Rupp / Sparks and the Luton blueprint.

Very true

 

A good read here
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/sport/football/ryan-sparks-interview-mark-hughes-and-bradford-city-determined-to-use-play-off-heartbreak-as-a-springboard-4165058

 

I know someone who'll disagree with your comment.................

 

Does he have a sponge

 

There nothing he doesn't have, keep up Park, he's been there seen it done it .

 

We conceded more corners than anyone else in League 2. That's a bad stat for a team that finished 6th.

 

Yes I thought the same when I read it, any wonder its cost us points in the past, the Gillingham game being the stand out !!!.

 

He also implies Wrexham, Salford & Gillingham have bigger budgets.
Throw in Stockport, MK Dons & Notts County and you would think our budget for next season would only be top 7 at best.

 

As I said and as I say again, we aren’t anywhere near spending as much as others.

 

I agree -
Increased matchday attendances
Increased commercial revenue
Increased season ticket sales
Play-offs income

Sparks says we can't compete with Wrexham, Salford or Gillingham though.

TBF to him he's got to try and get value for money on the signings. He's not going to come out and say we're loaded as every Agent will add another 0 on the end.

 

I hate these type of articles … if it’s not Mansfield it’s Wrexham, county, Crawley. feck off. We have the biggest fan base revenue over 8 million we should be at least able to compete with these clubs. This why I long for the day of change of ownership.. someone who says we are here to compete we want and you fans deserve the best in class In this league. Instead it’s well we can’t compete with XYZ or it’s going to be tough.

Always feel we fans do our best turn up every week buy shirts sell out away ends. We never match that ambition. Pack up and give up cause Crawley and
Gillingham are going to offer an extra £500
Per week.

Just don’t mention any other clubs especially clubs who were 5 year ago were non league. Concentrate on us.. we’ve made record returns we should be able to pump that in. Let’s see my prediction is more low league plodders with rotten injury records or journey men.

 

As above -
TBF to Sparks, he's got to try and get value for money on the signings. He's not going to come out and say we're loaded as every Agent will add another 0 on the end.

 

.

We’ve had that argument for years but agents players know what is been offered, it’s a tiny pool in reality and I imagine discussions happen peer to peer.

Whether we shout from the roofs or keep it quiet I guarantee Stockport, Salford, Wrexham, Notts county, Gillingham, Mansfield, Crawley, MK will sign better quality than us and out of those clubs that’s your top 3 and play off clubs. We will have the usual plodders. It cost to be successful we don’t get that

 

Let's see. The division definitely looks tougher with Wrexham & Notts County coming up, MK Dons coming down.

 

My argument is with the exception of Wrexham I don’t believe there is one other club in that league that makes the money we do? So where does it go? Yes let’s see but no excuses and that article we already gently dropping in clubs with better resources

 

I’m sure we will have a competitive budget just as we had this time. Of the five clubs above us possibly only Stockport had a better budget.
It’s how the budget is used is the big factor. Whilst it would be great to have some wealth behind us and the willingness to use it. The likelihood is that we are always going to have to generate our own money and we seem to be doing a good job of it at the moment

 

You may well be right. There's just no benefit to Sparks saying that at a time where he is negotiating with players/agents.

 

That is purely self inflicted in my view. All our players are in the box defending/zonal marking whatever that is! If we leave one or two players in the centre the opposition has to send one or two out to mark them. Plus it gives us a chance to clear the ball out, rather the repeated corners we had to defend.
I presume zonal marking is marking space? however you need to be able to read and anticipate where the ball is going and which opposition player will be challenging for the ball. At this level players are not skilled in decision making or ability to read the game. I think we need to keep it simple.