The Players

Maybe Edin moved too far away from small basic large bonuses to large basic small bonuses so it now doesn’t matter what the performance is

 

It's not just about bad atmosphere though is it. Poor management from the top meant that we virtually built a whole new squad over the summer with no thought whatsoever given to how that squad would play together. We then gave the 'head coach' role to a complete novice who thought it was a good idea to use the pre season games to give the youth and fringe players a run out and limit our first team to about 6 minutes game time between them, and if that wasn't bad enough, also thought it was a brilliant idea to get rid of our most experienced defender.
Even though we won our first league game, it was evident that all of the players were struggling with fitness before the end of the game and this was something that wasn't really rectified properly until November. In that interim period, the players not only had to get used to a change of manager but also must have been wondering what the hell they had got themselves into with all the crap going on in the background that ultimately led to Rahic leaving. There was no new manager bounce, players were played out of position and at times, looked utterly confused and clueless about how they were being asked to play. It has also been evident all season that out defence is simply not good enough and that the rest of the team have little confidence in them. Hopkin's answer to this was to bring in a crocked player in Woods, let our only alternative centre back leave, and then bring in a young loanee from Leeds as his replacement that he can't actually use because we already have too may loan players in the team.
I'm not trying to make excuses for the players and I agree that there have been times when some of them have looked like they couldn't care less, but I think it is far too simplistic to say 'they need to go' when the issues run far deeper than that.

 

As I said, you could talk forever about what has led to this but nothing now is going to make that group of players work for Bradford City. We won't heal until the old regime is completely dismantled so yes, they do need to go, and fast.

 

Hi FB. I understand your discretion but am sure we all want to know what is going on with the players. Any chance you can elaborate a bit without naming names? Of just give us the jist

 

Might be about o’connor and a scoring bonus?

 

Disagree with some of that I don’t think it’s down to lack of effort or desire from the players. More to do with being poor in vital areas of the pitch the whole spine of the team is poor apart from midfield.
Goalkeeper average
Centre halves poor
Forwards crap

 

Can't understand this mentality, even if they don't care about the club, where do they think those kind of performances leave them professionally? Hopefully the conference or Sunday league for some of them.

Unfortunately though, it's a fairly typical mindset of the Instagram generation.

 

Good on Hopkin for telling them. Sounds very poor attitude from some so-called professional footballers. If some found it funny I'm surprised Hopkin managed to keep his self control

 

Apart from Doyle, all our other permanent players that were involved on Saturday are defenders. It's one thing having a few players throughout the team not interested but when 95% of your defence don't care, is it any wonder we are in the position we are in?

 

A lot of this team have played at a better level than at the foot of league 1 and that includes our defence. This team of individuals never stood a chance together and as you allude to its down to the failings of one man and his dog. Rahic couldn’t have got everything more wrong if he tried. Pretty much every decision, from getting rid of Kilgallon but not appointing an experienced replacement, appointing a not fit for purpose management trio or fitness coaches, bringing in the wrong fit of players on ridiculous wages, the list goes on and on.
I also don’t absolve the players of blame, some of the individual performances have been shambolic, but expecting the players to perform as a cohesive unit when everything around them is completely and fundamentally flawed is naive thinking at best.
Truth is this lot never stood a chance and ‘giving them a kick up the backside’ won’t help them it just compounds their woes.

 

I agree with both you and @Faithful Bantam, yes the club is and was a shambles and not the best place to try and work. However, honesty and integrity are innate characteristics you either have or you don’t. You still do your bit, and more, because you do not want to be associated with letting yourself down.. I am sure we have all worked in those type of environments throughout our careers, but you just don’t abandon ship. You cajole and find ways to make it work. Caddis is a shining example of someone who has bags of personal integrity, other players have it too. I have a good idea who might be the culprit and it doesn’t surprise me. We need a clear out, but that cannot happen, what we need now is one last push to see if we can get our club out of this relegation mess.

 

I'm not one to look for a scapegoat buts it's that Bloody Chicksen again isn't it

 

Would not have happened in a million years under Parkinson.

 

Not if they fancied living a few more hours no!,!

 

Over Christmas I read a book " Carlo Ancelotti- Quiet Leadership winning hearts, minds and matches". It isn't a standard autobiography but deals with the fundamental management principles and leadership qualities which led to the Italian's successful career.
In January I wrote to David Hopkin recommending the book and explaining that before retiring I had managed people for over 20 years and during that time constantly read and listened to new ideas. Unfortunately despite telling the interviewers that he worked 12 hours a day he didn't bother to reply.
If what Faithful Bantam says is correct it will take more than a change of manager to sort out the current squad.

 

Any thing to do with a comment one of the players made on the players coach coming home from Walsall @Faithful Bantam .