Out of the blue

Writing about web page http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/b/bradford_city/6354497.stm

So it finally happened. Captain Beige Colin Todd got the sack, after a run of 3 wins from the last TWENTY matches. In some ways, it was an impossible job, especially after having lost his 3 best players in the transfer window. Certainly, losing the star creative player and top scorer precipitated a further downturn in results, leaving us only 3 points from the drop zone.

His first season, after the turmoil of the 2004 close season saw a comfortable 11th placed finish when all the bookies (and some of us) had us down for a difficult season post relegation and administration. Similarly, 2005-6 saw us finish 11th. This was not so good, but a season blighted by two or three chronically useless new signings put paid to the top 6. This year has been mad; starting the season like a train, only for it to be a false dawn to end them all. Now we look nervously over our shoulders at the bottom 4…

David Wetherall has been put in temporary charge. It’ll be interesting to see whether he plays or not.

But already, the rumour mill is in full swing. Who’s out of work? Who would want a job at a club with no money in a seemingly endless downward spiral?
Lets examine a few categories (with help from the League Manager’s Association website) of would be managers…

The One The Fans All Want: The Third Coming
Stuart McCall. Promotion winning hero (x 2). Currently assistant manager at Sheffield United. Would be utterly mad to come back to the club in the present shambolic state.

Other Ex-Players On/Off The Managerial Merry-Go-Round
Chris Wilder/Wayne Jacobs. Both ex-City players, and currently the managerial duo at Halifax, having got them to the Conference Playoffs last year. Would be cheap, but Ginger Wayne is popular -though not with the gentleman that sits 3 seats to my left at home games....
Lee Sinnott. Presided over non-League Farsley Celtic’s rise up the Unibond leagues.
Peter Beagrie. Hugely popular for his role in 1998-2001, even more so because Colin Todd and he didn’t get on. Previously player coach at Scunthorpe.
Terry Dolan. Now manager of non-league Guiseley, warmly remembered for the McCall-Hendrie side of 1987-88. Not so fondly remembered in Hull…

Managers Once Highly Thought Of But Now Fallen On Hard Times
Iain Dowie. Would he seriously even look at our job?
Mickey Adams. Done well whereever he’s been but not too popular of late in these parts.
Andy Ritchie. Got Barnsley out of this division last year, before harsh sacking
Phil Parkinson. Rumoured player revolt saw him leave Hull just 6 months after his protracted move from Colchester

Dear Lord No, And I Might Never Buy Another Season Ticket, Ever
Gary Megson, Carlton Palmer, Kevin Blackwell, Howard Wilkinson, Nicky Law, Peter Reid, David O’Leary, Bryan Robson, Alan Ball, Sven-Goran Eriksson

: 12 Feb 2007 19:24 |  Tags: Wheres The Midfield |  Comments (2) |  Report a problem