| Bradford City 1 |
| Cook 72 |
| Mansfield Town 5 |
| Cargill 10, Akins 14, Keillor-Dunn 18, Swan 45, Lewis 86 |
By Jason McKeown
Grab a drink, get comfy – there’s a lot we need to talk about here.
We need to talk about the truly awful first half defending from Bradford City that saw them fall three goals behind after only 18 minutes. They were 4-0 down before it was even half time. With a fifth and final piece of humiliation added in the closing stages of the second half. Five bloody one. The biggest home defeat in a decade.
Only some excellent second half saves from Sam Walker, and the woodwork, stopped this from proving an even bigger embarrassment. Mansfield Town, the visitors, were absolutely outstanding. They operated on another level, registering a whopping 27 shots on goal during a completely one-sided match. And they will surely be playing League One football next season.
But still, we have to talk about why Bailey Cargill was left free at the back post to head Mansfield in front from a Stephen Quinn set piece. Why a scramble in the box saw the Stags have three shots at goal before Lucas Akins was able to make it fourth time lucky, with no City player getting near. Why woeful midfield play left Davis Keillor-Dunn able to run through and increase the lead to 3-0. Why Keillor-Dunn was given too much space to set up Will Swann to make it 4-0 with a deflected strike.
For each Mansfield goal, City defenders were chasing shadows. Outgunned and overrun by opposition who were soaring with confidence, physicality and purpose. The leaders slightly eased off in the second half and Andy Cook did net a consolation, but substitute Aaron Lewis soon made it 5-1 with a rebound effort after his initial shot was saved by Walker.
It could have been double figures.
The worst Bradford City performance since _____. Add your own answer here, but I reckon you could go back many, many years for anything as comparably bad as this. If you’re under the age of 25, you can probably say it’s the worst City display you’ve ever seen and no one can reasonably argue with you. It was absolutely horrendous.
The players deserve so much criticism for their appalling performance, but this horror show wasn’t solely down to them.
That’s why we need to talk about Graham Alexander. He set up his team incredibly badly here. The decision to drop player-of-the-season-in-waiting Brad Halliday and top scorer Andy Cook seemed highly questionable before kick off. By 3.18pm it was proving downright stupid.
I mean, what was the plan here from the City manager? Did he really think deploying Jamie Walker as a defensive central midfielder alongside Richie Smallwood would see them win the middle of the park battle against the robust Mansfield three of Hiram Boateng, Louis Reed and Quinn? That putting five foot eight inch striker Tyler Smith against six foot six inch centre half Aden Flint was going to bring rewards?
The Smallwood-Walker partnership was badly misjudged, with Mansfield players running through them at will. City had no credible plan to get the ball back when they didn’t have it, and regularly knocking high balls to Smith ensured they kept giving up possession all too easily.
The Bantams’ only hope came from their wide forwards creating something from the space they had. But Tyreik Wright once again disappointed, and Clarke Oduour’s confidence issues have evidently returned. In truth, neither player deserved to keep their place after lacklustre displays on Tuesday, yet Alexander picked them again whilst Harry Chapman and Calum Kavanagh kicked their heels on the bench, and the still-overlooked Bobby Pointon and Adam Wilson sat in the stands.
In the stands was also where Alexander again started the game from. He has previously suggested that taking a more elevated viewing position to watch games might make him a better manager. Well, the jury is certainly out on that one. In difficult moments like this, the optics are bad. The team is in trouble, and Alexander looks too distant sitting up in the pressbox. He doesn’t come across that he is with them in the trenches, which can affect the players as much as anyone. Indeed, there are faint whispers that members of the squad have not fully bought into Alexander’s approach. They certainly didn’t look like they were playing for him here.
The manager deserves so much criticism here for his tactical blunders, but this horror show wasn’t solely down to him.
That’s why we need to talk about recruitment. It has been a real problem at the club for several years, one that supposed to be improved with the arrival of Stephen Gent in the summer of 2022. That doesn’t mean the club was never going to make a bad signing again, but having a specialist with a more strategic approach should lead to improvement.
After 30+ signings over three transfer windows, the ratio of success stories to failures is still too low. Whether it’s a problem of Gent and the manager (first Mark Hughes and now Graham Alexander) operating on different pages is unclear, but watching a starting line up, featuring eight players brought to the club since Gent’s arrival, be so clearly outclassed by a fellow League Two club shows the head of recruitment still has a lot to prove.
Rightly or wrongly I always associate Richie Smallwood with Gent – and the City skipper seems symbolic of the good intentions not quite going to plan. Smallwood was a notable signing, but he’s never really lived up to the hype. And on days like this, watching him publicly berate players when he’s doing his own job so badly means Smallwood does not come across as an inspiring leader. Gent might have an eye for a technically good player, but is he able to unearth people with the right character and bravery to play in front of this most demanding of crowds?
Gent deserves so much criticism for the club’s questionable transfer record since 2022, but this horror show wasn’t solely down to him.
That’s why we need to talk about Ryan Sparks and the day to day leadership of this club. Sparks had an uncomfortable afternoon for sure, with the third and fourth Mansfield goals a cue for many supporters in the main stand to hurl abuse his way. This is never nice to see and goes beyond acceptable. It’s not right.
How a club who a year ago was pushing for automatic promotion has become one that is failing so miserably this season is something Sparks has to take a huge level of responsibility for. From the muddled recruitment model to the managerial hiring indecision to the awful state of the pitch, the club looks very badly run this season. And it’s all fuelled an environment where it is incredibly difficult for Gent, Alexander and the players to succeed.
You can also add in all the off the field stuff that has further soured the overall mood. The lack of communication, unsatisfactory media interviews, the decision to run a fans forum without fans, a season ticket campaign tagline that is ripe for ridicule, and the controversial decision to move the atmosphere section to the B block of the Kop, where season ticket holders like myself have held a seat for many years, and are seemingly expected to make way for others without so much as an apology. It’s not good enough. There’s never any accountability or humbleness shown either. Because of the many missteps, it’s difficult to have any confidence in the decision-making of the club.
The CEO deserves so much criticism for the way the club is run strategically, but this horror show wasn’t solely down to him.
