Most liked posts in thread: McCall - officially new manager

It is easy forget the ridiculous circumstances that Stuart had to work under in his last spell here. Let's just remind ourselves of the facts.

We finished in the play-offs in his first season and were only narrowly defeated 1-0 by Millwall in the play-off final.

Instead of keeping together as much of that side as possible, Rahic broke it up. Cullens loan spell was over so he was always going to leave, while Mark Marshall, who McCall had transformed from one destined for the scrapheap under Parky to a real fans fav, also wanted to leave to go back down south.

However, it was the proven League One players moving on that killed us. Rahic didn't want to pay the going rate for established, performing, League One players. McArdle was moved on because we wouldn't offer him a longer term deal on decent money. Rahic wanted to offer players incentivised deals weighted more on bonuses.

While we invested money in new signings, the controversial transfer committee was in charge of recruitment. Whether Edin refused to sign the top targets and picked names lower down the list created by the committee, or the list was a bad one in the first place, who knows. Clowns were running the club at the time. Stuart even admitted in one frustrated interview he had no idea on the progress of one of the transfers that was supposedly coming in.

Remember, we paid good fees for Reeves (150k?) and McCartan (200k) and neither justified them really. We also paid a fee for Dom Poleon. Stuart had to work with whatever was given to him, and the board also, controversially, trimmed his budget in that second season after the Millwall heartache.

The big gripe, though, was the lack of backing for Stuart in the transfer window. There was the now infamous story with Luke Hendrie, but I remember us getting whalloped good and proper at Rotherham around a time when the dilapidated squad, which had needed freshening up for weeks, was looking jaded. Remember that emotional interview Kilgallon gave on the radio, crying out for some support and asking what was going on. It was around the time McMahon was also sidelined with uncertainly over his future. There were rumours Edin wasn't paying players their bonuses too and the PFA had been contacted. Not sure if there was any truth in that or not. Even those brought it were substandard. Can we honestly say Stuart wanted Sattelmaier here? Bruenker, who was the eventual replacement when we supposedly missed out on (PR stunt from Rahic) Kieffer Moore, was another shambolic recruit.

Essentially, Stuart had us in the playoffs in that second season whilst working under an absolute buffoon, who was jealous of his popularity with the fans. No manager could have worked under those constraints. If anything he deserved a new contract, not the sack.

The players loved Stuart. Even after he left they were pictured with him at that meal out (Rahic then proceeded to move on all those players who were present that night!). He will make training fun for them again. They will feed off his passion.

Welcome back Stuart. Delighted to see Kenny with him too.

 

A few cynical posts on here.

Yes, he'll sell season tickets and put bums back on seats, well brilliant, it's augers well for the clubs funds.

Secondly, he'll give the whole place a major boost, tails will be up
Watching Stu walk down the touchline Saturday, the whole stadium will rise, the knock on effect to the players will be invaluable.

Thirdly, we'll see what this squad really has, he'll utilise the wingers and encourage them to marauder forward, midfielders instructed to get in the box.

Lastly, folk bang on about him being a failure at management, his first spell with us, he was learning, and he had us well up league two, the injury to Omar Daley in the February threw the spanner in the works. Second spell, play-off final and going for it again, before the imbecile sacked him after Stu was in almost unworkable conditions.

I'm pleased Stu is back, and I'm SURE will make the doubting Thomas's wrong !

 

Just a shame he doesn't have Doyle and Vaughan to work with. This should have happened 2 weeks ago.

 

The swiftness of the appointment plus the arrival of Novak and Middleton says to me that McCall was lined up before Bowyer went. McCall also says Rhodes contacted him, not the other way round.
Will see how it goes. I enjoyed watching McCall's football the last time round. I would be delighted if we can go up this season, but what we see on a match day will surely be a vast improvement.
I would have preferred Nathan Jones as a long term appointment but maybe he wasn't interested in League 2.

BTW there seem to be a few right miserable new members arrived on here in the last day or two.

 

I'd love it if Rupp made a phone call to Edin today to tell him 'you know that ginger guy you hated with a passion? Well guess what, I've just reinstated him as manager'.

Revenge is a dish best served cold

 

Some real miseries on here. The club have put a smile back on most fans faces today. What harm does planning a scarf parade for his first game back and putting back up the picture Rahic tore down in a strop gonna do? It’s total shithousery putting that picture back up and I love it.

Can’t wait for Saturday and can’t wait for us to go away and actually look to win matches again.

I can’t wait for Stuart to deliver success and to see him arm in arm with Rupp - and to know Rahic is squirming.

 

I'd take living in the past over perpetual carping and negativity any day.

 

I really don’t get the negativity. If it wasn’t for that Bosnian/German shit for brains Stuart would have had us in the championship.

Welcome home Stuart, time to put the record straight and lead us to promotion!

 

110% the right decision. Stuart is home.

 

Just watched it, like a breath of fresh air compared to Boreyer.

Asked about Grimsby but aside from mentioning clarke and hanson, he couldn't care less. It's all about us and imposing ourselves on them. And producing entertainment for us so we get 100% behind the team.

Can't wait for Saturday now.

 

This club make me howl sometimes.

Monday - we've had a vast array of excellent applicants.

Tuesday - Shall we just appoint our mate who has been here twice before?

It's like some weird addiction.

 

An image to warm the heart. Some things just feel right, and this is one of those.

 

Welcome back Stuart.

I was seriously considering not attending on Saturday against Grimsby before Bowyer was sacked. I cannot recall ever missing a weekend home game other than been away on holiday or weddings or illness. However, I cannot wait for Saturday now. Should be a great atmosphere with Grimsby bringing the biggest away support of the season too.

Good luck to Stuart and Kenny

 

So bloody refreshing to hear our manager say, let's not worry about them(Grimsby), let them worry about us, we have to get our crowd going and we do that by playing good attacking football .

Now that is music to my ears.

 

"Cautious optimism"

End of the day, it's Stuart McCall, no matter what people think of him as a manager he should have our full backing from the get go.

At least he doesn't have ER chipping away in his ear this time around.

Welcome Home Stuart!
Good luck to Kenny Black also, that's as big an appointment as Stuart in my eyes!

 

It's easy to assume that going back to Stuart is largely about sentimentality. I have that nagging doubt myself. But I thought he did a very good job second time round. We came very, very close to promotion. And he did it on reasonably modest budget and in the face of ridiculous interference. In his second season, all things considered he had us performing above ourselves. I dont see how any manager could have achieved much with the way Rahic went about things.

So I actually think hes talented as a coach. And sometimes it's just the right fit, whether that be as player or manager. You connect with a club and its supporters and if you can infuse the squad with that bond, it can take you very far.

I'm eager to see what he can achieve if left to do things his way. And hopefully he's properly backed to build a team. I certainly like the way he tries to play. In particular I'd like to see what he can to do the likes of Reeves, Cooke, even Akpan.

Success under Stuart would mean more than under any manager. The 18 month deal makes sense in a lot of ways, but he needs to be backed properly in the summer. My biggest worry remains that we appear to have no long term plan to grow the club. But we have at least acted to remove Bowyer and bring in someone that I'd trust to get more out of this group of players.

 

Sort of happy. Would've been happy for him to come in until the end of the season. Then get new blood in and fresh ideas to move the club forward. Think this club looks to the past too much. I'll back him to the hilt and his football was fantastic last time around but thought a new man would've been a better option. All the best Stuart third time lucky.

 

Let’s give Stuart the chance to make amends for that painful play off final defeat 3 years ago!

Stuart McCall’s Bradford Army!