Most liked posts in thread: Rhodes speaks

There's just something about Bradford that makes us unattractive to potential investors despite this myth that we have potential.

 

All this condemnation aimed at Rhodes is regrettable.

Does he need to go? Yes. But lets just remember when
Rahic was ousted we were saved from Guy Fawkes being
let loose with a detonator and we were lucky his partner,
who knew nothing about running a football club,stayed
and pledged to stick with us.When Rhodes came in I think
most of us were relieved we had someone at the helm to
maintain some sort of direction.

Rhodes' remit was not to save his business,it was to help
us through a stormy period when we were sinking rapidly.

His recruitment of managers was as bad as the managers
recruitment of players.But,we had some great times under
him and ML. I think we should look forward to a new CEO
who we hope will knock this club into shape and take us
forward.

It didn't particularly work out for Rhodes but we should be
a bit more gracious rather than just throwing insults as he
loves our club just as much as we do.If we do this to people,
who will want to put themselves in line for more of the same?

I wish him well for the future and hope we can find something
positive from the fact he did his best to keep us afloat and for
me,the club comes first.

 

Yes Bradford is a shit-hole. But so are many other towns and cities and it doesn’t stop them being attractive. Someone with vision would be able to tap into the potential fan base that to now, has shown such little interest.

 

Whether it is or it isn’t, Bradford has a reputation as a shithole. Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Bristol, all got some proper rough areas but don't have that stigma Bradford has. I see it all over, where you from? Bradford. Bit of a dump there isn’t it, or where’s that are the usual questions.

 

I have this all the time in the north east. I’m constantly reminded what a shit hole Bradford is.

Yet there are parts of the north east that leave a lot to be desired. Parts of Newcastle (Byker, Scotswood etc) are hell holes, yet because it’s got a nice city centre and a reputation as a good place for a drink along with the fact that Geordies are passionate about their city means that it rarely gets bad press.

Go to some of the other areas, Stanley in County Durham is beyond a shit hole and don’t get me started on Ashington and Newbigging. Please don’t ever go there. Make Bradford look like paradise. You’ve been warned.

 

Partnerships are the worst ships
that ever sailed.
If you don't know who the captain
of the other ship is,but he wants
you to fund the enterprise,like as
not, he's a pirate!

 

It doesn't neccesarily take an owner with deep pockets. Not in the sense of continually funding budgets. It needs an owner and CEO with vision, commercial nous, strong risk management capability and ideally with great networking skills.

 

There were the odd abusive comment on social media but very much the theme through the comments should have had the alarm bells ringing no matter how much Rahic tried to put a 'they're all picking on us cos we're foreigners' spin on it. Heck, even on this very forum there was a funded campaign to pay for a fly over berating the ownership of the club. If as alleged Rupp was reading WOAP to get his information then I doubt their usual narrative would have the warning signs flashing. Anyway, it's all water under the bridge, if Rupp learns anything it's to not be as naive in business dealings in the future especially when it stands to cost you millions.

 

I agree. And Lawn doesn't have close to the wealth of Rupp. He was essentially gambling his children's inheritance, at much high levels of risk.

 

Well yeah that aswell. I think all glory hunters have long gone

 

Wouldn't surprise me or disappoint me too much, he seems like he's well clued up. He's cut his teeth over the last couple of years and the off the pitch stuff seems to tick along nicely. He's had my sympathy a couple of times recently when he's been hung out to dry after telling us fans things in good faith only to have egg on his face later.

We'd all love an experienced 'football' CEO with a track record of moving clubs forward but I guess most of them will be employed already at a level above City. It would be a fast track promotion for him but maybe a good option. He's not that much younger than when James Mason started his role at City and he did a good job in the main.

 

Rhodes has been here too long and has lost touch with too many of the fans, he is clearly an accountant first and foremost. I don’t feel that passion from the club ceo and owner. I feel like my club is in a never ending decline and going nowhere. Is it too much to hope we might be a strong force this season in L2, clearly so.

Agree though , it’s a misjudged interview, there’s disengagement, and Disillusioned fans, never a good recipe for success.

 

Shades of Michael Collins if that happens, I believe it will be someone with previous experience at the level in football.

 

Plan.

Buy the our ground back, or new land for a new ground. Long term.

Training ground (ours) above sea level.

Stop selling cheap tickets.

 

I completely agree that having 'vision' doesn't involve spending hundreds of thousands on players, buying grounds, investing in training facilities simply because 'we train at a school' doesn't sound cool, etc, etc, etc, - giving the club a 'vision' and a 'plan' is relatively easy to achieve and doesn't have to cost the Earth.

However blaming Rhodes because we supposedly have a worse scouting network than 'insert team here' is a bit rich.

Time and time again the specifics of the criticism of 'Rupp and Rhodes' are muddled with data that should be squared firmly at the feet of 'Rupp and Rahic', only it's not cool to bother differentiating when you can blame the club wholesale. That list of failed strikers since Charlie Wyke, how many of them were signed under 'Rupp and Rhodes'? Not very many! Why did 'Rupp and Rahic' sign so many duffers? Because Rahic incorrectly felt a Development Squad approach was the way to go, and there are (bizarrely) people that actually think he had the right idea - I could not disagree any more strongly with that. He got it wrong from day one - badly wrong - and while his execution was notably poor, that doesn't excuse his ideas as workable. They weren't, they were a daft, daydreaming nonsense.

While I'd have loved it from DAY ONE Rhodes had signalled his intention to assemble a good scouting network to assist Stuart in his return to City, and while I do agree that Rhodes doesn't seem to have the most dynamic imagination when it comes to driving City forward, I do take notice when he says how big of a job it has been to unpick the mess that Rahic left. That Rhodes is HIMSELF SAYING he is going to be replaced soon should get him a ton of slack - but actually, nah, it's easier for people to criticise and label him 'amateur' and a chancer who is merely hoping for promotion. We get it, the successes we had under Rhodes and Lawn are irrelevant because another idiot got us relegated back to L2, but for the last time, Rhodes did NOT take us backwards, nor is Rhodes TAKING us backwards. He is trying to turn us round AND hand over the reins. Even if you vehemently think he's not good enough for us, what more do you want from him than that? He's going.

 

Are you forgetting he gave us the 2 clowns in the first place. We the fans didn't bring them in, he did. The least he could do is try and rectify the mess he instigated.
I'm pleased for what he's doing right now and over the last 18 months, because without him I dread to think where we'd be. My main disappointment is the total lack of of a plan. The OWNER should have made that statement, not the temp who gives the impression he'd rather be anywhere but here. In a week where we've just been handed our arses by the footballing giants in Harrogate, we get this troop rallying call from the acting CEO. As if things couldn't get any worse.

Maybe he could take a leaf out of the Brentford model.



Even a hint that we've looked at various clubs in the football league and we're going to adopt the model similar to club XYZ FC, would give us something to work towards. That doesn't cost money in the short term, but buys them time with the fans, who know what the strategy will be.