That’s why we have to talk about Stefan Rupp. He was here at Valley Parade today. And what a moment to pick for your first live Bradford City game since September.
Rupp is not making awful defensive mistakes at the back. He is not picking a woefully set up team. He is not recruiting an imbalanced squad. He is not hiring and firing managers, with a flip-flop of playing style hindering momentum.
But he sits at the top of the tree. The ultimate senior figure of an organisation that is failing miserably. Failing to put up a fight against Mansfield. Failing to mount a credible promotion push. Failing to get out of League Two for a fifth consecutive season. Failing to get anywhere near returning to the strong on-the-field position it was in before Stefan Rupp and Edin Rahic bought Bradford City eight years ago.
Rupp seems a decent, principled man. A guy who stuck around to pick up the pieces of a mess caused by his former business partner. His wealth offers the club a level of stability that has helped it through some uncertain moments. And despite the way he can be portrayed at times, he genuinely does care.
But that doesn’t change the fact the club is stuck in decline. Going nowhere. And that, ultimately, it needs new direction. Football expertise. Genuine investment.
I hope Rupp watched and took all of this in today. The way so many supporters headed for the exits just 18 minutes in. The way the home sections of ground were so flat. The arguments that raged between supporters. The chronic absence of hope, enthusiasm and pride. And above all, the emptiness of Valley Parade at the end – which is a potential preview of what’s to come next season, with a steep drop off in season ticket renewals looking inevitable.
It is – amazingly – almost eight years to the day that Rupp and Rahic were present at Valley Parade to watch Bradford City defeat Doncaster Rovers 2-1, thanks to a Jamie Proctor brace, as they closed in on a play off finish. Rupp was at the time a perspective buyer, in advanced negotiations to purchase the club. It was only the second live football match he’d ever attended, and it was one where a team full of character triumphed, inspired by the noise of the vibrant City support which at the time gave Valley Parade a reputation as one of the most atmospheric grounds in the country.
And now, this. We are a club that is a shell of what we were. As fans, we have no real reason to believe the future can be brighter. There is simply no evidence our fortunes can be turned around by a distant owner living in another country, who only visits a couple of times a year and never speaks to supporters. It’s not that Rupp cannot bring success if he chose to be more involved (or hired someone to run the club who has genuine football club ownership expertise). Or if he invested more money to fix the issues that hold the club back. But this current model clearly isn’t working – and sadly we have nothing to suggest it ever could.
As the Mansfield goals flew in, Rupp received angry, hostile criticism from nearby fans. Again, it’s not nice to see. Again, it looked like it might have crossed a line. But before these kinds of scenes get even darker, now is surely the time that we shake hands and we move on. It’s time to sell up, Stefan. For someone else to come in with new ideas. And for Rupp to enjoy his life without this burden.
We as a supporter base deserve better than what this football club has delivered here today, over this season, and overall across the last eight years. Nothing about Bradford City seems to be working. So now we need to talk about how we change it.
Categories: Match Reviews
widthofapost.com 
Thanks Jason for your considered report so soon after the debacle of this afternoon. Rupp, Sparks, Alexander, hang your heads in shame. I desperately hope that this indeed turns out to be a watershed afternoon. But somehow I feel that the stubborness, poor decision making and weak leadership, that now seems to characterise this club, will prevail for a while yet.
My boy has a cup match himself tmrw, thought I’d take him to watch City,,,, again,, for inspiration!!
How was I wrong,, again!!!
Waste of time, money,, and yet again emotion!
Wasted an afternoon on this shower of 🤪, could have been at Marley getting my son match ready myself!!!
We didn’t even see 45 mins out,, embarrassing to say the least!!!
No clue, no passion, no desire and that’s from my 10 year old!!!!!?
I always thought that Alexander was streetwise, I really did. He made decisions in the past I didn’t understand and which were not successful. But I gave him the benefit of the doubt, because he’s certainly been round the block and talks well. As soon as I saw the team announced I was first baffled, then annoyed and then resigned to defeat. How could he leave out Cook who always scored against his previous teams? How could he reward Halliday for all his endeavours by dropping him? And defeat, ignominious defeat, duly came. How utterly depressing for the supporter to suddenly realise his manager knows less than the said supporter. Here we go again. How long this time? And let’s not hear anymore about the playoffs even though other results have gone our way. We have an ill-assembled, lop-sided squad that needs to be completely reconstructed. Sadly I now have much less faith in this manager, decent bloke that he obviously is, to oversee this. Think I’ll make this my last comment for this season-to-forget. It’s all been said – and I might say things I’ll regret. This is a bad Saturday night. As a postscript, d’you know what the most baffling thing was, the most galling? He actually brought Cook on when the match was gone, when he could have saved him for Tuesday. He perversely brought him on and proved himself wrong. There’s clever!
Your whole post is about the manager but sadly the issues are far, far bigger than him.
Well, yes, Gaz, good point – but I was reacting to this latest defeat, not the general malaise. The wider issues are widely known and most on here, including myself, have had their say on them. But regardless of these issues, I think we would have made a better fist of it with Cook and Halliday in the starting eleven.
Absolutely spot on, the lot want sacking tonight. Obviously do not have a clue.
Piss poor manager, at a piss poor run club.
Don’t make it your last comment Mitchell, after first reading Jason’s analysis, I then always scroll down for your thoughts.
You’re too kind, Chris. Thanks for the encouraging words. We will see what next week brings. It does seem, as Jason says, we at a watershed moment. Last night felt particularly bleak. At least Herr Rupp was there to see it. How he will react is now for me the big question.
Spot on, Jason. Would not be the least bit surprised if Stefan Rupp was in Bradford not primarily for today’s game but for meetings related to the sale of the club. I believe there has been interest from North America in recent months. If the club is not sold soon to buyers who can present a compelling vision for the future of Bradford City then the campaign for renewal of season tickets could become a major financial flop resulting in big problems next season.
Spill the beans on the North American interest Martin.
The season ticket sale issue isn’t the issue. We’ve had strong ticket sales for years and still being crap!
