitt; he’s not even had him on the bench. I personally don’t know about a director of football. They don’t always work out and can lead to friction as Barcelona are currently finding out. Stuart is his own man. Would he want a director telling him who to sign etc? They don’t come cheap!

 

Sorry pal forgot about Wood.

You're thinking more of a football director. A sporting director is more about the identity and long term. A football Director could get involved in picking the team etc.

Let's buy another 30 players then McCall goes and get a Bowyer style manager in then! Repeat!

McCall will understand that 80% of clubs have a sporting or football director now. They is a reason why mate.

All the top 4 in our league have one!
We need to get with the times unless you think Rhodes can take this club forward! I don't believe he can.

 

We could set up a Director of Football position to suit our needs.

There isn't really a set job role, and even if there was, clubs don't have to abide by it.

I'd have someone in that position that has the clubs best interests at heart (naturally), and has the ambition to increase the club's status and standing by overseeing the general direction of the club. Consult on managerial appointments that meet the needs of the squad, consult on player recruitment that meets the needs of the manager (we should be tweaking, not overhauling), has the power to veto certain characters from coming to the club, and works with the Director of Communications by receiving feedback from the fans.

I understand the argument that Rhodes can do that job, but I don't think he can. He wasn't a footballer, wasn't a coach, seemed to play second fiddle to Lawn who made a lot of the statements and decisions at least in the public eye, and under him we have bounced around from one direction to the opposite and rebuilt countless times.

People liked that Parkinson forged the West Ham link and brought in some quality players; Bowyer brought the Blackpool links with him; every manager brings links, and so would a good Director of Football. We should, in theory, have greater scope in terms of player recruitment and bagging the names we need to sign.

I just don't see how Rupp and Rhodes are equipped to do any of that.

 

You might well be right that this is the way forward but I can’t see it happening any time soon under this cost-cutting regime. What happened on Deadline Day, a monumental mess up by the look of it, certainly strengthens your case. That must never be allowed to happen again. Jagger will be in League One next season. I can’t see him wanting to come back here. David Wetherall always struck me as having a very impressive brain and bearing. I wonder what he’s doing these days?

 

Expect years in div 2 then mate.

No training ground
No stadium
No Sporting Director

Just getting left behind in every way are Bradford City! Then we wonder why we are left with all these players that can fit into a system a new manager wants.. well if we had a plan as a club the new manager would of have players to suit because the manager before would of played near enough the same way.

Anyway we go again in the summer with another REBUILD!

*David Wetherall is head of youth development at the football league.

 

Personally I am in a rush to get back to the Championship, Fordy. Years in the fourth tier is no good for supporters of my age! If you get my drift!! If a director really is needed then let’s do it.

 

Mate, seriously years ago I would of been like no to a sporting or football director but like @JonButterfield excellently wrote you design it to suit the club.

We can keep on thinking we have the answers when clearly we don't then Exeter overtake us and Swindon?

Rhodes isn't equipped to take us forward on his own. He didn't even understand Bowyer was signing his mates.

We need to have a serious think about the long term because we can't give rolling out McCall all the time! We need a plan!

 

The fact that Rhodes does not come across as dynamic and driven undoubtedly strengthens the case for another tier of management but would he, Rhodes, agree to it even if Stuart would. Let’s get to the end of the season and see where we are. I’m beginning to wonder if I made a mistake deciding to support City more than sixty years ago. Only joking!

 

Doesn't really matter if Rhodes would agree to it, question is, would Rupp?

Rhodes is just a staff member.

 

People should be asking themselves why wouldn't Rupp want one?

Is Rupp not even slightly interested in learning about the game and how to get the best out of his investment plus not wonder why most clubs now have a sporting or football director!

Let's see what happens in the summer when McCall wants 2.7m budget to start all over all buying players.

I await the Rhodes line of we have no money blah blah that he tends to come out with.

 

Think we got him from Wolves as I recall. Neat player.

 

Very stout legs but wouldn’t tackle.