Monday 4th October, 20102 years ago, at the start of October
The wrong man
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Peter Taylor is the wrong person to manage Bradford City – and Saturday’s abysmal defeat to Morecambe makes it hard to believe he won’t shortly be shown the door.
Peter Taylor is the wrong person to manage Bradford City – because the timing is wrong. His track record in football is highly impressive. He has elevated under-performing clubs to new heights and awoken sleeping giants. He has managed some of the country’s finest players. His reputation in The Game is undoubtedly high. But such career achievements mean little when you’re overseeing a team which now has 90 professional teams ranked above it.
Peter Taylor is the wrong person to manage Bradford City – because we are in such dire straits. Our home is the bottom division of the Football League and, no offence to others, we don’t believe we should be slumming it like this. In recent history we tasted the highs of Premier League football. We built up our stadium to a point where it is among the most impressive in the country. At the very least we should be part of the Championship; heck right now mid-table in League One would do just fine. But here, stuck in League Two, playing Barnet this weekend and fearing we will lose – don’t you know who we are?
Peter Taylor is the wrong person to manage Bradford City – because we’re in the position where instant success has to occur. Building for the future was yesterday’s idea, where we thought that was the strategy to deliver promotion. But in 2008 we threw a load of money at speeding up the building of a team and invested in players allegedly too good for League Two; gambling on it earning promotion and failing to ponder what would happen if it went wrong. And then it went wrong, and what seemed like a nice diversion to English football’s backwaters has become a painfully long trip. Like being stuck in an airport because all the flights home have been grounded.
Peter Taylor is the wrong person to manage Bradford City – because we’re panicking. Crowds are dropping every season, and those little clubs we once almost patronisingly believed we only had to turn up and would beat are now considered tough opposition. In 2009, Stuart McCall’s wage budget was slashed by a third and any of the good building work he’d achieved in his first two seasons in charge was thrown out with the bathwater. But he started again, signed decent young players from lesser backgrounds and began to build a squad that could grow and, with the right additions along the way, eventually be good enough to elevate the club. But we didn’t have the patience, and in February 2010 forced him out.
Peter Taylor is the wrong person to manage Bradford City – because we don’t trust managers. He was the best candidate for the vacancy in February, but we had to trial him for 18 games rather than tell him to get on with doing what he did to Hull. And then in April the City Board sat down with him to offer the job permanently, asking what was required to revive the club. Taylor told them the playing surface needed sorting, and that we require new training facilities. The club delivered on one, and the other demand was quietly forgotten.
Peter Taylor is the wrong person to manage Bradford City – because we didn’t believe in him. Not only was there no training ground, he was only offered a one-year deal. After this dreadful start there were rumours he’d be sacked at the start of October, or that he may be sacked at the end of this month. Even if that’s not true, his contract has just seven months to run. The club and fans paid lip service to believing he could revive the club, but the backing fell short because deep down getting promoted this season was everyone’s be all and end all. Last March I wrote about Taylor’s training and pitch demands and concluded, “Taylor has not made next season promotion or bust, but expectations elsewhere may not quite fall the same way.”
Peter Taylor is the wrong person to manage Bradford City – because he’s had to resort to short-termism. Failure to get City into the top ten this season and he won’t be given a new contract. So why on earth should he care about the long-term prospects of the club? Why should he care if there’s no new training ground if it might reduce his playing budget? He has to deliver results now, because we supporters and the Board can’t face the prospect of it taking a couple of years for him to mould that promotion-winning squad. We want short cuts, dammit.
Peter Taylor is the wrong person to manage Bradford City – because short-term thinking doesn’t seem to be his forte. Team selections have been bizarre, remedies to address the situation have missed the spot. The two loan players signed from Man United last week have left us all scratching our heads wondering why he’s dismantled the only part of the team which was functioning competently. And what had Luke O’Brien done to deserve getting dropped? He must have been devastated. But then why should Taylor care about the long-term benefits of the best player to emerge from the youth ranks in a decade, if his job is on the line and some apparently better-polished guys from Man U can come in for a month?
Peter Taylor is the wrong person to manage Bradford City – because someone of his calibre is wasted right now. The problem with this football club is not that it is stuck in League Two, but that we leak money at an alarming rate and have to pay Gordon Gibb a massive sum of money for the right to play in our home of 100+ years. During our time in League Two, we’ve had the opportunity to do something about it and perhaps by now have even bought back the ground. But we threw money at players in 2008 when it was unnecessary and ill-thought, and those losses had to be covered by the Fabian Delph windfall. And we’ve made non-committal threats about going to Odsal and, almost a year after the redevelopment of Bulls’ home fell through, there’s being no word of what we’ll now do about the situation. Probably because everyone’s given up.
