Former d CityBradfor Striker Condemns Club’s ‘Wrong Moves’
Bradford City’s current predicament is down to their ‘wrong moves’ in the recruitment market, former striker Don Goodman told OLBG.
The Bantams are currently 14th in the table after this weekend’s matches, having secured a 1-0 victory against Accrington this weekend. That will be the result that supporters hope is a catalyst for change, given that they were 18th before the weekend’s fixtures.
Manager Graham Alexander has already been sacked once this season – he left MK Dons after a brief spell, but the Bantams have also been in the business of sacking, with Mark Hughes leaving the club. He was the 17th manager this century, not counting caretaker managers, and that’s part of the problem, according to Goodman.
“It’s tough to see what’s happening at Bradford,” said the Leeds-born former player. “Sometimes I have to remind myself that they’ve been in the Premier League!
“It’s heartbreaking to see them 18th in League Two. Graham Alexander is their eighth manager in five years, and that tells you everything. They’re an ambitious club with a big stadium and big crowds, but they don’t have stability.”
Part of that instability comes from the hiring and firing of managers as they chase a return to the third tier. Hughes, who had the Bantams in the play-offs last season, paid the price for a sticky start, but Goodman feels it is a succession of bad decisions that have placed them in the basement division for five seasons and counting.
“Bradford keep making the wrong moves in terms of management and recruitment. They’re everyone’s cup final, along with Wrexham, given their Hollywood element. It’s always going to be tough.
“The struggle for goals is proving costly this season. Only two teams have scored fewer goals. Andy Cook, who scored 28 goals last season, is struggling.
“I expect them to fly up the league once he starts firing, but it remains to be seen if the job of getting promoted is too big for them. They really need to try and gatecrash the playoff places, but it’ll be tough.”
Goodman started his career at Valley Parade and was part of the squad on the tragic day of the fire disaster in 1985, losing a former girlfriend on the day. He later played for West Brom, Sunderland, and Wolves in a distinguished career.
Bradford are in a rut – they’re a club that could easily sustain Championship football with a stadium and fans that deserve it. As Goodman points out, instability and constant change are hindering them, and there hasn’t been a solid managerial appointment in a long while.
Missing out on Danny Cowley was a huge blow, and Alexander feels like a regressive appointment, given the number of clubs he’s had of late. It might be that he’s the man to turn them around, and a win this weekend has certainly helped.
As for Goodman, he’s clearly a man who loves the club and the area, with such emotional and personal ties. This isn’t a bitter ex-pro lashing out; it is a former player and, dare we say, possibly a supporter voicing an opinion shared by many.
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