By Jason McKeown

As the footballing world spends the summer engrossed in the World Cup, a small corner of Germany has been raising a glass to a milestone of its own.

Stefan Rupp has officially reached the 10th anniversary of his ownership of Bradford City. A decade of highs, lows, steep learning curves, stress and satisfaction has now come full circle, with the club sitting in much the same position as when Rupp found it: recovering from the disappointment of a League One play-off semi-final defeat.

It hasn’t always felt like the journey would end up back here. City’s collapse, struggle and eventual revival under Rupp have been well documented. There were some dark days along the way. The legacy of the Phil Parkinson era was squandered, and it has taken an enormous amount of work to restore the club to this point. But now, the foundations feel solid. The progress has been remarkable. There is momentum. And there is genuine confidence in both Rupp and City’s ability to take the club even further.

Which is what makes the upcoming campaign – the 11th season of the Rupp era – so intriguing.

City exceeded expectations last season. Reaching the play-offs was a superb achievement, and pushing Bolton so hard left supporters with plenty to be proud of. But no one wants a League One play-off defeat to become this club’s ceiling once again. Bettering what City accomplished has to be the aim.

The question, though, is whether that’s realistic.

Rupp and City clearly believe it is. Just like 12 months ago, there is a bullish outlook emanating from the club this close season. They’ve shaken off the disappointment of Bolton quickly and demonstrated real ambition in their recruitment. Clear efforts have been made to address the weaknesses that became apparent towards the end of last season. These are the actions of a club driven by self-belief and a conviction it can continue moving forwards. And if this same approach to the summer as last year produces the same outcome on the pitch, more exciting times lie ahead.

Judging new signings before a competitive ball has been kicked is always dangerous. But on paper, City appear to have done some eye-catching business.

Jake Beesley arrives from Burton after scoring 13 goals for the struggling Brewers last season. Adam Phillips has been lured from Barnsley after four consistently impressive years at Oakwell, producing 43 goals and 27 assists in 180 appearances. John McCracken joins from Dundee after recording the highest saves-per-90 figure in the Scottish Premiership. England youth international Callum Connolly brings leadership and a wealth of experience. So too does MacAulay Gillesphey, who little more than a year ago scored the Wembley winner that secured Charlton’s promotion. Henry Cartwright signs from Leicester after an impressive loan spell in Scotland.

More than anything, the business so far reflects how much Rupp’s approach has changed. The caution and drift of previous years has been replaced by a club willing to invest aggressively in its ambitions. In most cases, City have paid fees to land their targets.

The excitement of new arrivals has been tempered by some unexpected departures. It felt inevitable that Jenson Metcalfe would attract interest after such an impressive first season at Valley Parade. But the speed of his departure, and his choice of club, still came as a surprise.

Ultimately, moving to the Championship is an excellent move for the player. Millwall came close to reaching the Premier League last season, and once Metcalfe settles in, there’s every chance he’ll make a positive impact. We’ll watch his progress with interest.

Far more surprising were the departures of Max Power and Curtis Tilt, with both citing family reasons for wanting to move on. Power’s exit in particular has generated plenty of debate. He enjoyed an excellent season, captained the side superbly and always looked fully committed. That’s why we didn’t see it coming.

Some supporters have questioned Power’s explanation that a shorter commute to Wigan was behind his decision to move. As someone fortunate enough to work close to home, I have plenty of sympathy with the player. Your children are only young once, and long commuting journeys inevitably mean missing moments you’ll never get back. Not everyone has the luxury of living near the place they work, but it’s hard to begrudge anyone choosing to put their family first. I’m genuinely sorry to see Power go, but I understand it.

Tilt’s reasons haven’t been discussed quite so publicly, but wanting to be closer to family is equally fair enough. And with Tilt turning 35 next month, losing a defender who has been outstanding – but was entering the latter stages of his career – hardly seems the end of the world.

Tilt’s performances in claret and amber made him something of a cult hero, and he deserves a warm reception when Burton return to Valley Parade. His duel with Beesley should make for fascinating viewing for both sets of supporters.

Losing Power, Tilt and Metcalfe doesn’t derail City’s prospects, but it undoubtedly complicates them. With Tommy Leigh also returning to Bristol Rovers, the club suddenly has to rebuild its central midfield – a challenge the recruitment team can scarcely have anticipated at the start of the summer.

Power and Metcalfe were not flawless, but they were integral to how City functioned. How Connolly, Cartwright and any further additions adapt to those responsibilities could prove one of the defining factors of the season.

Beyond the questions in central midfield, the squad looks strong, with genuine depth and quality throughout. And there is every reason to believe City have improved again.

What we don’t know yet is how much stronger everyone else has become.

The release of the new fixtures always brings the realities of a new season sharply into focus. After beginning with a home game against last season’s great League One underachievers, Peterborough, City travel to newly relegated Sheffield Wednesday, where their boisterous new owners will be staging their first home league match. What an acid test that could prove.

Then comes a trip to Plymouth, who finished last season so strongly, and were unfortunate to miss out on the play-offs. Visits to Luton, Oxford and Leicester are not far behind either.

City exceeded expectations last season, and while that was a tremendous achievement, it also complicates the benchmark for success.

We may well be about to watch a better Bradford City team. But it might find it harder to repeat the same feats.

That brings us back to Rupp and his ambitions. The success of the last two seasons has evidently emboldened him, which is great to see. He went from standing on the Valley Parade pitch on Boxing Day 2016 – where he and Rahic declared they wanted to get City back into the Premier League – to a reclusive, uncommunicative owner during the difficult times.

He’s hardly become a rent-a-quote chairman, but he is now more willing to engage with supporters, hopping over to Bradford during the close season to appear at a supporters’ forum. There is a confidence and conviction behind his public words. Maybe the Premier League dream quietly died a few years ago. That’s absolutely okay – most City fans probably didn’t particularly want to go back there anyway. But Rupp certainly emanates belief that he can lead the Bantams back to the Championship, more than 22 years after City last played there.

Which certainly makes this upcoming season very important. It’s absolutely not do or die. But any backwards steps might be hard to reverse. If City had a fantastic chance to go up last season, the same appears to be true this campaign.

The club still feels like it’s on an upward trajectory. There is enthusiasm pouring out of the stands. There is a squad full of talent. A settled and deeply popular management team. A CEO who has largely won over his doubters. A head of recruitment who has proven himself in time. A head of football whose arrival can reasonably be traced to the beginning of City’s resurgence.

All the ingredients are there for City to take the next step and for Rupp to finally achieve what he set out to accomplish when he took the reins. The World Cup distraction is about to disappear. And when it does, Bradford City head into the new season with something they haven’t always enjoyed during the Rupp era: genuine belief that the best might still be to come.

Categories: Opinion

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