Most liked posts in thread: Summer 2023 Transfer Rumours

I think we've gone some way to becoming more like Leyton Orient.

6'6 Dan Happe and 6'3 Omar Beckles lack pace. Ash Taylor, Matty Platt and Ciaran Kelly also all lack pace, as does Stubbs.

Beckles actually got sent off twice, for example.

But their midfield was leagues above ours, and that's where he probably sees McDonald and Pattison having the biggest impact. Flooding the midfield with potential threats and having lumps at the back worked wonders.

They could also have said they were very slow (which they were), but it certainly worked when they possessed a threat from set pieces and flowing counter attacks alike, and could also defend properly at the back.

Last season we couldn't defend set pieces, had very little threat from our own, and didn't have any goals in midfield either.

 

All fair. What I would say, is that the playoffs should be the minimum bar for this club, whenever its in League 2. Its a poor league, and the length of time it takes for us to get out is an indictment of the club and those running it.

Last summers recruitment was good, overall. It was January that was poor:

Stubbs - a good signing, no issue there.
Clayton - steady, but not what we needed. We needed energy and purpose, which we now hopefully have in Pattison.
Bola - awful,and a bizarre decision to replace Foulds with him
Costelloe - awful
Nevers - awful
Pereira - awful (though I get why we did it)
Derbyshire - every inch the knackers yard pro it seemed when he arrived.

Far more misses than hits in January.

 

A reminder that we are in league 2. Pacey defenders who can also, you know, defend, are quite a rarity in this league. I think some people are worrying too much about this.

 

I keep looking at the team today and bench and regardless of the result against a poor Crawley I imagine serious questions need to be asked. Rupp Ryan , Hughes and Gent is this really the best we can bring in? 15k seasons tickets, highest revenue and we have a 37 year old Derbyshire and untried smith who has played minimal games as our firepower on the bench (plan b and c)

It’s really brought home for me today seeing at as a lineup. I also counted 6 defenders and not even our best one in the team!!!

 

Some really interesting insight (on another message board) on recruitment thought it was worth sharing:

The recruitment has just not improved with Gent 'running' things. I know his hands are tied with Rupp and all but his there is NO proof he even scouts the players.

www.bradfordcityafc.com/news/2022/may/gent-to-lead-city-recruitment/

We are told we need players who are the right age but sign players like our running in treacle captain, Oliver, Derbyshire, Clayton and McDonald.

We say we need to get value for our investment but sign proven injury prone players like Chapman, Walker, Halliday, Clayton, Stubbs and McDonald.

We say we will be smarter in the loan market but for every Critchlow, Banks and Wright there is a Harratt, OShaugnessey, Pereira, Nevers, Costelloe, Bolja.

We sign players like Young, Odusina, East, Kelly and Oduor who were or appear woefully short of the quality needed.

We sign players like Taylor, Osadebe, Halliday and Clayton who get nothing but bad reviews from their current fans.

Players like Banks, Wright, Nevers, Oduor and Oyegoke have has mediocre loan spells at our level or league one.

This season only Pattison on paper looks a good signing. Smith is a complete unknown.

Finally Sparks keeps blowing the trumpet of Gent scouting all areas of football but our signings under the Gent regime had us signing players from these leagues. This includes youth loans to other lower league teams.

League 2 - 12
League 1 - 7
Championship - 4 (Inc pereira)
Premiership - 3 (Inc Lewis who Hughes knew)
Spl - Walker returning
Ireland- Kelly
India - Derbyshire ( who Hughes knew)

Some of the young loan players had played against our youth or in the tinpot Cup. Hardly a scouting masterclass.

In summary our recruitment is shit.

 

To say it has no basis is very naïve. Look into his history and the patterns that follow, he doesn't tend to use youth, or at most a few and likes an older squad. Below are the average ages of squads he has built and managed for a full season.