Peter Taylor is the wrong person to manage Bradford City – because the vision is so clouded. We introduced a brilliant season ticket offer to attract floating fans, then convinced ourselves – and them – that League Two was beneath us. So doing reasonably well in this division was considered a disgrace. Instead of being more realistic and focusing on making Valley Parade a wonderful place to be atmosphere-wise, we booed and sat in silence and slagged off hardworking players and drove away a City legend. In time those floaters have gone back to what they used to do on Saturday afternoons, and what in 2007 was a chance to reinvent this club has been almost completely thrown away.
Peter Taylor is the wrong person to manage Bradford City – because we no longer seem to want to care about the bigger problems. We’re miserable being in this league, and all that matters is getting out of it. Sod your training ground Taylor, just tell your players to run around the dog poo. Sod developing young players like Gareth Evans and James Hanson. Sod playing a style of football we might enjoy. And in the end, sod off. It’s just about getting out of this league, that’s the only problem we want to believe exists.
Peter Taylor is the wrong person to manage Bradford City – because he’s not a quick fix. So let us find a motivation man who can make the players feel ten foot tall and let the form guide be the deciding factor of the most important position in the club. Perhaps it will work for a bit, short-termism. Perhaps we’ll even get that promotion eventually and get out of this division.
And maybe when we do, we can finally sit down and address the real issues.
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Brilliant piece Jason which encapsulates what most if not all of us must be feeling.
What I dont understand is that every year we let average players go and replace them with average players. Tommy Doherty apart, who has come in that is better than what we had last year. I cant think of anyone.
This season, Ive turned up to VP and not had a clue what team will be selected and that cant help the players
It is difficult not to agree with the comments above.
When Peter Taylor first came to the club it was pretty unanimous that most fans wanted him to become manager and it is quite an achievement to have alienated so many so quickly that other fan sites are now indcating approx 90% want him to go.
I was one of the smaller percentage who was not sure in the first place – living down south I know a number of fans who have had PT as manager at their clubs and they were not over complimentry to say the least.
I thought he handled himself with great dignity around the 25 year anniversary of the fire – particularly as he was still a relitive outsider at that time and with no real affinity with the club. And results at the end of last season provided grounds for optimism and a promise for the future.
But from day 1 this time around his signings on the whole, team selections, team formations and style of play have have been muddled at best and darn right depressing in the main. I truly believe there are elements that show he is out of touch and has lost the plot – but I also think he is immensely stubborn. 2 Wycombe fans I know told me this week it would not surprise them to see Oliver continue to be picked up front until he scores, just so Taylor can appear vindicated in this selection. Dont know if I believe this but I can see where they were coming from.
The players cannot be absolved from blame and some of them have been shown up to have either very limited ability and/or very limited stomach for the fight but it is difficult not to attribute this in a substantial way to Taylors management style.
We all know the club has been in decline for some time now, and how we ever start to overcome this is still a massive challenge that remains unanswered, but I agree with Jason that Peter Taylor is not the man for the job at this point in time for a whole range of reasons – and even if some of these reasons are not solely down to him others have nothing to do with him
Jason, that was excellent! And if I might be allowed to support your article with another Albert Camus quote:
‘It is the job of thinking people, not to be on the side of the executioners’.
This site has produced some great insightful comment over the period I have been following it, somewhat less than I have been following City. But in recent months I have not taken any inspiration from most articles, this being another. (You might ask whether your purpose is to inspire but without, your site will simply be the moaners corner and I’ll probably leave to to moan to yourselves)
What annoys me about this article is that your site championed the SM management years and bemoaned the man being forced out, but here we go again!!
Peter Taylor has undoubted qualifications and extensive experience as a coach and is clearly well respected by his peers (and those in higher league places) and has used his connections to bring in players we can just about afford (or attract). He is his own man and has strong opinions. He has done it before and knows there are factors to be combined to make a successful team And he knows he hasn’t got it right yet and is taking it on the chin. But I fear he is being pressured into short-termism by expectations (And I am near the top of that list) But if PT can’t bring instant success is there anyone who can. PT is miles ahead of SM in coaching ability and experience but has little previous connection with the club – I fear this is a big factor in the article to hound out a manager with probably the most successful career City have ever had.
I admire PT for his efforts, for his guts to be interviewed so soon after abject displays by his team, for his history and I have no faith that anyone else can do better (Oh someone might be able to, but it may take sacking another half dozen managers to find him(her)).
