The Craig Smith Column

Monday 17 March, 2003

Will our heroes ever take us back?

Back in the good old days when we were playing Premiership football and managing to score four at Upton Park and still end up losing, it was happy round Bradford for a while. Im asking the question, Will we ever get back to the top flight?

I believe we can. We seem to have a potentially very excellent side, with lots of great youngsters coming through, my finger is pointing at the likes of Lewis Emanuel (one of my particular favorites), Mark Bower, Simon Francis, Danny Forrest and Tom Kearney, all with first team experience under their belt at City.

Now step up the next batch of youngsters, the likes of Craig Fishlock, Daniel Ekoku, Ben Muirhead, Tom Penford, Kevin Sanasy, Robert Morgan, and Andrew Lee, all of which could have very bright futures at City if they are aided with the first team experience they require to progress. That proves that City have an excellent batch of youngsters coming through the ranks.

You could then look at the players who are still quite young and could be potentially very good at the club, (in my eyes these are as follows): Danny Cadamarteri, Andy Gray, Michael Standing, Claus Jorgensen and maybe Paul Reid. None of which came through City's youth setup but are and could be very good. Also, I think of Juanjo and I think of nothing, this is one player Nicky needs to make his mind up on, do we take a gamble and try him on the wing with his fancy touches and flicks etc? (his creativity could be an asset if he could find it) or do we give him the flick? Either way with the contracts of most players expiring in the summer, perhaps this is a good time to re-shape the City squad for the better.

We may not have much money but we do have plenty of determination and drive. At the moment I think we are one of the most unpredictable sides in the league with our results, but if next term we can get some consistancy in our game, bring in Alan Combe, get Paul Evans back in the side, sign a solid defender and a known goalscorer, and manage not to be jinxed with injury, then who knows? Personally I would love to see City reach the play-offs in the next couple of years and get that confidence back, and I really believe we could, it all depend on who stays, leaves and is signed in the summer.

So in my eyes alot is resting on Nicky Law's transfer decisions this summer, and I hope he makes the right choice because the next time we are at Upton Park, Id like it to be in the Premier division and not Division 1.

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