Most liked posts in thread: Off pitch

Bring back our Geoffrey, at least he had drive and ambition!

 

Spot on. I was no fan of the long ball game but you could guarantee we would make a go of it in the last 20-30 mins and have teams pinned back. PP's players knew the game plan and was coached and well drilled to do the job. These players look lost and badly coached. I don't think I've seen us have a spell of pressure at any point under Bowyer. He's out of his depth and this job is too big for him. He has no game plan except get everyone behind the ball. That works if you have lightning pace through the side to break out or striker who can bring others into play. We have neither. Why he's persisting with it I'll never know. Supposed to be a professional coach and can't see the blatant lack of quality on the pitch. Baffling. The fans in the ground booing speaks volumes to me. If he manages to fluke promotion he still needs to go.

 

Regarding the actual topic. I agree changes need to be made both in personnel at the top and a change in mentality at the club.

Rupp bought this club and let’s be honest has little interest in football, he’s not going to be the sort of owner with the sort of ambition and interest to drive us forward. There might not be a queue of buyer lined up but I hope he’d sell to if a decent enough offer came along, but we need promotion at all costs so the value of the club can increase as I doubt he’d sell at what we’re worth in league 2.

As for Rhodes, he’s Bradford through and through which at times has been huge. But we aren’t in the admin years now, we should be looking to push on. His practical approach, almost austerity at times will hold us back. Footballs changed in the last 23 years since he started, the words manageable debt isn’t something to fear, as long as it’s done with a plan in mind to progress the club. People would pay more for the product at a higher level, and the stadium would still be mostly full in the championship even at higher prices.


As for the coaching side. We’ve scrimped since Rahic picked his dream team at the start of our relegation season, and haven’t looked a cohesive team once since. Blame Bowyer, Blame Hopkin or blame whoever but it won’t change until it’s changed at the top and we get a structure off the field which can help improve things like getting more and better qualified coaches in. Because atm we’ve more or less got Bowyer, Drury and a bunch of cones. Change Bowyer and the rest will still be there for the next poor sod who comes in.

 

He's not dynamic though or a ball carrier. Nice touch and vision from what I remember but he's not going to carry us up the pitch with the ball at his feet. Still think we would need Connolly on the opposite wing if we are to accommodate Devitt into the team. We've somehow ended up with no pace like last year. Literally only got two ball carriers in the side. Connolly with no end product and Ismail has the quality we need but is never fit.

 

Looks like one of the lads that empties our bins (general waste not recycling). Might be him.

 

To fair to our supporters @Rogered Tart we also had a good support base in the Richmond days and that was before we had rock bottom season ticket prices. I remember having a friendly argument with my Bradford Bulls supporting work colleague, it was 1996 and super league had just got going and the Bulls averaged 10,000 that season. He commented that City would never achieve an average crowd of that number. Well in our first season back in the 2nd tier we we're getting over 15,000 after the new midland road stand opened and 9-10 thousand before it opened. We averaged 13,700 that season and beat the Bulls average for the next 5 years. It was far more for a season ticket in those days than it is now but we still got the support.

 

Maybe effected by the return of Omari?

 

Even google translate gave up on that.

 

At least you still attend games I believe? What would getting rid of the manager, players, CEO and everybody actually achieve?
That.s why I suggested the response was a tad drastic?

 

You want rid of Bowyer and have recently started to slag him, but defended Parkinson to the hilt bizarre stance imo. Only difference between Parkinson and Bowyer is Parkinson had probably the best lower league target man at his disposal his whole time here. And until Donaldson comes back Bowyer doesn’t have one, you can’t have it both ways. We ended 7th in league 2 under Parkinson and it took a collapse from another team just too achieve that, even with Hanson and Wells, if Bowyer has them 2 as a strike force we’d be top 3 right now. Strange stance.

 

We can't rewrite history, and we shouldn't ignore significant chapters either.

The L2 promotion season was affected by a record breaking cup run - which was achieved alongside promotion.

Nothing to compare between the two imho.

 

Target man! What is this year 2000?

If Bowyer thought a target man was vital he should of brought 2 of them in then not about 10 midfielders.

Bowyer isn't getting a tune out of any forward. People using Donaldson as an excuse for failure! Donaldson is a decent player i like him but can't pin your hopes on a 35 year old that hardly scores! Madness and a poor excuse!

We've Doyle back and had Vaughan all season!

Bowyer is done in football.. he just plays boring football and if you go to games you will see that.

Making excuses for Bowyer is just painful to read because I know you're better than that.

 

All successful business people use other peoples money, It is why they still live in big houses and have luxery cars even after going bust!!!

 

Overlapping fullbacks

Darby never went over half way and Meredith got as many assists in a season with McCall as in 4 with Parkinson, be serious.

I’m not having a go at Parky he did great things, but I’m specifically talking style of play. Both are dull, both are out dated and both require a target man. You can’t slag one manager off for style of play without doing it to the other it’s hypocritical.

 

I think Reid and Meredith combined well under Parky it was a good combination

 

He’s a manager that requires a target man imo, it’s not football I particularly like but if he’d had a target all season I think we’d have more goals and be in the top 3. I just don’t agree with the posters saying Parkys style was somehow different, it was the same when they both used a target man. I’m not defending Bowyer, but I think when all the players are fully fit we’ll go up. If not then he should walk if we don’t, but it’s not over yet we can’t just keep sacking managers. Parkinson was given a good 50 games before the 12/13 season, and plenty wanted him gone then let’s hope similar happens again.

 

Dull and out of date but Parky's was bloody effective, achievable and so difficult to play against. It had a purpose, an end goal and it worked. The hoof was used to great use and up to a partnership that worked so well, the midfield was dominated by Jones, the wide men were used very effectively and our set pieces often won us the game at times. It wasn't pretty at times. Every player knew their job, they'd been lead/trained to it - back 4 were defenders and up for set pieces, midfield was solid and the 2 up top - little and large - forged a fantastic partnership - again they knew their jobs.

Night and day between the 2 managers.

 

Nearly crashed my Merc... That made me laugh.

It will be another midfielder.