Bradford City’s current dilemma is the result of ‘poor actions’ in the recruitment market, according to former striker Don Goodman.
The Bantams are presently 14th in the table following this weekend’s matches, having won 1-0 over Accrington Stanley. Given that they were 18th before the weekend’s matches, supporters hope that this outcome will serve as a catalyst for change. Graham Alexander, the manager of MK Dons, has already been terminated this season, but the Bantams have also been in the business of dismissing, with Mark Hughes quitting the club. He was the 17th manager this century, not counting caretaker managers, and that, according to Goodman, is part of the problem.
“It’s difficult to see what’s going on at Bradford,” the Leeds-born former player added. “Sometimes I have to remind myself that they’ve been in the Premier League!”It’s sad to see them sit in 18th place in League Two. Graham Alexander is their sixth manager in five years, which says it all. They are an ambitious club with a large stadium and large spectators, but they lack stability.”
Part of the insecurity stems from managers being hired and fired as they strive to return to the third tier.
Hughes, who led the Bantams to the play-offs last season, paid the price for a shaky start, but Goodman believes it is a series of poor decisions that have kept them in the bottom tier for the past five seasons.
“Bradford continues to make poor management and recruitment decisions.” Given their Hollywood factor, they are everyone’s cup final, along with Wrexham. It will always be difficult.
“This season, the goal-scoring difficulty has been costly. Only two other teams have fewer goals. Andy Cook, who scored 28 goals last season, is having difficulty.
“I expect them to fly up the league once he starts firing, but it remains to be seen whether the task of getting promoted is too difficult for them.” They should aim to gatecrash the playoff spots, but it will be difficult.”
Goodman began his career at Valley Parade and was a member of the squad on the awful day of the 1985 fire disaster, during which he lost a former fiancée. Later in his career, he played for West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland, and Wolves.
Writer’s View
Bradford City are stuck in a rut, despite the fact that they have a stadium and fans that deserve to be there. As Goodman points out, insecurity and continual upheaval are stifling them, and there hasn’t been a strong managerial appointment in quite some time.
The loss of Danny Cowley was a significant setback, and Alexander appears to be a retrograde selection given the number of clubs he’s had recently. He could be the one to turn things around, and a win this weekend surely helped.
With such emotional and personal ties to the club and the town, Goodman is clearly a man who loves the club and the area. This isn’t an angry ex-pro rant; it’s a former player and, dare we say, possibly a supporter expressing a widely held belief.
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