GA is a confusing fella. I like him, I like how he speaks most of the team and I think he could be successful. On the other hand there’s no way he’ll be successful with his strange decisions with team selection which at times are bordering on ludicrous. We always disagree on team selection, that’s normal but odour defensive midfield the other day and now walker when Mcdonald is on the bench. Wilson comes on and does well and we’ve not seen him since. Rides at left centre back and halliday dropped. Our actual style of play is extremely flawed, stats wise we look like we use the ball much better in terms of shots v possession but we give the ball away so cheaply. The problem is that if we lump the ball forward and teams stop us then we aren’t making chances and are just giving the ball away. Most of the time teams dont need to stop us cos we just lump it forward and hope for the best. We spent a lot of the game hitting it high and long and aimless to possibly the smallest front 3 we could field v the biggest centre back in the league. MH got the fans back onside initially and the club felt together. That’s completely lost and I’ve never felt so disengaged from the club. From driving to the ground or catching the train to getting home the whole matchday experience is terrible. Its just not enjoyable and I’ve decided not to renew after 25 years as a St holder.
Another none season ticket renewer!
Get a grip man!
At Midland Hotel on the afternoon of Friday 5th January a group of Americans walked in and sat talking in the reception area about finances of Bradford City, ownership etc. Nobody else around apart from the hotel receptionist. Seemed they had come from Valley Parade after a meeting with Ryan Sparks and were ‘de-compressing’. One of the things mentioned was that one of the grandstand roofs at Valley Parade may have been found to be structurally unsound, with significant financial implications. They did not seem phased by the roof issue. They said a lot and there are other details that could be mentioned, they seemed to be privy to a lot of information, with specific financial figures being talked about. Have heard from a good source that there has been American interest since summer last year.
I agree with every word you say Jason.
But you say Rupp must sell.
To whom?
Can you enlighten us?
Tumbleweed silence… it seems we aren’t allowed to speculate anymore in the media for risk of upsetting the club !? Gone are the days of a potential scoop being leaked – yawn 🥱
Ask Martin Hickory he knows…
The knives are truely out. I desperately want change. But, we only have to look at the glazers to see how difficult it is for a fan base to change an owner. I’m City till I die and will always support but I’m resigned to nothingness…..
A renewer, well done Matt!
Mr Rupp is not a bad owner he might not have any interest in City although it is his fault that he has let the inmates run the asylum in Sparks and Gent. No fault can levelled at the German who has put his faith in the two clowns who run the club daily. The constant bad recruitment of both players and managers is the issue. Unfortunately the employment of Graham Alexander is another dud appointment which can be highlighted in the last two games. Where he does not know his best team, formation nor style of play – this is after 4 months in the job. Sparks needs to do the honourable thing and resign or Rupp needs to sack him tomorrow due gross incompetence. Due to the fact the club have not progressed in his 6 year tenure.
No fault?
He must have known fast tracking Sparks from PR manager to director to CEO in what, under 3 years, carried massive risks and should have required more senior supervision and protection to work with him.
After being burned by Rahic why couldn’t he appoint someone he trusts to have more involvement? surely as a successful businessman he has an extensive range of senior level contacts who he could have asked for involvement.
It’s a business and industry he doesn’t know, in a country and city he doesn’t know, and a sport he’s not interested in. Appointing Sparks, even with Rhodes’ involvement, was clear to anyone it was a cheap, potentially risky and seemingly lazy appointment.
I think Rupp is disinterested and hasn’t got a clue about football but having a decent CEO who knows football and who as got a long term plan would make up for it massively.
Sparks often as come out and said we’ve had top 7 budgets but most seasons we’ve just wasted it and underachieved. The lack of plan means we are constantly ripping things up and starting again rather than getting good foundations in place and just adding a bit of quality to it.
We let our better players contracts run down and lose them then sign unproven rubbish or players coming to the end of their careers on long term deals.
You look at the managers Sparks as employed, individually you can understand why we signed each one of them but when we’ve sacked them we gone for a completely different type of manager, there’s no continuity. So the players don’t suit the new manager and we need to rebuild the squad with players to suit the new manager who we then sack, pay compensation and it all starts again.
Sparks comes out and says the right things sometimes like we are going to have a leaner and meaner squad this year, but then we go do the complete opposite and end up with a bloated squad but still weak in some areas.
Jimmy, Jason I think the problem is that progress is not nesseccarily in Sparks perview? If the club remains Self Sustainable then in Rupps eyes, all is well. We need an owner who is at least a football fan and hopefully has business nouse as well, someone who can be a bit more hands on, mix with the fans etc as some do. Due to heath I am no longer in a position to attend games, which in itself is bad enough but watching the game from afar and feeling for the crowd who continue to plough their hard earned into the club year in year out breaks my heart. Our wonderful club, needs radical change. Only Mr Rupp can get that ball rolling.
The only positive today was that Rupp was there to see just how bad things are. Surely now he’s going to start questioning how Sparks as been running the club these last few years?? If he sacks sparks and gets in an half decent CEO in the Baldwin or Mason mould or decides to sell the club at a fair and reasonable price then maybe this really bad result will turn out to be a great result by forcing the change necessary for the club to start moving forward again.
I’ve thought for a long long time that our problems go much higher up than the manager and I’m not sure we will ever progress until we are run better from the top down. The club needs a complete reset and a long term plan.
Agree with with much, but not all of this.
– I can see why Cook was dropped / rested. GA talked on Tuesday about needing to try something different at home. Given how he fared against a giant centre half on Tuesday – reasonable to try something different against an even bigger one today. And the best display we have seen for a long time came against Wycombe, without Cook.
– I cannot see why Halliday was withdrawn on Tuesday and in the bench today. The bloke may be knackered from carrying the team in some matches but there was no obvious manifestation of that on the pitch
– in what world did pre match planning put Ridehalgh and Richards up against the giant centre half and another very tall player at the back post for a free kick into the box
– I have criticised Smallwood all season for the apparent lack of leadership on the pitch and expected better from him as a player. To be fair to him today he did at least keep trying and I didn’t see the whinging he can be guilty of
– the midfield two, whoever it is, has stopped working as a shape, if indeed it ever worked. I think the back 5 is now bust, without a specialist left wing back to mirror Halliday on the right
– we continue to carry two lightweight forwards, whoever they are, either side of Cook. I didn’t think Oduor had a Wycombe performance in him, he was magnificent, but I wonder if we’ll ever see one again. He isn’t a winger. Wright doesn’t look interested enough
– today was very poor, but worse than some of what I saw in the relegation to L2 year?
