Match Thread Home v Exeter 12th February 2022 @ 3.00pm

City aren't the only club in the world, and they're not the only club Adams has managed.

In fact, last year he actually managed a different team, and if you look at their main striker (Cole Stockton), you'll probably come to realise Adams' reputation as a manager of centre forwards is pretty good.

 

Supposedly!!!! Watt was so deep second half yesterday he was nearly playing behind Bass so not sure you can count him as a partner in a midfield two. To be fair Sutton did have one of his poorer games yesterday.

 

Don’t get the point of only club in the world, my point was we are more dull than dishwater and play one up front so why would a forward want to come and play for us????

 

Adam’s also didn’t sign Stockton…….

 

Because Adams is the manager, and he turned a previously worthless striker with the worst goalscoring record in the EFL, into a player that could legitimately go for a million using all the reasons that you think would stop a striker playing under Adams.

Stockton played in a 4-2-3-1, Morecambe were still a boring side, Morecambe still played defensive football, but Stockton is still a success story borne out of typical Adams fare.

So acknowledging other teams other than the Bradford City specifically performing in the 21/22 season is a good reason for thinking you might have got it wrong.

Adams' reputation 100 % has not stopped us signing a good goalscoring forward.

The fact Adams has NEVER signed a good goalscoring forward and it has NEVER mattered is more relevant, IMO.

The reasons we haven't signed one ourselves is probably because Adams 1) couldn't offer a massive wage (as per usual for him) for an established goalscorer, because 2) Cook is already earning the wage of an established L2 goalscorer at Bradford City, while 3) he couldn't even guarantee starts given the form of Cook, so any striker would have been hoping Cook was injured.

With all that in mind, his job was to sign COMPETITION, not a brand new, 30 goal a season striker he definitely couldn't afford.

 

I will bow to your knowledge as you must be the club accountant seen as you know what Adams had or didn’t have to spend in January. Ha ha
Based on your other posts makes no difference what anyone does or doesn’t do as you are convinced Rupp is the issue as to why we play absolute garbage football week in week out.

 

I haven't blamed Rupp in that post, what I've done is outlined how you've made up a bit of a silly argument about how no strikers want to sign for Adams.

The prospect of Adams signing a top class centre forward (probably on loan) when the club have openly talked ABOUT the budget and how we were relying on the Crankshaw money should indicate the unlikeliness that we strike gold again with another L2 cast off, like we did last year with Andy Cook.

Focussing on the actual, tangible, REAL issues that the club have, instead of making up some pretence that everybody hates Adams as much as you will probably strengthen your ability to reason out our current failure.

 

Exeter City on Twitter: " "I'm obviously delighted with that result and the performance. We could have made it easier for ourselves by scoring that second goal but 1-0 kept our sharpness and focus." Matt Taylor's assessment as the Grecians record a 1-0 win at @officialbantams #ECFC #OneGrecianGoal https://t.co/KNtflL13Vs" / Twitter

04:15 'It's a passionate place, passionate fans, it's like a coliseum. No better fanbase in the lower leagues'

 

Speaking of managers who can't sign good strikers, Matt Taylor's acquisitions make grim reading!

As long as that's not a prerequisite, he might be a sensible candidate - but I fear taking him from Exeter will be a lot more difficult than taking the gaffer from Morecambe.

 

Exeter don't sack Manager's. Job for life!

 

I listened to Taylor before and after we played them early doors. Sounded very professional, intelligent, and a really nice bloke. Would love him as manager. But why would anyone in their right mind leave lovely, peaceful Exeter to come to Bradford?

 

Why is it a silly argument, there is a clear indication the guy falls out with players as easily as he changes his socks. Just Look at our current squad, Evans started season as golden child now can’t get in the squad, Crankshaw and Canavan reportedly answered him back both sold. Adam’s himself in an interview told us managers talk so we should be careful what we might end up with, we’ll I’m pretty sure players talk too and given his persona in the media he doesn’t give you the impression he is someone you would want to work for……. Let’s face the facts the squad we have should be performing better than it is that has to be down to the manager in some way shape or form, he will not hold his hands up when he has made a mistake and also is too stubborn to try anything else. You are correct I don’t like him but i am probably now in the majority.

 

To be fair, people were raving about Adams' pre-season interviews.

Anyway, like you say, we're not likely to get the Exeter manager, and as @HUDDERSSBANTAM says, that job tends to be a pretty secure one. Tisdale was there for over a decade.

 

No doubt you're in the majority now, but I'd argue that sacking him won't solve our problems.

There are a number of reasons we haven't signed a good striker, and Adams isn't high up on that long list.

Also, I strongly reject the idea that squad is capable of more. I really don't think it is. It's a bunch of average League Two players who are currently sitting midtable. That's probably where they should be.

These aren't good players, on the whole.

They COULD be doing better, but there's no reason to expect that they'd be top 6 based on the players themselves. It's easy to say "we should be doing better", but I think the majority of people are calling for a complete overhaul in the Summer. If they were actually good enough, we'd keep them all.

 

We can just agree to disagree then but as with being in the majority on Adams I also think I am in the majority thinking that with some better tactics and management the current players would be doing better. League 2 teams constantly have a major clear out not just us largely down to the fact that clubs at that level don’t offer long contracts and there are hundreds of free agents every year that’s the way lower league football now works.

 

It's one or the other.

They're either good enough or we get rid.

 

You could both be right. We need better long term planning at Senior Management level and Adams is underachieving with the team on the pitch.

It doesn't necessarily have to be either/or.

 

That's what I was saying about 18 months ago. Players like Watt, Cooke, Cook, Sutton, Paudie, OD, Hornby, they're not great players. They're bang average League Two players, which is why we're a bang average League Two side. I'm no football genius but after more than 60 years watching City I've a pretty shrewd idea about the effectiveness of players, and there is no one in our present squad, with the possible exception of Walker, who would feature in a promotion winning side. I'm sure that there are lots of other people of my generation, and younger as well, who can see it too. I could bore you all by going on about what you need to get out of this division but it boils down to height in several positions, pace in at least one, and someone who knows where the net is. If you've got those you can fill the rest of the team with the best you can get and you'll have a decent chance of going up.

 

I'd add something else. Footballers are notoriously thick. Not all by any means, but most. They are, however, very talented as footballers. Up to a point. Those who are very talented and have the intelligence to understand the game are at the top of the pile in the premier league. Those less intelligent in football terms cascade down the leagues. At our level sophistication is in short supply, so trying to play 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 like premier league teams do is a big ask. They are much happier to play 4-4-2 or 3-5-2, which is more sophisticated but has been around so long that even players at League 2 level are comfortable with it. If you want to imitate Liverpool or Chelsea in League 2 you've got to have some pretty special players for that level, and we haven't.

 

Any change would be a good change. He’s not getting a tune out of this squad. We may not be promotion material but 2 home wins in August, 1 in October and 1 in January is a poor return from what he has. Simply not good enough.