Most liked posts in thread: Stuart return?

I did originaly post that it was during the close season after he'd taken us to a Wembley Final, I'd suggest only a mad man would want to sack a manager who did that for their club.
You didnt believe it at the time and reading this post you're still supporting Rachic.
When he did finally sack him without doubt we were having a bad run, but since sacking Stuart don't you find it a little strange that Collins, Grayson, Hopkin and now Bowyer can't get these players to perform.

 

Wyke struggled with us, and is struggling at Sunderland. Hardly a proper CF, in my book.

 

What, from his managerial career, suggests he is a suitable candidate for a "rebuild job"?

What, from his managerial career, suggests he is a suitable candidate to turn round a club that is on a significant downward trajectory?

What, from his managerial career, suggests he is a suitable candidate to successfully manage a club in league two?

 

You can’t say any manager is 100% the right man. If Stuart didn’t have the emotional pull with Bradford, and i’m as guilty as anyone as i love the bloke, then i guess the majority wouldn’t even think about giving him another chance. He was well backed at Scunthorpe and it still didn’t work.

 

one has a history of building a side capable of promotion from league two whilst working under difficult circumstances, one doesn’t.

 

I don't think S Mc is the man for the job. However, I find your remarks OTT, and disrespectful

 

I'm not sure how you can disagree? His career speaks for itself.

5 jobs, 11 years, zero promotions, zero big wins, zero clubs left in a better league position. I don't know what you're clinging to that shows he's good? It's the record of a mediocre to poor manager and if you didn't love him so much there would be no reason at all to put him in consideration. No other failed Scunthorpe manager gets a mention for the job.

Whether he should have been fired or not is debatable (I wouldn't have done but his result immediately preceding his firing certainly didn't help him) but whether being fired a couple of games too early makes him worth of being rehired I seriously doubt.

 

And this from the guy who continually slates one of our most successful managers in our history and yet yearns for one who has had every opportunity yet failed to deliver

 

What you seem to be forgetting was the warning signs from said poster regarding rahic yourself and others hounded him about the negativity surrounding this and look where we are now.

 

Working with Rahic gives him "Legendary Status" for me, imagine going in to work every morning and listening to Chairman Mao and his I know football speeches, and wishing he could replying you know s**t.

 

OMG!! Fans do not have to be so sycophantically loyal to any former players, that they are allowed to be able to do anything because they gave us good memories

There is nothing in Stuart's English League management record, that can even remotely suggest he is the person for the current job

First time, he managed us in a similar position (assuming we go down) and failed

The second time he succeeded in his first season, but any neutral would have a strong argument in saying that anyone taking over from the great set up PP left, would do well. But let's give Stuart unconditional praise for our best season since 98/99

The big test would be, as usual with Stuart's English club management career, how does he then cope with a set back and the sense of failure, that failed L1 play-off teams nearly always suffer (ie Leyton Orient, Shrewsbury, Notts County (when we beat them) etc). Would he do what Bowyer did at even worse relegated Blackpool and use the toxic presence of a meglomaniac to his advantage or not?. The spectacular fade out after that memorable Wigan win, answered that question. And by today's standards of club impatience he was justly sacked

So on he goes to a club with an even more trigger happy owner (some of us did laugh at the irony of Stuart thinking that the Scunny chairman, would give him what Rahic never did, patience) and succeeds in only confirming what some of us sadly suspected. Legendary player. Very average lower league manager

As usual, you need to look at what other fans are saying. Look at the Blackpool board's and you'll see fans who think Bowyer is the man who saved the club. Then look on the Scunny ones and see that they think the exact opposite of Stuart

You need to apologise, for questioning the loyalty of City fans who have followed this club through thick and thin for more than 40 years, just because we think that it's laughable comparing Bowyer to McCall

None of this detracts from what a great servant Stuart has been

 

What I do find a little strange is mention Phil Parkinson who brought us sucsess over the 5/6 season he was manager here and he's a fraud, dinosaur, etc @Ricc gives him no credit at all, yet as much as I like Stuart for his time and what he's done for Bradford City, Stuarts managerial record does not compare with Phil Parkinson's time at our club, and I think we all accept that, well most do .

 

The truth is somewhere in between your posts and the replies. He has his faults, certainly in his first spell as City manager and less so in his second spell, his second spell somewhat derailed by off the field interference, but still had an infuriating habit of worrying to much about the opposition.

