Summer 2022 - Transfer Talk

CM is a concern for me and I expect it to be addressed in the Jan window with a few midfielders moving out like Sutton, Songo etc.

I understand what you are saying but for me we still need a driving force from midfield.

It's ok just saying give it to the creative players and see that happens but that is easier said that done. It's not FiFA.

You only have to look at the two best teams in the country in Liverpool(well was last season) and City. One plays with working like midfield and the other plays with flair in midfield. The Liverpool midfield is easier to stop than the City midfield because you stop the midfielders from finding space to pass to the creative players meaning that they have to us Trent and Robbo to supply the passes to the creative players. However, so far this season you can see that if you cut the supply across the centre of the pitch Liverpool struggle.

How do you stop KDB running at you into the box and feeding the ball? You can't.

Not saying we have to do all out attack but we will still struggle to break teams down unless we sort out our CM as our full backs are rubbish at crossing and can't be counted on to supply decent balls for our forwards.

 

Try not using the two best teams in the country if you're looking for comparisons.

 

To be the best you have to learn from it.

Oh, you failed to see teams in div 2 now passing the ball from the back. Where do you think that has come from?

 

Teams have passed out from the back for years in the lower divisions. Just because Parky had us boot the ball into orbit doesn't mean others haven't passed the ball. If you notice Hughes and yesterdays signings, then this is a team in progress. He has a method and is strengthening where we look weak. Its a big squad now and will take some time to get the best out of it. My only concern so far is the signing of Oliver. A three year contract for a player who doesn't yet look to fit into Hughes ethos of playing. But the rest has potential

 

Whilst for the most part I agree i feel we need to mix it up a bit and also speed it up. Otherwise it becomes easy to defend against our keeper kicked from hands once inthe match against Crewe found banks and created one of the only moments of attacking threat in the second half. The teams that do well in league two are adaptable

 

Gilliead is steady away but put under pressure he coughs up possession (in my opinion) in dangerous areas. I’m happy for him to play the simple one and two yard passes, but either him or Smallwood should from time to time punch a ball forward and set up attacks. If Gilliead plays tomorrow, just watch when he’s pressed and you’ll see how he panics and we lose possession. Given time and space he’ll rack up the pass completion stats. Maybe I should have made that clear. The better DM’s find their own player when pressed, maybe he’ll improve over time.

 

Whilst for the most part I agree i feel we need to mix it up a bit and also speed it up. Otherwise it becomes easy to defend against our keeper kicked from hands once inthe match against Crewe found banks and created one of the only moments of attacking threat in the second half. The teams that do well in league two are adaptable.

 

It's ok saying that our CMs, whoever they are, just need to give the ball to our creative attacking players, but they need to give it quicker and be less predictable. Those extra few seconds delay allow the defence to set and make it much more difficult for our attackers to do what we know they can do.

 

That starts from our defenders they tend to make their first pass sideways every time

 

agree....then Gilliead passes it back to them .

Joking apart I have said before that Critchlow especially has the ability to bring the ball out of defence much quicker

 

Hughes believes in possession football so it’s keep the ball at all costs which seems to be drilled into them and it’s good to a point as long as we mix it up and don’t become predictable. Doncaster and Crewe studied us and realised exactly what they have to do to get a result and in all probability Flynny will do exactly the same

 

I like Crichlow, but I'm sure he has another couple of gears in him to speed things up at times.

 

Couldn't agree more

 

In one of Hughes recent post match interviews he said there is no point in passing and losing the ball just for the sake of going forward which is fair comment but at times we over play it.
Some one who went to the Colchester game was saying Oliver was making good runs off the ball but we weren't delivering, watching the game on TV we wouldn't have picked those runs up on the camera angle, for those who went was that the case ?, if so our midfield and widenen need to back their ability to play that killer pass for the front man who has made the run.

 

I also seem to recall however that not long after Hughes took over, he also said that players shouldn't be afraid to take a chance and try things.

 

No. The play-off final is always too close to my birthday so I don't want it ruining!!

Plus I get married at the end of May at Elvis's place (delayed due to the pandemic) - missus is a big Elvis fan and my sister lives nearby.

And yes, I rather stupidly chose the end of May - when the playoff finals are

 

Yes runs were made off the ball and the ball didn’t arrive. I said it the following day from memory Dave.

 

Interesting bit in a Simon Parker article saying that moves to the national league are still possible and it's seen as much of a step down as a few years ago plus there's decent wages for some. Sort of implied there may still be some leavers

 

Hughes did say no one would be forced out. With the injuries we have had over the last few years strength in depth is vital

 

A bit lengthy but here is the full article
No panic after Bradford City's productive transfer window
thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/20889810.no-panic-bradford-citys-productive-transfer-window/

Simon Parker

THE transfer window quietly closed at Valley Parade without any hint of late drama.

City were tucked up in bed by the time 11pm chimed to signal the end of the frantic wheeling and dealing.

Their own deadline business had been wrapped up before the morning training - Tyreik Wright and the much-anticipated Dion Pereira adding pace and panache to a squad now containing 17 new faces since the summer market began.

Fans usually crying out for more, more, more in the final hours were very happy with what they’d got. The verdict on the window, so often mixed if not downright hostile, has been positively gushing with praise.



“Outstanding”, “I smiled so hard my jaw broke”, “disastrous … for the rest of the league”, “I don’t think we’ve had one like this in a while”.

The see-saw audience on social media could not be tipped any further in City’s favour right now.

Now over to you, Mark Hughes.

“It is my team and I’ll be judged on that - which is fine,” he smiled. “I’m quite comfortable with the quality we’ve been able to bring in.”

Hughes has been equally thankful for the support he has been given, both financially in expanding the parameters of the playing budget to make room for two more, and the skill in identifying those best suited for the task.

He made a big play of acknowledging the roles played by Ryan Sparks and recruitment chief Stephen Gent in assembling the squad list that he and Glyn Hodges will try to pilot to the club’s first promotion in a decade.

It has been 116 days between Jamie Walker, in his best bib and tucker, announcing his permanent arrival at the player-of-the-year awards and Pereira answering the prayers of his Twitter worshippers.

In that time, Hughes has rebuilt, renovated and restored the City dressing room like a lower-league version of Nick Knowles and his DIY SOS crew.

The City boss made it clear from the start that he would be happy to get his hands dirty in the first window under his command. But did he anticipate quite so much change?

Bradford City” has been his mantra.

“We’re a great option for players because we’re a good platform,” said Hughes. “It’s a proper stage and you have to be a good player to be able to play in front of big crowds.

“You’ve got to embrace that. A lot of teams will look from afar and see how well players do at Bradford and think, ‘yeah, he can handle it at a different level’.

“Players consider those things and we understand that and can benefit from it. It’s about enjoying your football.”

Some are still expected to move on - deals with the National League can go ahead outside the window. There are deep pockets in the level below and a lot less stigma at dropping down than maybe 10 years ago.

That would help in money terms, although City’s seriousness in going for the Football League Trophy this season will offer more chances for those now stuck on the fringes.

Hughes added: “If we feel players will benefit from going out, then there could be possibilities. But we’re not looking at that at the moment.

“We’re trying to have a really successful season. That means doing well in all the cup competitions.

“I showed my intent in the Carabao, but we’re now out of that one, so our focus goes on the other ones that we’re in.

“We haven’t done as well historically in the Papa Johns as we needed.

“It’s going to become more of a priority than maybe other years, just because it makes financial sense to be able to do that - and because of the squad we’ve got, I think we can.”