– time to start deciding who to build a team around next season. I’d start my planning with S Walker, Halliday, Kelly, Stubbs, Platt, Gilliead, J Walker, Cook, Patterson (accepting he becomes a better player every time he doesn’t play ), Young (accepting that we won’t see him here next season). We need pace, creativity, and physicality – can use what we saw from Mansfield as a model
Did the so called manager use a tombola machine to pick the team.
Why won’t he he pick pointon at least he has ideas and can pass
I’d be interested to hear more about the “whispers” that the team isn’t buying into Alexander’s tactics. Spill the beans man!
Cue silence…!
This may well have been the team’s worst performance in many long years, but I want to say Jason this is definitely one of your best columns in the whole time of WOAP.
You succinctly sum up the problems at the time most of us fans are still feeling furious/ depressed/ready to give up.
I thought Mansfield were unlucky not to make the playoffs last year, so good for them.
They easily exposed a team that is too slow, needs too many touches, has no heart, doesn’t play for each other and has a captain who things that involves criticising everyone else while having little impact on the game and my personal bugbear, contains professional footballers who can realistically only use one foot,
I said after an earlier game (Salford?) that I’d have sacked Alexander at half time. It was tongue in cheek but he was and remains totally tactically inept.
1. We’re playing a physical side in Mansfield, so we pick the 3 least physical strikers and lump it to them. Just completely bullied. Cook is defensively important so he needed to play, just ludicrous to not pick him today. The sight of Smith trying to outjump Flint should be the snapshot pinned to his P45.
2. We’ve got 2 centre backs fit, so we play a formation that consists of 3. Make sense of that.
3. I think Gilliead at LWB works because he’s better than the other options but don’t drop Halliday. Halliday has been solid all season.
4. Chapman is our best attacking player but he doesn’t play. Perspiration over inspiration – that’s the Alexander motto.
5. Sam Walker is a superb goalkeeper. 8 or 9 would have been a fair scoreline. He was playing by himself at times.
I dont agree about Smallwood at all. I thought he was just about the only decent performer, trying to get them going with little help.
For me today was all about Alexander. He is inept and blaming Rupp or Sparks muddies the on pitch debate.
But that doesn’t mean I’m letting Sparks off because the mess of this season is down to him. The utterly bonkers decision to sack Hughes was emphasised today by us being taken apart, no let’s say it, humiliated by a club that has backed their manager. I think it was last season where Mansfield had a terrible start and were bottom in October/November but they persevered with him and they deserve to be promoted.
As for Rupp, he can only sell if there is a reasonable offer – why should he sell at a loss?
I know I’m being hypocritical by saying we never stick with a manager and I don’t want Alexander in the same breath but hoofball is not the answer. Not the bloke who says his analysis told him to leave out Cook and pick Smith against a big side, or who said we didn’t play quick enough against Forest Green – kick and rush then not just hoof!i
Why should he sell at a loss?
When he bought the club we were a League One club in the play-offs and now we are are a League Two club in mid-table. Not really something you can get your money back on is it?
Sorry I wasn’t clear. A loss on the value now, not the value then.
He should sell.because he was duped into.buying us.
A bad ‘investment’.
He is not going to get £10mfor us. He paid £5m.and that was over the value when we were on the brink of promotion to the Championship.
Today Rupp must have seen that his distant ownership and lack of knowledge for the game is not working.
Accept £3m and cut your losses and put it down to bad experience.
Then the club should have a complete re-boot and start by stating a future plan.
Are you going to renew or not Rob!
I can detect a dummy being spat out. Don’t recall your glowing praise after last week’s romp at Stanley…
Hi Big Dave. Thanks for including me in your trolling. I was feeling left out.
As you take a keen interest, I will answer. I have 4 season tickets and I’ve supported since I was old enough to be taken (around 1975) – we have been crap for a lot of that time and I have never stopped supporting and I have never left early. Yes my 3 boys and I will renew.
Glad to hear it Rob in the comment below. Keep the faith!
I’ve enough “trolling” to go around for everyone.
After every defeat, according to the comments section on here the world is going to end. We won’t have a single supporter renew a season ticket next season.
There was only 9 comments after the walk over at Stanley last week. Nobody was commenting saying how satisfied they were with the performance and how they will definitely be renewing next season. Or how GA masterminded the win.
Yet lose a game and it’s meltdown.
Very considered response Rob – I would have stuck with Hughes, the club needs direction.
How have we still got people in the comments defending Rupp and Sparks and blaming it all on the manager?
Changing managers has worked so many times before hasn’t it?
The club is rotting from the top down.
WAKE UP!
Alexander needs to be sacked tonight.
No ifs no buts.
If the owner or ceo is happy with him Setting a team up like that, then they all should go.
Absolutly pathetic.
BUNCH OF CLOWNS.
HAD ENOUGH, DONT GO TO GAMES, HAD SEASON TICKET 30YRS PLUS, DONT FOLLOW ON I FOLLOW, DONT WATCH ON DODGY STICK, WOULD RATHER TAKE DOG FOR A WALK AND WATCH IT SH2T.
PS.
IS THIS NOT THE SECOND OR THIRD TIME OUR MANAGER WILL SAY HE GOT IT WRONG OR I DIDNT SEE IT COMING?
THATS YOUR JOB.
Great piece Jason. In my opinion about those involved in the structure of the club are to blame in one way or another. I had time for Sparks at the beginning. Now I recognise he is not a football director. He is marketing. Up to now he has been able to create a bigger footfall at City year on year. Unfortunately, his lack of football knowledge has come to bite him on the bum. Alexander was not first choice, that is clear. However, Sparks clearly couldn’t impress his first choice. I now wounder would we be in a better position if we kept faith with Hughes! In my opinion, I don’t believe that Alexander is the right manager for this club. In a crucial match today, he drops 2 key players and brings in relatively inexperienced alternatives. I bet Mansfield thought opportunity knocks. It was easy for Mansfield to dominate and take advantage (which they did). Yet Alexander’s post match assessment was directed to the players. Why not stand up and say “I’ve made a mistake and I’m sorry”. No! He put the blame on others. It seems clear to me, this team does not want to play for him! I suspect, they have little respect.
