The Michael Wood Column

Monday 27 January, 2003

Jorgi should head up the next generation of Bantams

Nicky Law and Gordon Gibb should have one aim on the day the club comes out of administration. To get the signature Claus Bach Jorgensen on a new Bradford City contract.

Claus Jorgensen is the very model of what we want at Bradford City. He is eager to impress and to win. When dropped he responds well, waits for his chance and takes it. When playing he is generous to team mates and, not to put too fine a point in it, bloody good.

If this is not Nicky Law's type of player then who is?

I see Jorgi in the centre of the Bradford City midfield next season, the Dane prompting and push but being protected by Tom Kearney, and after some of the inspid displays that City have put in, the problems with Paul Evans being sent away and Paul Reid just not getting the pace of the English game I'm amazed that Nicky Law does not see it the same.

It's hard to say which of the out of contract players will stick around next year to pick up £80,000 a year. The likes of David Wetherall and Andy Myers, Gary Walsh and Robert Molenaar are all likely to leave in the summer and in a way that is no bad thing. For too long City have been haunted by the spectre of the Premiership. I have lost count of the number of times I have commented on Myers with an argument based on the idea that we should not be impressed with his current displays because he was bought for the Premiership and should be able to walk this division.

What the likes of Jorgensen and Kearney and for that matter Michael Standing, Lewis Emanuel and others offer us is a Bradford City that is not so obviously playing at a level below where it should be in terms of it's expenditure. Ashley Ward's Premiership wages are only an affront because his performances do not match up even in this division.

Next season Bradford City will be learner. We need to be keaner too and Jorgensen is a fine model for that.

Kearney, Jorgensen, Standing, Emanuel. Add to that list goal king Andy Gray and Mark Bower, who has done well in a tough season. Add Alan Combe who is angling for a move down from Dundee United. Simon Francis seems like a David Wetherall in waiting and even at 18 I'd be giving him a starting shirt for next term. Danny Cadamarteri has not lit up the City side like we hoped he would after his debut but he has pace and can do a good job for us if Nicky Law can get the Cleckheaton lad playing. Mark Danks has a great attitude after being chucked out of Wolves for showing the exact opposite.

If we make the template the likes of Kearney and Jorgensen then the young lads coming through can learn. Right back Keith Brodie looks like a prospect and with Gus Uhlenbeek leaving I can see him getting a role in the first team squad next term. Craig Fishlock should be making his debut this year and is spoken of highly by some.

We need to start delivering these young players into full fledged players and the way to do that, in my humble opinion, can not be the way with have dealt with Claus Jorgensen. Jorgi is doing well despite the management at City, not because of it. We need to change that.

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