Stephen Warnock Speaks (again)

***WINNER***

 

Edited for accuracy.

 

WINNER

 

JR is not a gambler, he is very risk averse, due to his previous experience. Trying to correct the disaster of the 2018 summer, would have been a gamble, expensive and no doubt more players under contract which we would have to fund. He went for Payne as we didn’t want to lose him, none of us did; Clarke I think maybe JR thought he could help to lift the dressing room and backup in case Payne being injured, P O’Connor to cover defence, Butterfield mainly because he is a really good player and a bargain. That is my take on it anyway. Plus we looked like we might have rallied in December. The fact that Payne and the whole team hasn’t performed since cant be blamed on January, but down to Summer 2018.

 

Sorry, but I disagree with you on this. Yes, we did rally in December, but by the beginning of January, we had slipped back into our previous ways. That’s when we needed better.

Saying Paudie was cover is bizarre. Neither NKP or AO’C were pulling up any trees. We needed someone to replace them, not someone to sit on the bench (if he was lucky due to already having 5 loanees).

As for Butterfield, he hasn’t had a good season for a few years. Yes, he was a good player, but we shouldn’t be signing players on reputation alone. Did Rhodes learn nothing with Aaron Mclean?

And finally, in relation to Clarke, whilst I understand the logic of having back-up, it was as clear as the nose on my face that we needed a different type of striker. Hopkin has spent the months leading up to the window telling us we had too many similar players and needed a targetman. Then, we sign another of the same type.

And for this, I blame both Hopkin and Rhodes equally, just as I blame Abbott and Rahic for the summer business

 

We will need to agree to disagree. I am absolutely 100% behind the statement that Rahic made some crucial mistakes that will affect this club for sometime BUT we also have to acknowledge that others made mistakes. McCall made some blinders in his time, the Play off final, the way we played, the lack of a plan b, the lack of substitutions...I could go on, Hopkins, Abbott, JR on his return has made mistakes.... Many point was simply we are so focused on one person that we are, I believe, missing, or are unwilling to acknowledge, that others have made mistakes.

As for your point of 'McCall might still have been in the managerial seat'. I would suggest that had it been anyone else but Rahic he would never have got the job. Rahic was looking to curry favour with the supporters and that this was a quick win. Personally (and I am not looking to get into a SM argument) that was, for me, his first major mistake.

Ultimately I actually don't care who got what wrong. I am far more interested in what our next step is rather than who made what decision in 2017.

 

You can disagree all you want but the statement, 'often the fans are as bad as Rahic' is quite laughable if you weren't so serious. And how did McCall get the playoff final wrong? Please enlighten me on what you would have done different. That game was always going to tight and swung on very fine margins. Clarkes effort goes in and Millwall can't just sit and defend like they did.
I do agree with your comment regarding McCall getting the job in the first place, although again to deride Rahic (which lets face it isn't exactly hard), he wouldn't have had to 'curry favour' with the fans had Parky not seen through him at the first time of asking. Edins list of fundamental errors was long, his 'encouraging' of Parky to exit the place as quick as he could after meeting with him was the first one of many.

Onwards and upwards.

 

That is not true as I have posted before, once Phil Parkinson was aware of what Rahic was hoping to do regarding input into footballing matters Rahic was left with no idea who might take the job and was told Stuart McCall would be a great choice and obviously a good move to get Bradford City fans back onside as your curry flavoring comment.

Rahic & Rupp say they did there back ground work/assessment of our club and obviously due diligence, yet when presented with that advice Rahic had to google Stuart McCall name to see who he was (now there's a laugh) and "you tube" brought up the video where he was well oiled and falling off cars celebrating promotion to the Premiership.
He openly admitted that himself at a forum, they did their homework not thinking for one minute that a manager of Phil Parkinson's standing would turn them down and they had no plan "B".

 

Not getting back into this argument but I believe Parky would have left that summer anyway

 

The difference being mate after his meetings with Rahic he left and we will never know as he was not prepared to stick around.

 

I am sure if had been offered a big transfer fund he might have had second thoughts. But he was on his way out anyway hence we didn’t claim compensation we were entitled to

 

Agreed.

 

You seriously believe Rahic & Rupp would have turned £300,000 down and let Phil Parkinson go free, you say it was an agreement Parky had with the past owners and they accepted it after making public statements they wanted to keep the club going forward and would be changing nothing, I think pushing Phil Parkinson out was Rahic's first major blunder, and he tried to get fans back onside by bringing the Legend back.
These two clowns didn't even know about the 25 yearer's they certainly did their "due diligence".

 

If the club had insisted on the compensation being payed Parky wouldn’t have gone to Bolton they said so. They waved it because of his service and agreement fact