Season tickets sales will be the worse in over a decade. So based on that we cannot move forward. Do we remove the manager – maybe, but what about his replacement? Sparks should be removed from the role of management recruitment. Unfortunately, we have an owner that’s simply not bothered! I fear this club will drop even further unless there is a change in the structure of the club. We cannot carry on forward with the way this club is ATM. It’s unsustainable!. I am clueless to how we can turn this around. It’s difficult to suggest what can be done. Supporters have all sorts of ideas but nothing will be easy. We need an owner that loves the club and a CEO that can run it as a football club, as opposed to a marketing opportunity.
As a lifelong supporter living in the Southwest for the last 35yearsand being used to seeing the team lose to the likes of Swindon, Cheltenham, Forest Green and Bristol Rovers, I foolishly chose today as a birthday present to watch a match at Valley Parade for the first time in over 20years!
Suffice to say I agree wholeheartedly with Jason’s report and all the subsequent comments.
The purpose of this comment is to thank and praise two young members of staff who reunited my wife with her bus pass (for those under the age of 67, this is an important card!) after she lost it on the street while taking a photo of me (pre match) standing proudly outside the ground.
I intend to make the Club aware of their good deed, but I also wanted to add a little bit of positivity to a thoroughly depressing situation.
Lovely post Richard.
It was that bad, even Tompkinson was dismal today. Can’t believe the team could play so bad, and the tactics being so wrong. Might go shopping with the wife to IKEA next Saturday….
Excellent report Jason covering all angles and written promptly. So promptly I suspect majority prepared in advance before or after the Forest Green game. Did you know what was coming today?
Secondly we have some very good constructive comments.
I am a true supporter did not leave the ground and still clapped the players off and our family of 4 will renew season tickets.
I had faith in Graham Alexander and he is usually honest on post match comments.
When asked on why leaving out Cook and Halliday today he simply said “with games every 3-4 days he needs to rotate all the squad and based his decision on training fitness and desire post Forest Green poor result”.
As posted by some above no way was a team of Dwarfs going to defeat the leagues tallest Goliath side. Jamie Walker why did he start the game? is not fit yet, is overrated, so slow almost lazy , over rated and overpaid. Only useful as a late sub against tired knackered opponents .He GA was arrogant and accepted no blame. Sorry GA you got it badly wrong. I will hold my hand up I have asked for squad rotation including Cook but you do it one key man at a time, against weaker opposition and never ever leave Brad Halliday out surely our player of the season.
If GA has learned anything about his tactics he needs to set up properly for Tuesday must win. Another loss possibly 5,000 season ticket non renewals and £1.25 million revenue lost with add on merchandise £2,0 million. No more gambling, at most GA has until October 2025 it’s his choice and Gent should go now.
We may well have problems off the field, but today the manager has to take a lot of the responsibility. Yet another baffling starting XI leading to early goals conceded.
Further to my previous comment correction. I
There are several other facts for thought but I will focus on the Managerial role and seperately the unsatisfactory state of the pitch if I can stay awake.
Why do our Managers always fail with top 7 budgets? What is /are the route causes?
After 8 years of perpetual under performance why cannot they not be found, it’s not rocket science?
Question:
How can Harrogate Town achieve such good results on the smallest budget and crowds.
Reminder to our short memories Mansfield thrashed them at home 9-2 last November ( yesterday without Walkers man of match keeper performance and if Jamie Walker hadn’t missed the tap in sitter we could have lost 9-2 even 10-2).
I believe since their thrashing Harrogate are unbeaten at home if I am correct?
Answer is a good manager Simon Weaver, one of the leagues longest serving at the same club. Harrogate were even below Bradford Park Avenues league around 6 years ago. They stuck with him.
I am a big fan of Mark Bower. I watched him over achieve as a part time Manager at above BPA, tiny budget , whilst running his successful Estate Agency. His co-commentary and interpretation on Radio Leeds is superb. Yesterday he predicted the first goal. He said for the free kick we needed at most a 3 man wall from that long distance instead of our 5 tallest payers. From short run he said they would cross it far post 2 against 2. Should have been 4 City against 2 and headed away safely.
I am also a big fan of Neil Redfearn one of the best coaches to bring on young talent to Premiership fame. We have him on board but for how long since this is a long term role?
When we lose our next Manager will he be allowed a caretaker role to prove his ability as at Leeds Utd?
Recruitment in January.
Until yesterday defence performed well, attackers have under achieved all season despite lots of balls into the box.
Most successful teams in league 2 are physical up front with minimum 2 if not 3 tall strong, fast front men allowing rotation. Once winter sets in and thick mud, hoofing direct can work Stevenage showed that. Many goals come from set pieces unless it’s Bradford probably worst conversion in league 2. This needs addressing and Gent must go
We lose experienced under performing Oliver and replace with a small lightweight Kavana
Where s the logic . Remember big James Hanson, Proctor, Charlie Wyke and Dean Windass.
I am disgusted with the so called City fans. Shameful leaving the ground at 20 minutes and knock on effect on the players. Their vocal support has been poor all season. Only hear them after we rarely score. Will non renewal of season tickets help the club succeed? of course not. Back bone to success is home performance, home entertainment, exciting
attacking football as per Wycombe Wonderers smash and Grab. 90% of fans don’t attend away matches.
No home success no hope of promotion!!!
Clearly the fans have had enough. It’s not my personal way to leave after 20mins. But I can understand why they did. One of the key emotions in football is hope. Within match hope and hope for the season.
Both were extinguished yesterday. There’s no hiding from that. So the double whammy is what made people vote with their feet. It’s also why the weight of this game is “more” than just one defeat.
The talk of rupp selling. Maybe I’m a pessimist but every time I hear it i think: “Who the hell would buy this club?” I’ve said this many times. Clubs like city. Like Portsmouth in the past. Like Bolton. Like Oldham. They have too much baggage. It’s why investors have preferred clubs like fleetwood. Fylde. Forest Green. And other clubs that don’t begin with an F (!)