It is time to lay off and be SUPPORTERS of the club, team and manager. Be patient and trust that PT finds the right combination.
But the main focus should be why aren’t the players playing positive when appropriate and defending when needed – PT knows this is the problem – is it confidence, the fear of failure, lack of positive leadership on (or off) the pitch, lack of inspiration, lack of the will to win. But calling PT the wrong man does not offer anything. It is negative and fits the VP bill. Oh woe is me!!
Steve – your comments are pretty much what my article was arguing. I was not actually blaming Taylor for the situation, but arguing that he has been driven to short-termism by other factors beyond his control. I’m not saying hounding him out is the right thing to do, just that hounding him out is what is happening.
No offence, but I’m not sure if you read the article and perhaps gave up in annoyance when Stuart McCall was mentioned. I’m not going to get into a debate about Stuart yet again, and I understand there are a lot of City fans who get angry if his name is ever mentioned, for reasons I cannot fathom. But at the end of the day, as I argued in the piece, we were starting to build in the right way under McCall and this was chucked away. Chucked away for the same reasons Taylor is now going to be chucked away.
So anyway, sorry you didn’t like the article. But judging by your comments it seems you pretty much agree with the views I was expressing.
This is an excellent summary, Jason, and I share for frustration.The problem with short termism is that it doesn’t apply to the majority of supporters.Some of us have stuck with City for decades and as long as we have a club we’ll be there.Our managers are temporary guardians of our team.
I have never coached or managed a football team, therefore I cannot tell Peter Taylor how he should set up his squad to win matches.However,before retiring,I probably had more experience of managing people than he has.I would suggest that he is not getting the best out of his players because of his lack of motivational skills,particularly via the media.After the credible draw against Rotherham he told BBC Radio Leeds ” I’m pleased with the workrate….we showed we were not a bad team….nobody has a divine right to get into the team…”
Then on Saturday he drops two defenders who kept out Le Fondre and Co and replaces them with two loanee rookies.Not only does this send out the wrong message to our fullbacks but also puts extra pressure on those in the team.They are frightened of failure.
His latest comment that Luke Oliver is “doing us a favour playing as a striker” adds to the gloom hanging over Valley Parade.
Jason
I thought that the title of the article reflected the objective of the piece and it simply was saying PT out with 13 reasons for that view. If we talk in negative terms meaning positives, there is no wonder we have problems – but ok where is there support for keeping on the coach. I didn’t get that from your piece or the other comments.
I am not blind and do not wholeheartedly support all PT’s decisions but if we (supporters) generate too high a pressure, others who have the purse strings will respond. He will be away and we’ll be having a similar comment about Jacko, Deano, Dumbo or whoever in 12 months time. Yes we’ve seen the holy grail and had it snatched away and we are left with nothing but anger at having one of the worst home records over the last ten years – we have been served some dire rubbish but the man in charge now is probably the best hope we have for turning it around – given time. Rhodes needs bottle to stick with it and make another brave decision – for the good of the long term interests of this club. We need to stick with him (remember A Ferguson) yes disagree with him boo the poor displays but PT needs the confidence he has the time and support to fix it Hope its not woe for long!!
Hi Steve
If you look back at the last few months you will find loads of articles written by myself which support Taylor. I’ve been behind the manager and I believe we should be taking a long term view of things. However no one else agrees and we’re in a situation where Taylor is under a lot of pressure and, frankly, isn’t reacting well to it. If we are all about short-termism (and let’s face it we are whether you or me like it or not) then he is not the right man for the job. As I said in the article someone of his calibre is wasted on this club right now.
That said I was fuming at Taylor on Saturday, his decision to drop Zesh and Luke was disgraceful. All weekend since I keep imagining Taylor announcing his team for Morecambe and think of what every person in the dressing room must have thought when they heard two hardworking and on-form players had been dropped to make way for two kids who will be here a few weeks. Looking at the performance from the players and their effort levels, there’s little doubt in my mind it had a negative effect on the whole team’s morale. And then during the game, to me at least, it seemed Omar and Hendrie were being instructed to play narrow so we had a compact midfield. And Morecambe were just able to charge down the wings and kill those two Man U players. It was a horrible situation all round, and I can’t defend Taylor for that I’m afraid. But I think he’s a victim of other problems and he is reacting in this way because of them. It’s a vicious circle.
Finally for now. Steve please come on here tomorrow and read the article from Michael which will be live by then, because I think you’ll really enjoy it.
The article in question