McCall IN/OUT (with new Poll)

I have to say, you seem to be on a real downer.

I hadn't got you pegged as being quite this negative before.

I really don't think we're missing much at all. A forward that offers something different and a right-sided defender/wing back - though honestly Tyler French is doing okay.

What else is there that we're lacking?

That squad from 2011 was lacking about six quality first team players.

 

I think we're fortunate that the league standard is so poor, because as I say, I think this squad is a poor one, albeit with some younger players that might improve significantly.

What are we missing?
We dont have a proper right back in the squad.
We need at least 1 quality centre back, possibly 2 - BRE is a train wreck, AOC is a liability and POC isnt consistent - hes never hit the standards he set in his loan spell since signing permanently.
I dont think we have a ball winner in midfield, though maybe Sutton can fill that role.
I think we need at least 1 winger.
We need a quality first team striker and such is the lack of quality in Guthrie, and the lack of mobility in Donaldson, we probably need a better back up too.

So yeah, a first team centre back and right back, striker, and better options for at least a winger and another striker. Probably 5 players. But at this point I'd reasonably hope for a centre back (don't think we'll get one), quality striker (that'll be tough) and perhaps a young striker who can also play wide (shouldn't be hard, but would be an unproven quantity).

I'm down generally down about this club, for reasons that I think are very fair, though that would change if Jenkins comes in.

That's not what this is though. Unless the league shows that it IS even worse than last year, and/or unless our young players improve quickly, I think this squad is 5 or 6 short of being a promotion side. Right now, we're mid table at best.

 

I think you're looking at an ideal squad capable of playing all formations with key players in all positions.

But actually it's not necessary to tick every box for every position with a senior player.

Different question: in which positions have we 100 percent been caught out in so far this season?

 

I dont think I'm being overly demanding tbh. I'm not talking about having 2 top players for every position, I'm talking about having a core of 12-15 good players, with 7-10 squaddies or younger lads.

I think we've been caught out in all the positions I've mentioned. We've already conceded several very, very soft goals this season. The idea of needing a better CB and having at least 1 recognised RB in the squad doesnt seem outlandish to me. French might nail down the position and he's already chipped in with a couple of assists but defensively I think theres a question mark - which you'd expect from a young lad playing his first proper professional season in a position that isnt his natural position.

We've clearly been found wanting up front. There isn't any argument there is there? You need at least 3 good striker options for a season don't you? Probably 4. Guthrie will never be a good option and even if you consider that Donaldson might have a role to play where we want to see games out, its surely beyond dispute that we need at least 1. What are our wide options? Evans helps, but DMH doesnt look good enough, Ismail doesnt look fit/interested and Pritchard is a good player, but not a winger. We've already shown a lack of pace and penetration from wide areas and we dont have the players to play with proper wingers. Even 1 proper winger, of quality.

And I'd also argue that we've been exposed in a couple of games by not having a ball winner. It's been talked about quite a bit on here, that it's been far too long since we had a commanding central midfielder. Maybe Sutton can fill the role, we'll see.

But yes, bare minimum I think we need 3-4 quality options and a couple of better bench options, to be a promotion winning side. We were a mid table side last year and we haven't really strengthened. The midfield is a bit better having Watt in there, but we're even weaker up front and out wide, and no better at the back.

 

We've only conceded three goals in three games, one when we were down to 9 men - I'm not sure that really adds up about conceding soft goal(s)!

Actually I think so far there's an argument up front that we HAVEN'T been found wanting - Novak is already on three for the season, and is joint second top scorer (Henderson is top, he's scored two penalties!) - I would PREFER more options and different styles up front, but we DEFINITELY haven't been 'found out' yet. Missing a couple of chances isn't the same as not scoring.

Way too negative all this, mate, I think you need to look at what we have and not just what we don't.

 

If I was SMC gaining your respect wouldn't be high up on my list aims in life. Yes a lot of that Wembley squad were Parkinson's signings but the likes of Marshall hardly featured under him and McCall got them playing a more attractive style of football, more suited to the league we got promoted to under Parkinson.

 

I disagree.

Defensively we've been very poor so far this season. There's a common theme - we dont stop crosses and when those crosses come in, we dont defend our box anywhere near well enough.

