Unlucky Thirteen

Stuart McCall wields the axe over his underperforming side bidding farewell to thirteen players in a massive clearout at Valley Parade.

Almost an entire first team side has been shown the door with the goalkeepers leading the way. As things stand we no goalkeepers contracted to the club after Donovan Ricketts, Jamie Waite and Ben Saynor were told their services were no longer required.

Moving into defence it was perhaps unfortunate that Saturday should have been such a horror show for Darren Williams as it may have confirmed Stuart’s fears that he wasn’t cut out for this division. Also making way is supposedly hot prospect Damian Hopkins who despite sniffing around the fringes of Welsh young internationals has obviously not progressed as might have been expected.

But it is in midfield where Stuart has been most ruthless. Alongside the anticipated departures of Scott Phelan, Craig Bentham and Paul Evans are a couple of surprises. Perhaps the biggest name on that list is Eddie Johnson whose two years at Valley Parade have sadly not been what many might have hoped and one imagines that as EJ was amongst the highest earners at the club this will have moulded Stuart’s thinking.

On a personal level it’s a decision that saddens me because I have always found EJ to put his heart into his performances for Bradford City and to care deeply about his adopted club. Of course his performances maybe haven’t matched that desire and his confusion over where he should play won’t have helped but I can’t help but feel a slight tinge of sadness for him.

So too is that true for Tom Penford who many believed had done enough towards the end of the season with his clever and insightful passing to earn himself a further year’s contract. But maybe it’s a case of one year too many for the youngster of whom big things have been expected every summer since we were in the Championship (or that’s what it seems like anyway).

Also on the list is winger Alex Rhodes who injury prevented from having much chance to shine and who tended to be somewhat hit and miss when included in the squad. Like EJ and Penford, I would have liked to see Alex Rhodes around next season as I’m a fan of wingers who deliver the ball into the box and who create opportunities for others but if Garry Thompson is arriving from Morecambe then the left wing berth is going to be filled adequately and so Rhodesy would have found himself out on a limb.

The seventh and final midfielder to not feature in next year’s plans is youngster Luke Morgan who, like Scott Phelan, may have played well in the reserves but never managed to beat a path to the first team.

And so that leaves just one striker who hasn’t made the grade and perhaps unsurprisingly to many that is David Brown who despite the winner at Macclesfield and a very good record in the reserves has obviously been deemed as surplus to requirements in a division where the ability to hold your own is important.

And throughout these decisions is a clear pattern of thinking within Stuart McCall’s mind – most of these players have been too lightweight or slow to contend with League Two football and therefore are not what he has felt necessary.

He has decided to offer five players new deals with the only first team players being offered new contracts in Barry Conlon and Kyle Nix whilst the youngsters Luke Medley, Sean Taylforth and Luke O’Brien also have deals on the table should they choose to stay.

It all begs the question of who will play on Saturday? If you were one of those 13 players shown the door would you really appreciate travelling to Wycombe for a game that means nothing knowing that no matter what you did it wouldn’t change the fact that your future is in jeopardy?

It must be an awful thing to have to go through and an awful thing to have to do but the fact is the players haven’t been good enough. There is no room for sentiment when it comes to winning promotion but nevertheless, we here at Vital Bradford City would like to convey our sincerest thanks and gratitude for all the efforts from all the players over the course of the season and good luck in wherever your futures take you (although not if you end up destroying us when we play next season!)

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