Match Thread Mansfield Town (H) @ 15:00 26 Feb

A very positive write up @Bigrod !

The issue with Sparks hasn't been the support he's given his managers - he's tried his best. He supported Stuart when he was weakest, although the contract extension had no effect, I suppose it's still a 'vote of confidence' so to speak. He gave Trueman and Sellars a very fair crack of the whip, although their success was relatively short-lived. He supported Adams and let him bring changes. He's undoubtedly going to do what he can to support Hughes, too, I don't think there's much question about that.

The criticisms are all around Sparks' decisions, which point to a lack of expertise and experience (the latter of which is beyond doubt).

The end of Stuart's reign was confused, and the start of several 'interesting' contractual decisions - giving T&S 18 months, but ending their reign within 3 months total - hunting down Adams and giving him three years, but ending his reign within 7 months - giving James Vaughan a 3 year deal as club captain, but then sending him off on loan - replacing managers, like clockwork, every February or a few weeks after a transfer window has closed, the worst POSSIBLE time.

All of this is avoidable, although some will argue the circumstances each time pressed Sparks into action. It's his job to be stronger than that, though, and not to bow to the first sign of pressure, or to help people work through that pressure, so that our timelines are better suited to our search for success, not detrimental to it every single time.

Knowing what we want to do, also, is Sparks' job.

Talking about the importance of academy prospects, then hiring Adams makes no sense.
Following McCall/T&S with Adams from a tactical stand point makes no sense.
Endlessly hiring aging players (and most recently, an aging manager?) on reputation alone makes no sense.
Letting players like Canavan go because they've fallen out with Adams, then sacking Adams weeks later, leaving us with no defence and a pissed off squad (according to Wetherby Whaler) makes no sense.

Indeed all of Ryan Sparks' decisions have looked either reactionary, or downright cynical.

Appointing Adams and declaring this a promotion season has turned out to be an utter disaster.
Good for tickets, sound commercially in the short term, but otherwise terrible.
Some have remarked already that the hiring of an out-of-work Mark Hughes who has never managed at anything like this level seems like another solid marketing move, but we'll see how that plays out.

Ryan has done nothing to stop the revolving door policy of hiring and firing managers AND players. He talks about stability, but nowhere in the club is there the first sign of any stability. He talks about a lot of things, matter of fact, but without ever implementing any of it. He talks now of backing Hughes with anything he needs to succeed, and you know what, that's POTENTIALLY believable, especially as Hughes says he spoke to Rupp directly before taking the job.

But in what way can Sparks possibly assist Hughes beyond saying 'yes' to his requests, much like he did with Adams, none of which were worthwhile?

What does Ryan Sparks actually BRING to the table, from a footballing perspective, rather than a commercial one?

Time to show us. That time is now.

 

End of the day, we knew what we were getting with Adams.

We knew we would get negative, defensive-first football. We knew that. We knew we would get one up top, we knew it. Sparks personally must have known he had no interest in youth players, and he probably made that decision when he made promotion the absolute priority over everything else.

Sparks decided to hire him knowing all that, and sacrificed his (and the club's) principles in doing so. It had to work. So what did we sack him in February for? We've literally rewritten the club's principles and identity for this guy, but he's sacked when we're 12th because the team got booed three times? Eh?

There were plenty of people surprised when Adams went, and conspiracy theories popped up straight away that, oh well, he must have wanted to be sacked. Convenient, but no. Not buying that.

As for recruitment, what a mess - Turnbull is here, the new Head of Recruitment, then he's gone - Adams is openly furious about the level of recruitment when bringing in players like Robinson, but don't worry, we'll solve that problem. Then comes January, and we've not solved that problem at all. We bring in a bunch of loans, and Hendrie.

Should Sparks give a quota of the number of veteran players? Well, why not? Would that be classed as interfering? Of course it would. But that's what a Director of Football would be doing. Asking questions, why are we bringing this player in, what does this do for the club going forward? Why are we selling Canavan, how does that stand us in good stead, I don't care that you've fallen out with him, this is about the club not you, Derek.

The club don't think we need a DoF, evidently, so that means that responsibility lies with Ryan. So let's see it. Let's see him take the lead on recruitment, let's see him planning for the next manager long before he sacks the current one, OR, let's see him stick with the personnel we've got.

But I'll ask the question again: what is he bringing to the club to augment the manager (whoever it is) from a footballing standpoint? If the answer is nothing, or very little, then that's why I'd argue we need a DoF - because Sparks simply can't, and doesn't, fulfil such a vital role.

 

Correct, DOF's aren't a panacea, they're not some magical fix-all, you do of course have to get in the right man. Those people are available, though, and one is Jewell. He's done it elsewhere and they got a promotion, so he's immediately 1up on Ryan. Why not let them work together?

I'm also not sure I agree that promotion at all costs is the right way to go. Jewell's recent article on the T&A highlighted how short-termist we've become, how we don't have a long-term plan, we don't have an identity, we don't know what we're getting from one manager to the next.

I wouldn't say desperately trying to find a manager to do everything and get us promoted is more important than being clear about what this football club is all about.

You and I should know what kind of football Bradford City play REGARDLESS of who's in charge.

We don't.

And that's one of the main reasons we've been unsuccessful in achieving promotion over all else.

It's a Catch-22, Park, and it's entirely of our own making.

 

Hughes is a 4-4-****ing-2 manager (some on here call it dinosaur tactics), so you might not be far off.

Can't see him starting FCD, but who knows? Much rather see that than Songo'o starting in defence. Just think Trueman might advise him to stick with Yan at the back.

Very possible line up.

Hughes is going to find out the level of player he's working with pretty darn fast.