French has a couple of assists, but also has an own goal and a few goals have come from crosses down his side. Staunton looks talented on the ball but has already been culpable for soft defending and not being able to clear his lines. A'OC is a train wreck.

Look at the pattern of goals so far. Lincoln weren't that good. It's not like we came up against a quality L1 side - we defended 3 set pieces really poorly, didn't close down someone on the edge of the box and then the last goal is a joke.

FGR - we concede a pen because our CB cant deal with a basic, straight long ball. Then he rugby tackles his man in the box. The same defender was caught under a basic cross for Lincolns 5th. The 2nd FGR goal comes when we have at least 2 chances just to clear our lines. Even with 9 men, we weren't cut open, we just defended the basics softly. The Stevenage goal comes from a basic cross that 3 of the back 4 do a piss poor job of defending.

We've conceded the same type of poor goal, too often. And worryingly, we haven't really come under the cosh in games yet.

I accept that young players will make mistakes, but we may need to accept that as a result, we're not going to do much this season. Maybe it'll be worth the pay off in the long run, and its early days. But the worrying signs are already there, defensively.

Novak, is a decent option. But I'm sorry, theres no way anyone can seriously dispute that we need at least 1 decent striker adding.

 

If I was SMC gaining your respect wouldn't be high up on my list aims in life. Yes a lot of that Wembley squad were Parkinson's signings but the likes of Marshall hardly featured under him and McCall got them playing a more attractive style of football, more suited to the league we got promoted to under Parkinson.

 

I'm not interested in the cup games. We don't get promoted on cup games.

I think we do need another option up front, but his many teams will have two goalscorers up front this season? 1? 2?

No real cause for panic. Had we not played that league cup game, morale wouldn't be nearly as skewed.

 

The reply was with regards to McCall having 90% of the squad left by Parky which is not true, Cullen had gone back to West Ham the previous season, he was not at the club, Marshall was as good as a chocolate fireguard under Parky and a completely different player under McCall.
I posted at the time when Parky was accused of taking all scouting documents etc that it was a nonsense to think Stuart would have perused players Phil had on his list, he added to those still under contract and took us to Wembley.
With regards Josh Cullen I believe I'm correct in saying Bolton wanted him but he chose to return to Valley Parade because he had "unfinished business" to complete.

 

I'm not really interested in the cup game either, other than it speaking to the flaws I'm talking about.

Will have to agree to disagree. You may feel I'm being negative, which is fine - personally I think you're overlooking obvious flaws which are already on display.

O'D, Wood, Watt, Cooke, Clarke, Novak, Evans, Pritchard. That's a good core. Maybe Sutton could be added, but it's still 3 or 4 short.

The soft goals thing - watch the goals we've conceded back. Nearly every one is a poor goal to concede. FGR, soft free kick, wall dissolves. Then theres the pen, then look at the chances we have to clear our lines. Its convenient to dismiss the Lincoln game because it was a cup game and a higher league of opposition. But we weren't really asked to defend anything we wont come up against this season. How many attacks did Stevenage have? 1? And we didn't deal with it.

Time will tell and we're clearly on different perspectives. But without 3-4 additions of quality, this side wont be going up. I'd love to be wrong, but I dont think I will be.

 

Bizarre to refer to that squad as car-crash. The only reason the season turned into a car crash was the way they, and McCall, fell to pieces in the spring.

It was a well resourced squad that should have been challenging for automatic promotion and McCall should have been sacked for failing so spectacularly.

 

Change the record.

 

Why, we don't do change at Bradford City.

Bring back old board members, bring back old managers, bring back old players and use the same excuses when they fail again.

 

That might be why the idea of Jenkins coming on board is whetting appetites.

 

I think we are a nailed on ‘both teams to score’ at the bookies, French as an example is a rookie, he has some good assists but is still learning defensively. French has two chances to clear Saturday near the end, one was a half clearance to their man, the follow up was a foul on the opposition.

We need that extra front man and an experienced enforcer at the back.

we’ve nothing to fear in this league from what we’ve seen so far.

 

This season will probably be extremely poor
even by league 2 standard.

That alone offers us an opportunity to be better
without the real quality we'd like and finally get
out of the basement!

 

It's a sht league full of sht teams, very poor standard, we should be walking this league without breaking into a sweat.
I'm pretty sure I hear the above every single season!

 

Glad I’m not sat in the cold watching this performance