DPL - Bradford City

The truth about the disastrous “Experiment" has been coming out by way of the memories of the players involved talking about the poisonous atmosphere and conflicts which it created. Both Chris Brown and John Oster have given their accounts of how the McKay players inevitably had little interest in the success of the club and their prime objective of furthering thier own careers even led to fights in the dressing room. On the one hand the “mercenaries" who had no interest in the success of the club, and on the other the loyal permanently contracted players which management shut out. The Board owed the supporters of the club a massive apology for their appallingly bad judgment in entering into such an ill-judged scheme, but it never came.

It is interesting really that the only time we do get apologies is by managers who instead of taking responsibility themselves, say sorry “on behalf of the players". How many Boards apologise for mismanagement for appointing an incompetent manager like DIckov for example.

Anyway the conduct of our present Board following Ferguson’s appointment which was via what appeared to be a very structured process of selection, in contrast to that operated by most clubs, seems quite admirable. I see that the Walsall manager has lost his job despite sitting above us in the table and taking them to the play-offs last season and it makes you question the realism of the ambitions of their Board. Aston Villa, WBA, Wolves and Birmingham CIty are more or less within a 5 mile radius!

So, to our very well-supported and presumably well-funded yet under-achieving opponents later today. Simon Grayson should pull them round after a lon bad run. He did well with Huddersfield then PNE and well enough at Leeds to be given more time, but an impatient owner and in that case hypercritical fans too saw him off just like so many others. And you would have thought that he would have resisted the temptation of Sunderland where, rather like Leeds, managers are not only expected to work miracles, but to do so unrealistically rapidly. So, I think he will get time there to pull them round and they nearly started with Wigan, but lost in the dying minutes.

Beestin is fit again and I would certainly make room for him at the expense of Kiwomya who has not contributed enough in either of his two full games. Blair ought to keep his place after his performance last week and do I hope that he will become more consistent.

When we are at our best we move the ball much better than most sides in this league and I just hope that with the added grit we can turn it on tonight.

I’ll say 2-1, Marquis and 8500.