Football Season Guide

Bradford have had a decent 2014/15 season, especially in the FA Cup, where they had an exceptional run, but they fell short of the top six in the league. Their cup run clearly affected their league form, as they dropped out of the top six during a period in which they faced a fixture congestion due to their FA Cup obligations, and Phil Parkinson made no secret that one of his main goals during the summer will be to strengthen the depth of his squad. The Bantams' boss has not only done that, but has brought in two players of proven League One pedigree who are expected to become instant starters in the likes of Mark Marshall and Josh Morris, who starred for Port Vale and Crawley, respectively last season. Moreover, the Bantams have completed the deals for Tony McMahon and Steve Davies, who both spent time on loan with the club last season, while Luke James, who joins on loan from Peterborough, is a talented player who need to try and put his disappointing previous season behind him. All of the players who have left were rotation players at best last season, meaning that Bradford have kept absolutely all of their important players, while adding proven quality to their squad. Given all this, it is clear that they will enter the new season with a significantly improved squad, and there seem to be no reasons for them not to aim higher than they did last time around and hope to make the top six.