last year, at the end of July
Brilliant McCall bounces City into the season to savour
Michael Boulding has signed for City. Graeme Lee has signed for City. Paul McLaren has signed for City. Chris Brandon has signed for City. Paul Arnison has signed for City.
If the Bantams had signed two of these five players then people would have been talking about us as promotion contenders. If we had signed three of them people would be saying we were making moves but we have brought in over the summer five players of massive quality.
Five players who can play in the league above. Five players who most teams in the bottom two divisions would want in their sides.
You can argue about Arnison but he played in the play offs for the Championship last season. Boulding went out of the league but still was wanted by League One where McLaren was the top dog for assists. Lee has turned heads with his signing although Moore would have been more impressive and Brandon started the ball rolling.
Add these to Joe Colbeck ripping teams apart, to Lee Bullock who is league one quality, to Billy Topp and suddenly City have a team that can and I think will murder the rest of this league.
What Stuart has this season that he didn’t have last one is options. He can use Peter Thorne and Michael Boulding but who can say that Barry and Billy would get less goals? He can put Omar Daley down the left or he can use Kyle Nix or Chris Brandon to be tighter. In those last ten minutes that make the difference between teams that go up and those who don’t options to exploit the weaknesses of the opposition win you games.
The squad City have is packed with players who would have been the most impressive guy on most team sheets. Guys like Boulding and Lee who would have raised eyebrows separately are together in a kind of League Two all-stars picking the best of what was on offer.
And making a season to savour.
July 25th, 2008 at 10:59
“Who can say that Bary & Billy would get less goals?”
Er… me. I like both players but neither are goalscorers. Either would beautifully compliment Thorne or Boulding(M) though.
Not sure about Boulding(R), although I would like to be optimistic. He’s young & eager, and would have his work cut out to even make the bench so if he can manage that he must be pretty reasonable. And when Boulding(M) retires & we want to ship out Boulding(R) we may be able to command a fee so no real harm in it. Besides, he can’t be as rotten as Medley.
July 25th, 2008 at 11:50
Excited are we?? Me too, great signings and things look to have finally turned the corner after 8 very hard years! Well done again to Julian Rhodes and Mark Lawn for making sure Stuart has had the backing he required to make a serious promotion push!