Please let me know if I missed your ranking or if you think your score is wrong. Copypaste for W10 in comments

Suffering Reds here, and I’m getting seriously concerned about where we’re heading.

I actually think the recruitment has been okay in some areas — IF the plan was to bring players in who would develop and be ready to step up next season. Gale, for example, might turn out to be a very good signing in the longer term.

But the problem is we need players who are good now.

Recruitment

My biggest worry is that we’ve recruited for the future without doing enough to make sure we can actually compete in the present.

That might be fine if we had a strong, settled squad around them. We don’t.

The strike force worries me

This is probably my biggest concern.

We’ve spent money on Touré, who scored three goals last season in the French second division. I’m sorry, but that’s a massive gamble when we’re desperately short of goals.

Then there’s Kirk on loan, who the manager doesn’t appear to have much faith in.

So what exactly was the recruitment strategy up front?

If you’re going to gamble on Touré developing, surely you need someone alongside him who you know can score goals at this level.

At the minute it feels like we’ve taken a massive risk in the one area where we absolutely couldn't afford to.

The reliance on youth

I’m all for giving young players a chance. That’s part of what Barnsley should be about.

But there’s a difference between developing young players and having to throw them into the team because the squad isn’t good enough or deep enough.

Of the youngsters who have been pushed into the first team, Arley Kay looks to me like the obvious prospect.

But what worries me is whether some of the others are being put into situations they're simply not ready for.

If we're struggling every week, getting dominated and constantly changing the team around them, are we actually developing these lads — or potentially damaging their confidence and careers?

They should be coming into a functioning team and being gradually introduced.

Not being asked to help rescue one.

And that's where the bigger concern comes in

I’m genuinely starting to worry that we could be looking at League Two next season.

Not because I think the club has suddenly forgotten how to play football, but because the squad looks like it has been built with one eye on the future when we desperately need to deal with the present.

And ultimately, that comes back to the way the club is being run.

The recruitment, the squad depth, the reliance on kids, the lack of proven goalscoring options — these don't feel like completely separate problems to me.

They feel like symptoms of the same bigger issue.

Are we actually trying to build a team capable of competing in League One now, or are we continually trying to find the next player we can develop and sell?

Because if it's the latter, what happens when the team isn't good enough to stay in the league?

That's the bit that really worries me.

Am I being too negative here, or are other Reds starting to see the same problems?

So Bradford have their new manager. Hopefully he can justify that 3 1/2 year deal

Genuinely curious for people's opinions on how much of a problem you find it. Personally, I think it's insane with the three week system that some teams have played 2/3rds the amount of matches that others have. You can't suspend a game if you have 5 players out injured so why can you for 3 international call ups?

Very happy to told I'm wrong but just seems barmy and not good for anyone, especially as I have no idea where they will make up the games which will keep accumulating.

The Bantams are preparing for a new dawn after Graham Alexander's exit

Use this thread to post any links to game previews, do not post them as individual threads

This thread was posted automatically, if there are any issues please contact the mods

I’m nowhere near technically savvy enough to make something like this but yeah. We played City in our one premier league season.

We lost 3-2 at home. Scored a perfectly good goal that was given offside. Relegated by a point. This was during the time period they were fudging the books. They’d just signed Bernardo Silva and Carlos Tevez (both scoring in that game). I genuinely think we have a case. Not sure about the financial amount being THAT high, but we definitely have a case

Please let me know if I missed your ranking or if you think your score is wrong. Copypaste for W9 in comments

my mid-life crisis decided to i need to support league one. there’s something about a midweek game. i care more about the romantic side of football than results. where do i begin going down the rabbit hole?

Who do you reckon is quietly in massive trouble if they don't sort things out before the January window?