Summer 2022 - Transfer Talk

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MARK Hughes insists City are ahead of schedule with their summer recruitment.

The Bantams play their first pre-season action tonight with the traditional trip to Bradford(Park Avenue).

Hughes will take a squad swelled by 12 signings after a hectic couple of months of incomings.

He admits the revamp is further advanced than he had expected at this stage.

“I talked about that hopefully happening but, if I’m honest, we didn’t expect it to all fall into place,” said Hughes.



“You usually feel it’s going to be a longer process to get to the point where we are now.

“But I’m more than happy that we’re in this position because it gives us more time to have the vast majority of the group in the building and ready to go during pre-season.

“There are still opportunities to bring guys in if we feel that’s necessary. We can do that because the window has still got a long way to go.

“But I think for us, as a group, it’s good and positive that we’ve got almost everybody here ready to go and complete the full pre-season period with us.”

Former Hull skipper Richie Smallwood is among the influx since the end of last season – and Hughes believes City have enjoyed a high success rate with landing their potential targets.

“Pretty much everyone we’ve gone for we’ve got.

“There are only a few that have gone elsewhere – and more often than not, they have gone to a higher level.

“We’re trying to attract good players here that will increase our level of ability within the group. Those type of players will obviously have other options to consider as well.

“We missed out on a few, but not too many, and we’re pleased with that.”

Abo Eisa will make a welcome return to the City ranks at the Horsfall Stadium after a season wrecked by two serious hamstring injuries.

But Liam Ridehalgh and Levi Sutton are missing as they come back from summer surgery and Luke Hendrie is out with a tight calf.

Hughes added: “Coming back to pre-season is all well and good and there’s a certain level of expectation before the first training session.

“But the reality is it’s the games that really kick you on in terms of your fitness levels, so the sooner we start playing the better.

“Obviously we will try to get minutes into almost every player who’s fit and available. That will probably mean wholesale changes at half-time and a different team coming on.

“But I think everybody understands and expects that because that’s where we are with our fitness.

“We’ll build them up during the pre-season period until we get to a point where the vast majority of the squad have 90 minutes or leading up to that.

“The lads have all come back in really good nick. That means we can progress more quickly and are not waiting for people to catch up.

“There is a lot of getting to know new faces, not only for myself at a close level but the players themselves.

“Obviously some of the lads know each other from other times. But we’ve got over that period now, everybody has integrated so it’s been a good few days so far."

 

We went from 18th to 7th last time we went up season on season..... after signing Rochdales right back and captain after they had a terrible season, finishing comfortably 24th in L1 the year before, getting defeated regularly. Signing McArdle after a terrible season for Aberdeen, Doyle after barely playing the season before.... but none of what happened the season before mattered in the end.

Shifting up the table does happen, even in the money spinning championship, Forest went 17th to 4th, Huddersfield went 20th to 3rd, Luton went 12th to 6th. Even in the lower ends, MK 13th to 3rd last season in L1. In our league, Mansfield went 16th to 7th & Vale went 13th to 5th and two points off automatics. If you have someone in charge who recruits well, like we seemingly have for the first time in a while, it's possible. Especially in a league like ours where the difference in quality isn't that big between most sides.

 

City have often done well in the 4th tier after a poor season the year before. 76/77 promotion followed a poor league season in 75/76 and 81/82 season promotion followed a dreadful campaign in 80/81 and of course more recently after a relegation battle in 2011/12 we had a great 2012/13 season. It’s all about getting the right manager and the team reacting well. It’s not always a raft of new players either. The 81/82 McFarland promotion season was with virtually the same players that were awful in 80/81. Similarly Bobby Kennedy got us up in 76/77 with few additional players from a poor 75/76 campaign although we did rather well in FA cup in 75/76.

 

Already a shortage of quality at right back with Hendrie out.
Really needs addressing

 

Cracking effort. I would cut and paste your 6-10 and slot them below Colchester (then move Colchester a lot lower)

 

Hopefully Sutton gets a go there and impresses. I'm aware I keep banging on about it but unless we bring in a quality, experienced FB he could be our best shout in that role.

 

You could well be right Dave , but the problem could be he’s missing out on pre season game time by the look of things ( post operation), so the “experimental” time to try such a transition to RB is reducing.
It just depends on his post op recovery time. He’s certainly participating in fitness and running excercise , the same as Ridehalgh as seen in the videos, but neither were playing “ football” .

 

Sutton is out at the minute too. still recovering from a surgery.

Do agree we are very sparse in terms of FB, Ridehalgh is missing too.. Think only FB's we have at the minute is threkland and foulds.

EDIT: just seen @Kevin1954 said the same!

 

I wonder if this operation that Sutton needed was a reason for his dip in form? Hopefully both he and Ridehalgh will come back stronger this season getting these operations.

 

He said he struggled to recover from COVID over second half of the season.
Wonder if the operation is to help his breathing?

 

I have a feeling Ridehalgh may have been an hernia. Not sure what Suttons issue is.

Note ..this is a guess on my part unless I read something a while back?

 

Momentum carried over from a previous season is a big thing too. If we get off to a good start that momentum could be all consuming

 

No, Mrs 1954 says hello.

 

Think the lad we signed from walsall often played as a right wing back. Maybe cud be an option for right back.

 

Good morning !

 

To drastically improve posi you need drastic recruitment (and better the ability and consistency levels you had). We have certainly made the wholesale changes needed.

 

We have and got players in early but the window closes in September and other teams will be improving.

The biggest thing City need to improve is our home form and getting lots more back to back wins. I think we will do this but it needs to be a vast improvement.

 

Crawley are really going for it this summer. They have signed Swindons captain have put on the table a lucrative offer for Jack payne. It will be interesting to see how all that pans out down there.

 

don't know why but I am getting massive Edin vibes from Crawley. Just buying players with quality (Eoin Doyle/Telford) but not understanding how they play. it literally just looks like they are buying all the good players expecting them to gel well. As Edin will tell you that 'strategy' doesn't work.

Calling it here folks Crawley is going to flop. Mid table at best.

 

Maybe we have a loan player in mind coming in later this summer?