By Jason McKeown

“We have a budget that will allow us to (have a) go in January.” Derek Adams, November 2021

What makes a successful mid-season transfer window? As the dust settles on Bradford City’s January 2022 activity, it’s a question to ponder when assessing the club’s prospects for the remainder of the season.

Derek Adams – who has clearly taken charge of transfer proceedings this time around – has rung the changes. Seven new additions, with three departures. A refresh of a squad that has struggled to live up to lofty expectations over the first half of the season. “It’s my decision to do it this way, no one else’s,” the City manager confirmed last week. Over the coming weeks, we’ll discover if the comings and goings lead to a change in City’s trajectory.

In the meantime, there is no getting away from just how underwhelmed many Bradford City supporters feel. With the club going into the month of January some way off contention for promotion – but not completely out of it – there were high expectations of significant activity. Without any close knowledge of the financial costs involved, to see mainly loan signings coming in and the club captain sold for a fee suggests a relatively low financial commitment to bolstering the squad.

This is added to by the departure of Ollie Crankshaw to Stockport County earlier this season, with Adams stating back in October, “I’ve obviously got money in the budget now to spend and can do that…If I didn’t allow Ollie to go to Stockport, we would have lost out on a transfer fee and a wage that could be quite useful further down the line.”

Perhaps that has set unrealistic expectations of just how much money was available to Adams. Crankshaw was probably not on huge wages, and the level of the transfer fee – registered as undisclosed – was hardly going to be earth-shattering.

And before that, right at the end of the summer transfer window, City had brought in Theo Robinson on a deal that CEO Ryan Sparks said at the time had “stretched our budget slightly”. In other words, whatever the playing budget for this season, Robinson’s arrival had taken City just above it.

A year ago, we had a frantic transfer window that saw nine players arrive at Valley Parade and six depart. It was certainly a more significant level of business than this time out. But that was largely because Stuart McCall – manager of the Bantams during the summer of 2020 – had elected to hold back one-fifth of his overall budget. Such frugality contributed to him losing his job when the injuries piled up and he was left badly short of options, but it did leave the club with the financial capability to spend more money last January.

The difference this time is that Adams spent what he had in the summer, with some funds later freed up by Crankshaw’s exit. Rightly or wrongly, it has limited the level of change that could be made this January. Perhaps if a promising player like Elliot Watt had been sold – or high earners like Gareth Evans and Richard O’Donnell moved on sooner – it might have been different.

I’m not saying this to defend the club, who once again can be accused of mishandling expectations and giving the supporters an impression that more money was going to be spent this window than has proved the case. Adams himself played a part in this, stating in November that he had a budget “to have a go” this January. But when you look at what we know about the financials in the wake of the Robinson and Crankshaw movements, what we’ve seen over January probably does reflect the financial realities.

It’s probably naive on my part, but I’m supporter – so here goes. As fans, we are left in so much darkness and it would be nice for us to have the chance to better understand the financial playing budgets that Bradford City are deploying and how it measures up. Adams earlier this season said City have a very good budget but not the biggest in the league. How much is our playing budget – and how does it compare to others?

(For comparison, in the last spell in League Two – 2007-13 – we were regularly told our playing budget by the owners. For example, in 2007/08 we had a budget of £1.3 million, 2008/09 it was £1.9 million etc.)

Most Bradford City fans are intelligent people who are realistic. Yes, we know we have a very wealthy owner who – if he really wanted to – could write blanks cheques for the club and sink his fortune into reviving Bradford City. But Stefan Rupp never agreed to invest into the club in the first place with that sort of expectation. Had that been the case, he would not have said yes to buying the club. So without an owner regularly pumping in money, what can the club afford to do under this model, and is it competitive? Are we setting budgets that should result in top seven finishes, or are we left hoping that Adams can perform miracles like he did at Morecambe?

Knowing a bit more where we are financially, and the budgets we’re working under, would be helpful to supporters to better appreciate the situation. Yes, there are elements of our support who seem incapable of acting like grown ups. But trust in the more silent majority. Give us more reasons to buy into what we’re trying to achieve by sharing as much as you can.

Aside from the financial considerations, what matters now is whether the new arrivals can improve City’s results and take them higher up the table. Time will tell of course, but it’s difficult to look at each incoming player’s record and believe there is a sufficiently large enough injection of quality and pedigree to significantly shift the dial.