That said, we can’t just ignore his Wembley playoff final or his successful period with Motherwell just because it suits certain posters agenda. He will more than likely get a crack somewhere else, he’s a great man manager and players genuinely like to play for him.
But not at Bradford again, theres too much emotion that comes from his past. I hope he gets success down the line though.

 

It's weird though because I've never said he's the worst manager ever or that his CV is completely negative. All I'm saying is that there are some caveats to his best achievements when they're looked at closely.

He did a good job in his return season with us but in he also had the benefit of a core of players who had the character and togetherness to give him an amazing base on which to start. McArdle, Darby, Meredith, Marshall, McMahon, Hanson, Clarke and even Cullen (who likely wouldn't have come to Bradford if he hadn't already been here the year before) made that job easier.

You would have to do something seriously wrong to rock the boat with that group of players and make them regress. Then being able to upgrade Hanson for Wyke must have been a god send. The atmosphere off the pitch was the most positive it's ever been as well. That's one season with no end result though.

He also did a very decent job at Motherwell for the first couple of season. It just wasn't amazing as you like to portray due to the Rangers issue I keep mentioning plus they were already a top 6/latter stages of the cup/Europa league qualification sort of team. He didn't bring Motherweel from the depths of the table to crack the Old Firms dominance.

As I mention though they're are certain aspects I judge managers on;

1. Progress - The ability to leave a team in a better position than you found them. He's never done that.
2. Promotions - Never done that
3. Big moments - I go to football for the memories and the times when you go "I was there when........." I can't think of one under McCall. Even the Play Off final was a damp squib and of the 4 times I've been to Wembley easily the least memorable. All my memories of crucial games under McCall end in disappointment.
4. Team building - I want to see proper players brought in that you can identify with. With the exception of Hanson and Thorne I can't think of a single player brought in under McCall that was actually good and I "like" as a guy. For all that McCall was a player I've never got the impression he could build a team in his own image.
5. Professionalism. This is my perception rather than objective. Lawn's son playing in friendlies for us first time around, the drinking on the pre-season tour in Germany, Clarke and Conlon getting pissed on an away trip, the players (including the captain) getting wasted at the PoTY award before the season has actually ended. It's just my preference but I don't like the boys club aspect of it, I want our players & staff to act like professional athletes when they're not behind closed doors.

So there you are. I can give him credit when he's done well but he ticks none of my boxes as a good manager.

He's had 5 jobs and an 11 year management career and I don't think he's done enough to be considered anything above bang average, if not a little below, and I can't figure out why we'd want that?

 

Ha ha ha ha good one mate! Funny!

Yes, I would certainly add him back on the list!

 

Might help us sell another 5 season tickets

 

I’d only have him back as player manager.

 

Ok I honestly don't think Bowyers the right man for us next season ? The right man for us is Steve Evans and he would get my vote even against Stuarts return. But because Rhodes is hanging around we won't get the best man for the job now ! or next season. But if I'm asked to choose between Bowyer or Stuart it's Stuart every single time and the rest !. He failed in League 2 but Stuart (against the tide of the Rahic tsunami) took us to the League 1 Play Off Final never mind the Dog n Gun Play Off Final ! So that arguments put to bed !. When Stuart managed us in the Dog End League last time he was a fresher manager who cared about it so much it nigh on made him ill . His passion commitment and grasp of "Our City" and what it takes is never in doubt. He made mistakes who doesn't? Look Bowyers already making mistakes just three games in an audition that is basically "a free strike" ! In a straight choice Bowyer doesn't measure up. If it was a straight choice between Stuart and Evans or Stuart and Parky then I'm with you if Stuart didn't get it ? But putting Stuart alongside Bowyer it's not a contest!

 

Just give me a call Julian I'll go and pick him up, then again Stefan is still the owner and he was quite happy to see Stuart go after our Wembley appearance, it will be interesting if Julian was saying he could still do a job for us and wanted him back in charge at Valley Parade.

 

It is seeming already a great call by Rhodes, @Glenn Ackroyd or whoever not to give Bowyer a contract for years and only until the end of the season.

McCall, Moore, Evans, Parky(will soon be), Hurst, Nolan, Kewell all available and no doubt others will be too.

The club needs reset in the summer.