So what are we gonna do. Get the old band back together? Here we go again lawn and Rhodes? This club and this city seem incapable of attracting decent outside investment.
I’m not saying Rupp is doing a good job. Far from it. But I want to understand both sides of the coin. Fair enough if he’s selling I can get behind that. But I’m more interested in the selling to whom part before I just assume it will be better. Be very careful what you wish for. It’s often a lot worse than what you have.
Can any of us honestly say the club is better off under this ownership (and I count the rupp+rahic time) than lawn & Rhodes? But I guess we are Bradford city and if there is one thing we are truly brilliant at it’s making the same mistakes again….
Simply a shocker, poor team selection and consequently a poor display. Strip Smallwood of the captaincy and drop him, he’s stated we have the worst pitch in the EFL, you know what Smallwood go find a pitch you like!I
We have to change things for this can’t go on, a huge increase in ticket prices for next season, please give over.
It was so sad to witness that yesterday at VP, the opposition just running through us at will, no noise from the pitch and passed that were school boy standard, shameful City.
We switch all over the place with opinions. The ownership is not the problem even though I wouldn’t blame Rupp for selling, as at the price he paid his then partner sold him a pup. The real problem is the switching and changing of managers starting with McCall when we were in a decent position in League One and this season Hughes after a best season in ages last year. After a few defeats the fans opinion seems to take over and get a manager sacked – let’s hope it doesn’t happen this time and we actually manage to go in a playing style direction under consistent managership.
Will all the multi millionaires interested in throwing money at our club please form an orderly queue. Thanks.
In essence we were beaten by a better team. Yes the set up (I don’t think the 3 up front works) and team selection was baffling but…….. and the damage was really done in the Doncaster and FGR Games.
Looking to the future I think we have to move away from an over reliance on Cook. We need mobility, for lots of reasons.
Nigel Clough is near to the end of his fourth season in charge. I wonder if this has anything to do with their steady progress?
And he may have learnt a thing or two from his Dad?
Shame on you so called supporters who left after 20 minutes. Would Bournemouth have beaten Luton who were 3-0 up if all the Bournemouth supporters left and gave the ground over to Luton fans? We as Bradford city fans are in it for the long haul. Proud Bradfordians who stick by the team thru thick and thin.
Give your head a shake . We left as a protest to how badly this club is being run . Poor team selection . Poor hoofball manager . Poor head of recruitment . Poor CEO . Poor non existent chairman . Poor pitch . Need I go on !
I wonder who and what the Salford fans will be able to blame for their position in the league?
Hi Stefan!
I’ve shook it Dave. Let me ask you a question. Did you leave Wembley early when we were getting battered by Swansea?
I live in the here and now . Shambles of a club . Relegation next season under these clowns .Turn the lights off when you leave .
Not a fair comparison. Swansea were a Premier League club and expected to win. We were the underdogs. Yesterday’s game was between two teams in the same league, albeit the league leaders. I didn’t leave after 20 minutes, have renewed my season ticket already but can honestly say that I am less than happy about what I am seeing on the pitch and for that matter, off the pitch. I won’t criticise anyone who leaves the match early. They have a right to protest. Surely better than invading the pitch, throwing missiles etc. etc. Onto the actual game itself. My concerns began when I read the team sheet in the T&A, completely justified fears after 18 minutes. If GA had any tactical acumen at all, he should have had the guts to make wholesale changes after 20 minutes. The game had already been lost. Time to get back to basics. Leaving out Halliday and Cook was bordering on insanity and leaving the captaincy with Smallwood beggars belief. He has shown no leadership skills in the 18 months he has been with us and the interview after the FGR game was, quite frankly, embarrassing. Mansfield showed they are a good side but we made them look like Manchester City. Two yards too sloe, couldn’t string two passes together, lumping the ball forward to strikers that have rarely ever this season won the ball in the air and to compound the stupidity, matching midgets against ten foot giants in their defence! GA should have admitted his mistake after the game – I would have had more respect for him if he had. However, the result only added to my opinion that he is tactically inept or at best, naive. The recruitment has also been bad but that can’t be blamed on the current manager. Leaving out Pointon is a complete mystery to me as he has the abilities to switch play much quicker than our current lot. Which leads me onto my next points. We are slow in transition, our corners are woeful (why is there no-one at the edge of the area to recycle over hit corners / free kicks?). Why does Smallwood feel qualified to take dead balls when he clearly doesn’t have the ability to beat the first man? Why does the supporter see these things and not the manager? All in all, a very depressing afternoon that began, before the announcement of the team, with some optimism. I live in hope that we can at least put in some kind of performance against Notts County on Tuesday. It’s the hope that kills you!!!
Spot on Jason, thanks for the great read.
I listened to a piece on talkSPORT the other day about the difference between a fan and a supporter. As fan of football this is something I would switch off and watch something on Netflix instead, but as a supporter I’ll continue to support. Yes, for the season ticket renewals we will lose fans, but hopefully not our supporters. Delusional, maybe but I’ll be sat in the Kop next season.
Yep, we’ve got our tickets for next season as well. Stayed until the end yesterday, clapped off the players and shouted “good game” etc to those players that still kept giving 100% until the final whistle blew.
A very poor defensive performance, very poor tactical approach from Alexander, very disapointed in Tyreik Wrights inability to closly control a pass with his fist touch _yet again- and very annoyed at Odour who went tyhrough the motions regarding closing down opposition players.
I don’t have a problem with Rupp being the owner or with the “self sustainability” approach of financing the Club. All those who are deciding to save a few quid a game by not renewing season tickets shouls shake their head before they think they atre justified in criticising Rupp for not pumping millions into the Club.
My probel with Sparks -and it has been for many, many months- is that he is far too short-sighted when it comes to the benefits of keeping managers at the Club even when the fans and commentators are claiming that “things have never been so bad”. I believed at the time we brought in Adams -and my belief hasn’t changed- that he would have got us promoted within a couple of full seasons in charge. The noisy Fans wanted him sacked and the commentators didn’t defend hime. I felt the same about Hughes and again, we had a repeat of the noisy fans wanting Hughes sacked -after just 10 games FFS!- the commentators support of Hughes was conspicuous in its absence.
