Is Abbot really culpable?

There's no point to debate. Trying to claim this team isn't trash is an undebatable point.

Weirdly no. I thought they were decent signings in the summer but I was only judging them on paper. When I've actually seen them on grass they are the worst collection of players I've ever had the misfortune to see pull on the claret and amber. No heart, no talent, little desire, no obvious pride.

Let's not get into the bollocks of picking random players that got better over time from a much higher starting point. This is the ridiculous viewpoint that has had you championing some some of the worst players I've ever seen. Most players who perform badly do so because they're bad players. It's not that difficult. That a few player buck that trend does not mean that all players can't be judged on the shit they produce.

 

TBF Abbott also deemed Nahki Wells was good enough to offer a contract after City had turned him down when he first came to England. The only reason we ended up with Wells was that Mark Ellis pulled a favour from David Baldwin to get him a trial with us when he was released by Carlisle and even then he nearly blew it by being rubbish in his initial trial.

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportbcfc/9754447.Ellis_reveals_Wells_so_close_to_not_making_grade_at_Bradford_City/

 

GA is f@cking useless end off, yes he's suffered an awful illness which we would wish on no one but it's no excuse to keep the puppet employed. Get him f@cked off first and foremost.

 

The recruitment has been poor but we don’t know whose names he came up with that Rahic ignored or would n’t pay the going rate for. Then there was his appointment assisting Collins. If we knew it was ridiculous, what did Abbo the professional think of appointing Collins? Well he took his place in his coaching team so he must have bought into Rahic’s idiotic idea. Sad to say but if he still has some pride left after cosying up to Rahic he should walk and if not Hopkin should replace him. We need to start again.

 

I’d love to know how much proper scouting goes into signing these players and not just watching videos like what was seen on the DVD.
Parky used to go and watch players several times over and find out everything about their character. That’s how we ended up with so many leaders and it’s exactly what Hopkin feels we’re lacking.
This squad is weak as piss mentally and couldn’t give a shit for the badge.

 

Anyone would think we were third from top the way some describe. So supposedly we have signed some good players from a 'higher' level and yet we are playing some of the worst football i've ever seen us play and we are third from bottom and have won 6 games in this calendar year. Now i might be missing a trick here and please correct me if i'm wrong, I'd say that something in the machine that is Bradford City isn't working.

 

If you read the article, Carlisle 'released' him. So Abbott thought Nakhi wasn't going to make it.

 

We all need to earn a living but he must be really low on confidence if he has stuck with Rahic and his shambolic running of the club rather than seek employment elsewhere.

Either that or he actually buys this Rahic bollocks which I can't believe.

Whatever reputation he has or had is going down the pan as quickly as the club is.

 

He's a weasel.

 

on the contrary - I actually think the players we've signed this year are decent, or at least some of them are, or should be. Akpan, Wright, Scannell, Doyle, Payne, Joe Riley, Mellor - even people that were here last season such as McGowan should be better than the league table suggests.

I think there's something (or someone) at the club that causes these players to stop giving a toss about playing for Bradford City FC - it happened last season and it's happened this season, and Grayson, Collins nor Hopkin have seemingly been able to stop it. until this gets resolved in some way we aren't going to improve.

you can call it unprofessional-ism if you like - that was the buzz word from January onwards but at what point and how many players does it take for us to realise they might just have good reason and aren't just an entitled prima donna set of wasters?

 

Not sure that's completely true. MgGowan looked decent in his couple of games but we were so poor at the point even NKP would look Rolls Royce. Players like Guy, Robinson, Gibson, Payne, Obrien's, O'Connor, Wood, Colville, O'Donnel have all performed to a certain level and look like they want to play.

Not sure if your on about Abbot or Edin (both can leave for me) but I still struggle to see what Abbot brings to the table, I know a few people who were coached by him at Thackley and they weren't complimentary.

 

We all hope David Hopkin has taken the job on the premise that he makes all the calls football wise, so why is Gregs input required. Hopkin says I want this centre forward if the players falls within the clubs financial constriants we try and sign him, not the previous way where several strikers are identified and the committee thrash out who is required.
If that is the case we have not learnt a thing, the only input Edin should have is can we afford him, and if we do sign said player Hopkin might have to reduce his expectations. with regards other players he wants to sign.

 

I do think Abbott needs to leave, that wasn't a defence of him by any stretch

the mans a back stabbing little snake who should be ashamed of himself, and is woefully inept at his job to boot.

 

You can say that all you like, but it was Abbott that brought in Hope and more worryingly, Wright. Just days into his new job, Hopkin brought in a better midfielder than the pair put together.

 

Let’s be careful though not to accuse Greg of having a “shambles” of a transfer window though. He actually believes it was a good one and wasn’t a shambles at all. The fact it killed off any hope that his mate had of staying in his job, was lost on him.

Greg, just like your decision to release Nahki, your recruitment HAS been a shambles...!

 

I'm not sure I agree with your list of 'good' players, given Akpan is pretty much used to losing and getting relegated at this point, Riley looks like yet another over-rated kid from the Man Utd academy (we've had a few down the years), and Payne's place as a Blackburn substitute last season isn't without good cause.

But Wright, Doyle and Mellor all have plenty of experience playing first team football for average League One teams, so why they now look out of their depth all of a sudden is beyond me. Meanwhile, Scannell may just be 'that' guy, a bit like Gilliead, talented but with zero end product.

I wouldn't downplay the idea they don't like a certain factor at the club, though, because that's been an absolute constant since Stuart McCall began to lose his grip on our first team's performances. Since the moment EVEN STUART couldn't motivate a Bradford City XI, nobody else has even come close to addressing the problems. And this lot have only been here a few months!

 

The recruitment since the Wembley defeat has been nothing short of abysmal. Money spent on 2nd rate players, contracts extended on the likes of Vince and Killa, who were already in decline. All these had the fingerprints of Abbott all over them. If he was being knocked back by Edin for better recruits, then he should have walked. He should have pushed for quality over quantity and not sold himself down the river.

Hopkin needs to bring in new coaches and scouts because the existing team have failed spectacularly over the last 12 months. Whether Edin will sanction that is another matter.
As mentioned earlier both Parky and Stuart intimated they watched as many live games as physically possible. Is this still happening? If so who’s watching these players to decide they’re right for Bradford City?

 

No I think it's @Brisbane in disguise....

 

Hopkin in the T&A saying he is working till 10/11 at night to get the recruitment right for January, so I am presuming he is attending match’s as well as looking at vids. Also stating the obvious that everyone job is on the line including back room staff.