Do you want Peter Taylor to be Bradford City manager next season?

After an Easter without points a section of Bradford City supporters have started to grumble about Peter Taylor, his methods and his criticism of the pitch at Valley Parade being seen as an “excuse”.

And so the fourth of the Barry Article asks…

“Do you want Peter Taylor to be Bradford City manager next season?”

Jason Mckeown City Gent & BfB Writer

I never agreed with the decision to ‘trial’ Peter Taylor, and nothing over the last seven weeks has altered my mind on whether to entrust him with the job full time – he was the outstanding candidate when the club was recruiting in February, he is the outstanding candidate now.

Although recent results have been poor, I believe Taylor has offered plenty of evidence to suggest he can lead Bradford City back up the football ladder. His success has been his attitude and mindset; while others in his position might have tentatively tweaked the team and made the odd loan signing, conscious and fearful of the restrictions of a short-term deal, Taylor has acted like a manager already handed a two-year contract. He has made tough decisions, he has changed the playing style and he has looked at off-the-field matters and demanded resources towards improving them.

Taylor came in last February with a plan – but it wasn’t a plan to see it out the season, it was to begin building a club in the way he believes is right. The groundwork has already started; this summer will be about signing the right players towards delivering his vision. From day one Taylor has acted as though he won’t be leaving anytime soon, the club would be advised not to contemplate it either.

Dave Pendleton Bantamspast Curator & Former City Gent Editor

It would be criminally insane to judge Peter Taylor on the handful of matches he has been in charge of the club. However, the numbers of the criminally insane rise by the week – or should that be by the defeat.

After Monday’s match the police didn’t have to be called to close Manningham Lane due to the ticket office coming under siege by hordes of would be season ticket holders, but then again there was hardly a rush to acclaim Paul Jewell when he was appointed manager after a similarly dismal end to a campaign – though crucial differences are that City are currently in Division Four and don’t have a couple of million quid knocking about for new players.

Peter Taylor will be Bradford City’s manager next season and rightly so. Dismissing his claims due to an end of season game, played on a bog of a pitch and with key players missing through injury, would be stupid. But, this is Bradford City and a fair number of our fans only make their voices heard when they have destructive things to say.

All happily glum. I was as disheartened as any following the listless Macc game, but we have to look forward and towards a new season. Taylor is the best this club can hope for at this level and frankly Bradford City are currently the best Taylor can hope for. We are a match made in a basement. Scratching around in the charity shops and pound shops of our once prosperous city. The club reflecting the wider city and the wider city reflecting the club. Perhaps as the shimmering £25m mirror pool emerges in the city centre it will reflect the grandeur of City Hall, but it could equally reflect the shameful neglect of the Odeon.

Likewise at Valley Parade will a new City arise, one born from shameful boom and bust policies, a new club for a new age of parsimony and honest hard work? Or will we continue to reflect backwards towards faded thin glory of the Premier League? We have to drag ourselves from its long shadow and hopefully Peter Taylor will be the man to lead us blinking into the light of a new dawn.

David Markham T&A Reporting Legend

On the face of it , Peter Taylor has all the credentials to be Bradford City manager. He has managerial experience at all levels of football from international to the fourth tier – League Two – of English football and, important to City, his experience at Hull City and Wycombe demonstrate a track record of winning promotions.
His Valley Parade record so far has been decidedly mixed and like, most people, I was alarmed at the depressing 2-1 home defeat against Macclesfield on Easter Monday.

I know City were missing influential players like Simon Ramsden, Michael Flynn, James Hanson and Omar Daley, but, even so, it was a poor performance. And, although I accept Peter Taylor’s criticism of the dreadful state of the Valley Parade pitch and realise how difficult it is to play decent football on it, this was a match City ought to have won.

The case for Peter Taylor focuses on his proven track record and experience and his contacts in the game. He quickly brought in loan players to freshen up City’s squad and I am sure he will have a list of summer targets.

With most of the squad out of contract in the summer, there will be radical changes to the team whoever is manager in 2010-11 – and there needs to be after another disappointing season.

Peter Taylor’s priority will be to strengthen City’s leaky defence with big central defenders suited to lower division football. For, the defence has been a weakness all season. Even when the side were showing promise in the autumn, City were still unable to hang to leads – Barnet and Northampton – and that trend has continued – look how they let a 2-0 lead slip against Dagenham.

The question for Peter Taylor’s critics is if not him then who would be City’s next manager? It must have been a difficult decision for the directors to choose between him and Steve Cotterill, but he is now at Notts County and I see another candidate, Russell Slade has been appointed at Leyton Orient so there are not too many candidates out there.

Interestingly, just after Stuart McCall left, Bury manager Alan Knill, who has a good record of lower division management at Rotherham and Bury was being mentioned as a possible summer target even if Bury win promotion. On balance, though, I would say let’s give Peter Taylor a contract and back him to build a side ready to challenge for promotion next season.