A week ago it was “like watching Brazil” this week we are? (I refer you to the above comments).
Yep, Sparks has really disappointed me because of the amount of times he has caved in due to noisy fan pressure. But maybe this season is going to be the watershed that has been referred to above. If all those those supporters that are saying they won’t be renewing carry out their threat then therte is no point in him pandering to the noise by sacking yet another proven, successful, capable manager. Whey hey! GA may actually get somewhere close to actually being given enough time to fulfill more than 50% worth of a 3 year plan.
And finally, the biggest shock for me yesterday wasn’t the thrashing we got from Mansfield -a thrashing is always a possibilty in football, it only takes 3 or 4 poor tactical decision, defending decisions, passes, tackles, shots etc and you can end up looking like…..well, looking as bad as we did yesterday). No the biggest shock for me is that we were not a lot more than 7 points from the play-off places and have a game or two in hand on some of those above. We are not, it appears, the only team who can’t maintain consistency.
“Today we live within a land
of excess and abuse,
And yet when something goes awry
we look for some excuse.
We try to find some other soul
who really is to blame,
Then turn our shovels in the dirt
until we have a name.
You see it does not matter
if they own the blame we say,
The only thing that matters
is that fingers point their way.”
(DC Young)
Apolgies for the shocking typos in my post. I’m blaming Sparks.
“All those who are deciding to save a few quid a game by not renewing season tickets shouls shake their head before they think they atre justified in criticising Rupp for not pumping millions into the Club.”
Such a lazy point. And also extremely patronising. Many like me understand ‘pumping millions’ realistic. Why is that the only point often made when making such an argument?
But he can at least show some interest, even as an absent owner. Two official comments in 27 months, and some before that which have aged like milk, e.g. ‘doing everythig I can to erase the dreadful memories of the Rahic era. The people of Bradford deserve far better’ (not verbatim).
What even does he want from the club? Does he want to develop or grow any part for long term benefit, or are the fans just protecting it for him? VP ownership, the training facilties, the overall development and selling of players… does any of it resonate with him at all?
There are many of us who don’t trust how our money is spent and as long as Sparks is making those decisions will continue to lack trust
I dread to think how much has been wasted on manager pay offs and offering long contracts to players past their best, or 18 month deals to 37 year olds.
I’m not renewing after after 29 years because my dad isn’t (he’s got health issues), my mate who lives 90 minutes away doesn’t want to make the commitment and the 2 kids in our group (6 and 7) who we’ve tried to get interested with STs for 2 years now would rather be anywhere else on a matchday. I’m not Billy No Mates going on my own like others I see, and after 21 wins in the last 70 at home you can see why people want anything else to do.
We are going to lose some long term proper supporters in.the summer. I know of.several who date back to the 60s/70s who entered be renewing.
They are fed up.
They don’t want to support a regime whose only stated aim.is sustainability and avoiding slipping out of the league.
The stated aim.of our CEO.
The same guy who talked of has been players being ‘the final piece of the jigsaw’.
The same guy who talked of ‘this club not accepting mediocrity ‘.
The same guy who talked of ‘Leaner and meaner squads’.
And lots more verbal diarrhea.
Not one supporter should accept avoiding relegation and propping up a very rich man’s poor investment as a reason for buying a season ticket.
I won’t.
I am done until things change
That’s the problem Mark, on social media is sometimes made out that it’s just the newcomers that are not renewing but from my personal conversations a lot of the pre 96 supporters are not happy and tempted not to renew. I know people that haven’t missed games home and away for years who I could never imagine missing a game regularly missing home games this season. Even the fans that are renewing are doing it grudgingly.
Personally I’m going to renew at the last minute, but fair play to anyone not renewing who’s trying to force change. I would love hardly any season tickets to be renewed before that last week to show the club just how pissed off the fans are.
I guess I’m from the same era as you, Mark. A lifelong City fan, I saw the light months ago and stopped going. One by one, our group of regulars, began diminishing and the last remaining one messaged me last night to says he’s done too.
I’m certainly not renewing next season. Tuesday’s attendance will be a good indicator of what the club can expect next season.
I’ve watched the highlight’s of yesterday’s game and, what I saw, looked an insult to the paying fans.
I get in football you win some, you lose some.
You may lose a game of a single, so a short term problem. 3pts gone, onto the next one.
You may have a poor season because of managerial decisions, a longer term problem. Harder hitting.
Then you have the longer term strategic decisions and direction, that can genuinely impact the future of the club in the long term and beyond. This could be appointing the manager, the overall football philosophy, situations such as owning your ground / training set up etc. The much bigger decisions that last the longest and have the biggest impact.
It’s been 8 years of Rupp. Over 3 years as RS as CEO. They (and others at that level) have got those longer term decisions contabtly wrong.
Sparks is like a child playing with his action figures. It’s a big boy job with real consequences for the business and it’s out of his control. Even the recent suggestion of a Director of Football role at the ‘forum’ was met with complete derision from him. His complete dismissal at the monthly meeting of the Kadima Sports farce. Saying GA was always out first choice despite still being at MKD two weeks after Hughes was fired.
He seems to be insulting the fans intelligence with his comments and actions to the point where he’s actually deriding us. And fans see it.
Football fans, especially ours, are some of the best customers you can have as a business and to drive them away you have to be doing a consistently bad job for a very long time, on and off the pitch.
I don’t like Rupp as an owner but he has some opportunity to try and mend things.
Sparks however has got almost everything wrong, seemingly won’t accept help, insults the fans and doubles down in the face of any criticisms. As said, it’s a very serious role with serious decisions invovled, and because its his ‘dream job’ he can’t bear to let it go.
“Saying ‘GA was always out first choice’ despite still being at MKD two weeks after Hughes was fired'”. Is incorrect. Sparks NEVER said that.
If you are trying to make him out to have been a liar then that is unacceptable. If you accept you have made a mistake I think you need to acknowledge it and correct it.
We were 10 minutes from getting to the play off final last year – some clubs never do, get a grip!!