Blackburn - Hughes became manager in Sept 04 and for the 04/05 season their average age was listed 9th at 27.5. Full seasons that followed...
4th oldest squad at 27.7 (oldest was 28.1) - 05/06
4th oldest squad at 27.7 (oldest was 28) - 06/07
1st, the oldest squad at 27.9 - 07/08

Fulham - joined after the 09/10 season. For the 09/10 season Fulham were the oldest squad at 28.9. Full season that followed...
1st, still the oldest squad at an older average of 29.6 - 10/11

Stoke - joined after the 13/14 season. For the 13/14 season, Stoke were 8th at 27.3. Full seasons that followed...
8th oldest squad at 27.3 (oldest was 28.6) - 13/14
5th oldest squad at 27.5 (oldest was 28.7) - 14/15
5th oldest squad at 27.5 (oldest was 28.6) - 15/16
2nd oldest squad at 28.6 (oldest was 28.9) -16/17

Bradford City - joined Feb 2022. For the 21/22 season, City were 9th at 26.6. Full season that followed...
10th oldest squad at the same average age of 26.6 (oldest was 28.2) - 22/23
And so far the squad we have for the coming season is ranked as the 5th oldest squad at 27 (oldest is 28.2).

His pattern at every club where he's had time to build something over multiple windows always goes one way. Eventually he ends up looking at guys in their late 20's/early 30's rather than teens to early 20s players. There is very much a basis for the assumption that Hughes doesn't always use youth.

 

Maybe it's a new GK we need rather than a CB, given it was Lewis at fault for at least 2 of the 4 goals we've conceded so far........


No, I'm not being serious, but let's not blame the CB's for everything.

 

Don’t think he was meaning him coming here

 

The McBurnie money helped offset most of the damage done by herr Rahic and Rupp took over the rest. As it stands we are financially healthy due in main to the fantastic support of the Bradford public, that backing allows more sponsors to come on board and allows a 'competitive' budget whilst keeping the club self sustainable. I've stated elsewhere about folk criticising the fan base at times, the amazing support this club now gets should never be taken for granted. Its the whole reason we are where we are financially.

 

We need to pull a couple of wingers and a striker out of the bag next week.

We also need to offload Hendrie, Odusina and Osadebe in my opinion

 

He only reverted to a back 4 on Saturday when Kelly had to go off through injury. Hardly plan B, it was forced on him.

 

Send him to Swindon.

 

Pointon impressing has negated the need for possibly one forward type player, especially with Chapman to come back. Still think we are lacking a forward and a midfield back up to Smallwood and MacDonald

 

I was happy when we’d just brought in 6 tbh, yeah there was a bit of a meltdown by some but numbers wise we were fine it was just down to management to get the best out of the team. These last 3 loans especially feel like throwing darts at a board blindfolded. I just hope they hit 180 or not just Hughes but anyone involved in this ‘recruitment team’ needs to go.

 

Guess we can add the "leaner and meaner" quote to the list of Sparks' quotes that aged terribly. File it with the "we won't tolerate mediocrity at this football club" line.

 

Well I tell you what we have now played 3 teams on the trot who have been banging in the goals for fun and conceded 1 Stubbs is a good defender

 

Young and East should be back in Jan. East should never have been let go out

 

I'd be on the phone to Palace asap about Banks situation for next season regardless of which division we're in, still a bit raw obviously but definitely has the talent and potential to become a good L1 player. A lot of our fans were too quick to get on his back earlier in the season when the game wasn't going his way, but he always tries to go forward and doesn't go hiding by just passing backwards.

 

Wright hasn't been rated anywhere he has been except with us. He's had a 4 month purple patch, I'd not be rushing to resign him if I'm honest. He should've stuck with us given its the first time he's found reasonable form anywhere.

 

There was the mistake early on, another where he came rushing out for a cross which went behind him and was headed off the line and finally the goal at the end - shocking error.
Came out and completely missed the ball.
He’s been superb for us all season and gained us far more points than he’s cost us but really needs to work on his commanding of crosses.
We’ve concede a lot of goals from within the six yard box that you’d expect the keeper to claim.