Jamie Walker is the standout arrival for sure, and his early performances have shown promise that he can be the sort of creative number 10 that Adams has always tried to include in his teams over the years. At times so far, other team-mates have struggled to get on the same wavelength and read Walker’s flicks and cute passes. Hopefully as they get more accustomed to him this will improve.

We’ve yet to see Dion Pereira, who’s background suggests great potential that is so far going unfulfilled. Pereira’s time in the US playing Major League Soccer for Atlanta United is curious. Sure, he didn’t ultimately make it over there – but Atlanta have been regularly challenging at the top and often play to crowds of 70,000. It is not a bad standard and his experience of the pressures from performing in big stadiums could prove useful at Valley Parade. That’s if he ever actually plays for City, with his lack of involvement so far very curious.

Matty Daly is another young player, although unlike Pereira he has played plenty of football this season, impressing on loan at Hartlepool. With seven goals for United, and already off the mark for the Bantams, Daly could certainly improve the team’s overall goal return. So far, his overall appearances have been a bit too low key, but he has undoubted qualities that could make a difference.

Alex Bass had the best debut of all the January arrivals, producing a couple of breath-taking saves at Walsall last week. The goalkeeper situation has been regularly debated all season but hasn’t felt like the biggest concern. Nevertheless, Bass’ early performances suggest he could significantly improve a backline that has kept far too few clean sheets.

With Lee Angol getting injured at Rochdale, Andy Cook having only just returned from a lengthy lay off, and the struggles of Robinson and Caloan Lavery to impress so far, another striker was clearly vital. First, Tom Elliott has come in from Salford City in what looks like a back up to Cook. It’s fair to say it is a development that has had a mixed reaction from fans.

A glance through Elliott’s career record suggest any thoughts he will replicate Cook’s impact last season are highly unlikely. Cook was going through a difficult couple of years at Mansfield, but prior to then had a terrific record of regularly netting 20 goals a season. Elliott has never come close to doing the same. He’s only twice amassed double figures in a season. He can be useful for sure, but he is not going to be troubling the top scorer lists.

With 61 league goals from 220 starts (and 131 sub appearances) Elliott does at least have a marginally better goal return than City’s other striker arrival, Nathan Delfouneso. The 30-year-old signing from Bolton has an almost identical league playing record of 221 starts (and 143 sub appearances), only he has a more meagre 47 goals to his name.

Three of those famously came in the same game against Bradford City – the April 2018 5-0 thrashing the Bantams received at the hands of Blackpool. Delfouneso’s hat trick that day contributed to a joint-career personal best of nine goals that campaign. The former Aston Villa forward has never managed double figures in a season.

In some ways this is the biggest frustration of the window. Last summer, a lot of players came in with questionable goal records. And when you analysed the team’s prospects, it was difficult to see where the goals would come from, aside from Cook. Adams himself later admitted that he just didn’t have enough players in his squad with a proven record of scoring, assisting and creating chances.

January is not the easiest month to do business, but you’d have thought rectifying that would have been the key focus. Elliott and Delfouenso are yet more players signed with average records. And we’re left hoping players can reach career heights they’ve rarely come close to achieving before.

Still, there is little dispute City look stronger up front overall compared to the start of the month. There is now greater quality in attack, even if there remains a heavy reliance on Cook to find the back of the net.

Finally there is the return of Luke Hendrie, some four years on from when his abrupt departure had a domino effect in triggering the club’s collapse.

Hendrie – who started his youth career at City before moving to Manchester United – had spent the first half of the 2017/18 on loan at Valley Parade and was proving a useful squad player before he was controversially let go by Edin Rahic. He ended up signing for Shrewsbury for the rest of that season, before moving to Grimsby Town where he was a regular for three years, making over 100 appearances. After the Mariners relegation last summer, Hendrie signed for the newly promoted Hartlepool. He has rarely figured for the North East club, with his contract cancelled on deadline day.

What Hendrie does offer is versatility – he can play in midfield and defence. City fans will be encouraged by the competition for right back that he offers to Oscar Threlkeld. Hopefully, his latest spell at Bradford City has a happier ending than the last one.

Meanwhile on their way out of the club are Jorge Sikora, Sam Hornby and – incredibly – Niall Canavan. Sikora, who made his league debut on the final day of last season, has barely had a look in under Adams. A victim of a change in overall philosophy that has seen the club’s youth products largely ignored all season.  

