Most liked posts in thread: Sparks - T&A

Not for me Jon.

Three seasons of championship football whilst we've been languishing in L1/2. Three promotion campaigns, two of which automatic. A JPT win in there too. Now I know we've had a couple of great cup runs but, the league is bread and butter and the true measure of success. Not to mention the cup runs were, in my opinion, thanks to Phil Parkinson rather than the structure or footballing ethos of the club.

And Posh have made their own resources under McAnthony. The improvement of their academy from a cat 4 to a cat 2, bringing through their own prospects being one example. The investment in their training ground and scouting system so that they have proper infrastructure set up for the future is another. Not to mention their obvious transfer policy that yields a ridiculous amount of profit for a league 1 side.

All of which are totally attainable and realistic aspirations and developments for us, but Rhodes and Rupp see fit to plod along from season to season. Rupp I can understand considering he hasn't a clue how to run a football club. Rhodes however is still trying to run a club the same way he did a decade ago. Now, he isn't the only one by any means, especially in the lower leagues, but football has moved on and modernised and if you don't move with the times you'll be left behind. Which is personally why I feel Rhodes needs to be replaced, or, hire a DOF so he can run the business whilst the DOF can try to modernise the way the footballing operations of this club are run.

 

I think you make some great points in a strong post. I think you downplay what we did under Rhodes and Parkinson, it was footballing history rather than just cup runs.

I wouldn't even mention JPT wins. It's embarrassing.

But while I think you're right, the fact there is a debate to be had tells you the gap is closer than City fans give credit for.

I think City fans are bored of Rhodes and unfairly rate him down in areas. I think City admire MacAnthony and overrate him as a result.

I would say they are two if the best chairmen in L1 and L2, personally, but I am frustrated by the lack of balance in the debate - and I hate the term 'ambition' when used as a general term as it holds no weight unless properly qualified.

Thank you for the strong reply.

 

Jon
I actually find his long term assistant Paul Raynor more repugnant. A throughly odious man with HIS antics on the touchline more so than fat knacker Evans. Allegedly quite the Bully boy

 

There's what Rupp says and what Rupp does. And most of the messaging around Rupp's financial appetite was pre-covid. personally, I think he'll use Covid as an opportunity to justify why he can't put more money in blindly. He's 'saved face' by putting the money up to plug the Rahic gap, but he's been bailed out by McBurnie. He's not really down by anything.

 

You are just not ambitious enough. Fordy says we all have to be ambitious to drive the club forwards.
In the real world we have an owner that doesn't want to be an owner and a ceo that doesn't want to be a ceo.
That needs sorting otherwise its a gloomy outlook I fear for the coming few seasons.

 

Thanks Ryan.

 

I can understand your thoughts there and next season is going to be tough for everyone I feel.

I hope we can attract better players in midfield as that is where the game is won IMO. We need a Jones or Wise type character in there to boss the game and get the team working as a unit and not the disjointed mess we have seen in recent seasons.

 

It's unfortunate for McCall that the previous couple of years atrocious recruitment and planning has left him with a very lop sided squad

I'm sure McCall would have preferred to bring in some of his own additions up front and central defence. Unless we manage to ship anybody out of those positions, his hands are tied, other than rebuilding central midfield and right back.

I have an awful feeling that next season we will be treading mid table waters, and it will be 2021-22 season before we can give it a good go of getting out of this league in the right direction

 

Could be a long night

 

I’m no Rupp apologist but if what I’ve heard is correct and it all happens, I think the he isn’t interested line will have to be revised.

 

The 5 years finishing higher than the season before
A major cup final
Promotion
Play offs
Josh Cullen
Pickford
Gary Jones
Rescued the club after the Richmond affair and saved us from the chancer Gibb
Appointed Phil Parkinson
Negotiated several transfers which have brought in good money for the club including McBurnie which is what is keeping us going now

 

See, I'm not sure who is calling him a luminary.

All I see is a lot of negative talk about Rhodes to counterbalance against talk that doesn't actually exist - leaving an unfairly skewed debate.

Rhodes' story is obviously a mixed bag.

Has anyone ever said otherwise? And if not, what's with all the 'look what he failed at' talk?

It's like an attempt at counter culture, but completely misplaced.

 

I could be wrong but I remember reading that it was Archie, who went over all the contracts of the youth players sold and realised we were due a percentage of the loan fees which had been missed by the board.

 

Interesting - but City then allowed us to be duped and taken over by Rahic and Rupp - the former being another BS. As it has been shown research would have shown his lack of credentials too.

 

How would setting up a new club and playing in the same league as the likes of Farsley and playing at somewhere like Horsfall playing fields be an improvement though, I'm struggling to get my head around that one

 

It’s 50 years since BPA went out of the league and they still haven’t been back, they’d have been relegated from the conference north if not for Covid 19. Yeah great plan

There isn’t enough interest in football in Bradford to start again and just fly up the leagues.

 

You make me laugh at times Fordy. This is your biggest wind-up ever though. Avenue close to overtaking us, how do you work that out, did you follow their season just finished?. You do realise they attract a following not much bigger than your car capacity for starters mate.

Sorry, Going bust and starting a Phoenix club is an absolute nonsense, and you know it

 

i am sure under parky we managed to progress ,without throwing cash at it and may well have gone the next step, without the takeover. Money is not always the answer, we have spent in the past and finished up with nothing, the last two seasons being good examples. The right players players with the right attitude and good management , can take you a long way.
Like i said , most clubs are looking for that formula, very few find it.

 

Well if we do start playing village Football we've got a head start , we've already got our very own idiot .