For the first time in 50 years of supporting I walked out at half time, I’ve never felt so angry/low and I along with I think quite a few others ain’t coming back anytime soon.
Somethings go to change and change fast before we’re in non league.
The heartfelt concerns expressed so far after yesterday,s heavy defeat reflect the current crisis developing apace at Valley Parade and opinions on the root cause of our woes shows the dire situation now both on and off the pitch.
Results obviously are the yardstick by which success or otherwise is judged but achieving the desired objective has to be as a consequence of a combined effort from all concerned. The football being served up at present is consistent with a mid table team but this description goes far deeper than our position in the league . I would ask how success as a club can be achieved when the following deficiencies are currently in place.
The club has no board of directors as Mr Rupp owns 100% of the shares.How can the best interests of the club be considered and acted upon by a chairman with no director,s input? Rather than sell the club outright ,which with no tangible assets proving so difficult, could investment by local business people to join the board be the way forward-throughout its history I dont remember the club without such board members and struggle to see how a club can thrive without some committed local involvement by the business community. I appreciate the donations of the many sponsors but they have no power to shape the running of the club.R.S. should use his marketing skills to at least create some incentive to join the board by getting amongst the sizeable business community in Bradford and drum up some interest.Worth a try surely.
Does Bradford City Ltd have a company secretary? Since Mr Biggin resigned I have not seen any news of a replacement,surely R.S. doesnt do this job also.
A stadium manager is required. Alan and Christine Gilliver did a great job in making V.P. a pleasure to visit rather than the bleak place it is becoming.
Regarding on the field matters ,any managers both current and in the future when being interviewed should be instructed in no uncertain terms to stress to them and the players in their charge to show to the supporters they respect the memories of the fire victims and how the city suffered by at least giving 100% in every game This should be a motivation every time they pull on a claret and amber shirt and we need to recruit a strong vocal leader on the pitch who recognises that Valley Parade is far more than just a football ground. Some recent performances haven,t reflected that.
When did Alan Biggins resign??
Now the dust has settled my only hope, as alluded to buy others, is that having witnessed yesterday’s events Rupp will take some sort of action, whatever that might be, to get our club moving back in the right direction.
Yesterday could end up being a blessing in disguise. Time will tell.
Oops I Apologise for posting Alan had resigned. Still co sec.
Thank you. Apology accepted.
A great article which encapsulates the current malaise.
As bad as the defeat by Mansfield was, they deserved to win, and we just helped them to shine.
However bad yesterday was, then the defeat to rock bottom Forest Green last Tuesday was far more embarrassing.
Not sure what can be done. To keep ‘Big Dave’ happy l will renew next season. But as things are, with no sense of enthusiasm and zero expectation.
Well done Rod. Proper supporter’s keep on supporting. I haven’t got much enthusiasm either but come next season I’ll be almost raring to go!
Agreed with the Forest Green defeat being worse because they were rubbish.
It’s mad to think how good the atmosphere was against Wrexham, was in this season. Shackles were off, fans together, a young lad showing some skill, a will to try things. Wouldn’t have cared if we lost, cos there was some effort. There was some hope after that but clearly a flash in the pan. Let’s hope for change in the summer.
Come on lets be realistic,derek adams hit the nail on the head with his comments the other month.We own nothing we even have to train on a school playing field the club is a shambles from top to bottom, as a season ticket holder for many years in the suites sparks has created a disaster.even the food and drink at valley parade is a shambles,going to be interesting to see next seasons season tickets sales,our family loved going to matches early and making a day of it food drink etc but not any more,our 9 season tickets will not be getting renewed next season until the shambles is sorted out,on a brighter note see you all at harrogate on saturday.
Morecambe trained at a school under Adams
It’s going to be even worse tomorrow. One central defender and a team and fans who are at rock bottom.
I have reached the position where I dont wish to give another penny to Rupp for what he has done to this club.
Thanks for the article Jason, all very well put. It’s all been said above, so no need to expand too much. A summer of major changes are needed if next season will not see us decline further imho. We’re certainly no where near good enough on the field for League 1 right now, & after Saturday’s non performance, some would wonder if we we’re even good enough for League 2 I suppose.
Our club in in a slump, and the only thing that can change it, is change, and fast!
I’ve only
Great piece Jason. It’s got to the point where even if we win at home I’m not particularly bothered which is a grim place to be in. I’m not old enough to remember the premier league days so all I’ve known as a City fan is demise, bar a one or two fantastic seasons in between.
As much as I do disagree with the team put out by GA, I do feel a bit for him, and all those who have gone before. Even without any inside insight it is blindingly obvious that there is no serious footballing expertise at the club and everything that we’ve done year on year is underachieve, get given some hope, renew, get disappointed again. You can only put up with that so much. The short term nature of decision making is painfully predictable.
When I was younger I’d look forward to going to VP and away games, even when we were poor. Now me and my friends are all working full time, time is of the essence. Spending a rare day off at VP is simply not worth it. I don’t blame anyone for not renewing.
We are a club stuck in the past. What it needs to start with is Rupp investing in a team behind the scenes with plenty of modern day football expertise to make the big decisions. Until that happens we won’t get anywhere, and I can’t see Rupp doing anything of the sort with his decision making since he came to the club.
After spending 45 of my 48 years on this planet attending Valley Parade, going with grandparents, both parents, siblings and nephews and nieces and various groups of friends…
I will not accept people criticising how I choose to support Bradford City. I left before half time…I’m not apologising for that to anyone.
I’m not renewing my ST even though it will be £12.50 per month DD…I’m not apologising for that to anyone.
I sit under the cameras on Midland Road, I took a picture on Tuesday of the empty seats where 20+ of us used to sit together ever since the stand opened.
I have 2 friends who travel up from Cheshire and as soon as they saw the team sheet decided to stay on North Parade.
The worst thing for me about Saturday was Mansfield didn’t even have to work that hard.
No need to apologise Ryan but what are you going to do every other Saturday?
There’s been plenty of crap season’s in your many years of watching what’s different about this one?
I reckon you’ll be back for more!
It’s sticking with the team during the bad times that makes the good all the sweeter
The difference is that the club are crumbling inside.