Bradford City manager Mark Hughes insists his side will be “even better” next season after losing 3-2 on aggregate to Carlisle in their playoff semi-final, with quotes from the Yorkshire Post.
The Bantam’s 2022/23 season tragically ended on the weekend after an extra-time thriller went the wrong way for Bradford. Despite their disappointing loss, Hughes remains confident in his team, with recruitment talks already in progress.
What Has Bradford Achieved This Season?
Entering their first full season enter the management of Hughes, the Bantams’ season started slowly, with just one win in their first four games.
Quickly learning under the former Manchester United man, Bradford’s form started to pick up with League Two top-goalscorer Andy Cook finding his form. However, despite the flourishing of goals from their star striker, the team struggled at points and failed to capitalise on the open race for automatic promotion at the end of the season.
Has Hughes’ Experiment Been A Fail?
For a first season under a new manager, making the playoffs and narrowly losing in extra time isn’t the end of the world. However, for a team that is seeking to play in higher divisions, there will be disappointment in not succeeding in promotion.
Hughes has never managed outside the Premier League before Bradford, so another season in the fourth tier of English football isn’t an ideal situation for the former player.
What’s Been Said:
Speaking to Yorkshire Post, Hughes spoke about his current side and how he is already looking ahead to next season.
“The lads have put in a hell of a shift all year and credit to them. They’ve got us in this position.
“Some will leave because that’s what happens at the end of a season. But the core of the squad is strong and we’ll add good quality and what we feel we need to strengthen areas we need to.
“We’ll be even better next year, so there’s still a lot to look forward to. We’re having conversations (on recruitment) as we speak. We’ve got a lot of time and a lot of thinking to do. But we’ll be in good shape next year.”
Writer’s View
I’m sure Hughes feels both disappointed and inspired by Bradford’s season, with an interesting summer transfer window ahead. On the top of that list will be the ongoing situation with Andy Cook, who should have interest from a host of clubs in higher divisions.
If Bradford can add to a team showed promising glimpses, then i’m sure automatic promotion will be the aim next year.
