It’s all go down at Valley Parade with news coming through earlier that Bradford City had dispensed with the services of head coach Michael Collins. According to Simon Parker, writing in the Telegraph and Argus, it appears that the Bantams are poised to appoint a successor very quickly.
Parker says that “David Hopkin is set to be named Bradford City’s next head coach,” the former Bantam record buy from Geoffrey Richmond’s ‘six weeks of madness’ being available after leaving previous club Livingstone in May as his contract ran out.
A rotten start to the season for the Bantams has seen Collins’ head on the block after just a handful of games in the current Sky Bet League One campaign. It is the latest of a set of clearouts at the club and comes after Matt Kilgallon, the final one of the ‘Last Supper’ lot – players pictured with Stuart McCall on his leaving do, left the club.
The inbound Hopkin, who guided last side Livingston to two promotions, will be City’s fourth head at the Rahic helm in seven months. To some degree it appears that Bradford City are taking on the persona of near neighbours Leeds United under Massimo Cellino – at least in the hire ’em/fire ’em approach to head coaches.
Here’s what some Bradford City fans are saying on Twitter about the goings-on of tonight:
Hopkin’s route one style of play surely only means one thing? Panzer starting week in week out. Top scorer? Get yer bets on now. #bcafc
— Jake Teagle (@teagleeee) September 3, 2018
Another day, another farce, what’s next?#bcafc
— BantamGX4000 (@BGx4000) September 3, 2018
Doesn’t matter who it is. Needs to be a manger rather than a ‘head coach’. Where does Abbott fit in? #bcafc
— Chris Littlewood (@bigforestchris) September 3, 2018
Why did they even bother giving Collins the job, if 2 months later they are going to give it to someone who was reportedly interested in the job to begin with?! #bcafc
— Tom Narey (@Narey4) September 3, 2018
On the face of it David Hopkin might just be the man who can salvage something from this sorry, embarrassing mess. All the best to him #bcafc
— Andrew Hebden (@andrewhebden) September 3, 2018
#bcafc If it’s Hopkin, and he’s allowed to manage, I can get behind that. I can’t imagine him with his hands behind his back doing sod-all when we’re 2-0 at home. I’m hoping for a bit more steel come Saturday 👊🏻
— Dave Firth (@DaveFirth1982) September 3, 2018
By making a change now, there is plenty of the season that can still be salvaged. Edin’s experiment backfired & whilst he might not openly acknowledge it, by bringing in Hopkin immediately it shows he learnt his mistake. Time for supporters to rally together, we are all #bcafc
— Carl Smith (@sm_carl) September 3, 2018
There are plenty of disgruntled Bantams on Twitter growling away at Rahic and how he’s running and ruining the club that they love. The above few are merely a litmus test as such. However, there is genuine hope that David Hopkins might just be the man to turn around an already disappointing season where Bradford City sit uncomfortable in 17th place.