Hornby and Canavan’s exits are more significant. Selling your club captain on transfer deadline has that old Geoffrey Richmond whiff of balancing the books and writing off the season. Days after being publicly blamed by Adams for Crawley Town’s stoppage time winner, Canavan’s departure invites all kind of conspiracy theories about whether there is a falling out between manager and a player who has operated under Adams before.

Canavan was signed a year ago and proved to be an excellent piece of business, adding calmness and reliability to a defence that had been too leaky for much of the season, he looked a class act for this level.

It’s probably fair to say Canavan hasn’t quite hit those same heights this season. There were some slightly troubling performances, not least his red card mess up against Sutton United just before Christmas. Canavan was also recently left out against Rochdale, where City kept a clean sheet.

Nevertheless, Adams is not blessed with an abundance of options at centre back – at least ones who he trusts. You would now expect central midfielder Yann Songo’o to be deployed as centre back for the rest of the season. He has done pretty well in that role, but struggles to disguise the fact it’s not his natural position.  

Signed in the summer of 2019 by Gary Bowyer, Hornby has certainly had to be patient for opportunities at Valley Parade. In his first season the highly rated former Port Vale keeper found O’Donnell impossible to dislodge, restricting him to just cup appearances. Last year followed a similar pattern, before an injury to City’s number one in December 2020 gave Hornby the chance for a run in the side.

Hornby did well, impressing with his calmness and shot stopping. He initially kept his place even when O’Donnell returned, before losing and later regaining it. Out of contract in the summer, his decision to sign a new deal was a big one given O’Donnell remained at the club and a new manager was coming in.

On the eve of this season Adams stated he preferred O’Donnell and made him number one. But with the experienced stopper’s powers showing signs of fading, Hornby took over in goal in December and has largely done well. After a particularly strong display at Rochdale last week, Hornby didn’t really deserve to be dropped – albeit Bass’ debut performance at Walsall makes the decision easier to understand.

Still, it’s a strange case of short-termism. Portsmouth have borrowed a promising goalkeeper from Man City, who has blocked the first team path of their own promising goalkeeper. So they loan their promising goalkeeper out to Bradford City, who in turn loan out their own promising goalkeeper to Colchester. Musical chairs with goalkeepers, for what at best look like marginal gains. Still, if it has a positive short-term impact the ends will sort of justify the means.  

So what does make a good transfer window? And will this be looked back on as one of them? For me, the best ones have been about wheeling and dealing. The amount of budget available helps, but doesn’t have to define it.

The 2015/16 season – Phil Parkinson’s final window at the helm – stands out as the best of recent times. Famously that season City had a good, post-FA Cup success budget, but spent it badly and the team struggled early doors. More money was made available, and then some more, and it began to slowly take off. By the time it got to January, and City knocked out the FA Cup whilst sat 12th in League Two, there was no money for Parkinson.

So he got to work. Gary Liddle and – controversially – Devante Cole were moved on. The money raised was used to sign Jamie Proctor from Fleetwood, Wes Thomas from Birmingham and Josh Cullen from West Ham. All loans (the Proctor deal quickly made permanent), all with much to prove.

The transformation was huge. City lost just two of their remaining 17 games, netting 24 goals and conceding just eight. They went from mid-table mediocrity to finishing inside the play offs with a game to spare.

That is the effect a good amount of wheeling and dealing can have on a squad mid-season. Adams will be hoping for similar this time around. For his standing amongst City supporters to improve, he now needs to demonstrate the positive fruits of him taking full control of the club’s recruitment structure and strategy.

For sure, there are plenty of fans lining up to have a pop at Rupp and Sparks right now – Valley Parade will not be for the faint hearted this Tuesday. But the month of February is a well worn script at Bradford City, and we can all predict what’s likely to happen next.

This is a month where City managers habitually come under huge pressure, especially if the transfer window doesn’t lead to improvement. And right in the middle of this particular month of February is that City manager Bermuda triangle known as Oldham Athletic away, where few survive. In short, it is a month Adams will do well to get through, especially as criticism of his managerial tenure grows ever fiercer.

Adams goes into this period with City tweaked if hardly transformed. The hope is that he proves himself to be a shrewd operator and the transfer moves made this window look better retrospectively than they appear to be right now. And that from a set of far from promising pieces, Adams actually now has everything he needs to turn Bradford City’s muddling season into one of success.

Categories: Opinion

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