McCall never planned to walk away
STUART McCALL has revealed there was never any chance of him resigning as Bradford City manager earlier in the summer despite feverish speculation to the contrary.
The Bantams chief’s future was shrouded in uncertainty following the club’s heartbreaking play-off final defeat to Millwall at Wembley.
McCall and the Valley Parade board had, by their own admission, found the season a challenge at times due to being used to different working practices in the past.
A balance had to be struck and, during both the build-up to the League One final and the immediate aftermath, McCall and chairman Edin Rahic acknowledged it had been a steep learning curve for all parties.
This disparity led to genuine fears among supporters that the former Scotland international, a legendary figure at the club he has served in two spells as both a player and manager, would call time on his return to Valley Parade after just one season.
Only the issuing of a club statement in mid-June on behalf of joint owners, Rahic and Stefan Rupp, that stated McCall was “staying as our manager” eased those concerns.
Now, as the new League One season edges closer, McCall has opened up to The Yorkshire Post on a saga that dominated the news agenda in Bradford for the best part of a month in early summer.
Asked about the intense speculation over his future, McCall replied: “I don’t know where it all came from, really. Last season was challenging in many ways, you know that.
“I said that a few times. I think you quoted me after the playoffs, how it had been a challenging season because a lot of things were different for me.
“You try and find a balance between the new owners and what they want, what you want. You have to try and come together.
“Naturally, there are differences (of opinion). That is only natural. They were trying to settle into not only a football club, but a British football club.
“So many things are done differently in football and in business. It is trying to help and advise, but also listen. You try to get common ground about the best way forward. That happens at a lot of clubs.
“Edin didn’t really know a lot about me and I certainly didn’t know a lot about them. You find bumps in the road, which is natural. But then you find common ground. There was never a danger of me walking away. Not at all.
“I have walked away from two clubs before, but both times were for the sake of the club, not myself.
“The first time at Bradford (in 2010), there was no doubt it dragged me down a bit. But I walked away for the sake of the club because, at that stage, I didn’t have the answers.
“At Motherwell (four years later), I had been there long enough. It was time to step aside and let someone else have a go. People said I should have gone the year before (when Motherwell finished second in the Scottish Premier League), but I stayed out of loyalty. I had four great seasons there, that got me back in love with football.”
Rahic, a promising footballer in Germany until injury cut short his career at 19, revealed two days ahead of City’s Wembley date in May how he had needed to adapt following the buyout of Mark Lawn and Julian Rhodes during the summer of 2016.
“English football culture is different,” he said. “As an owner, CO and head of football, so to speak, I have another type of attitude to work to the manager. It is difficult for Stuart to understand. I am head of football.
“I will comment if we concede a goal because I know about football. You have to take me seriously. It is something we have to learn from each other. I am the same. I have to learn from Greg (Abbott, recruitment) and James (Mason, COO).”
McCall, speaking immediately after City’s 1-0 defeat at Wembley, also admitted there had been “differences of opinion” during the season, but that a balance had been found.
Since that loss under the Wembley Arch, there has been much upheaval with Rory McArdle, Stephen Darby, Mark Marshall and Billy Clarke all having moved on. A host of new signings have been made as City look to make it third time lucky following backto-back appearances in the playoffs.
“It did take a while to get over Wembley and the disappointment lingered,” said McCall, who looks to have missed out on Gordon Greer after Doncaster Rovers made a move for the veteran defender following his trial at Valley Parade. “Straight afterwards, I thought about Millwall and what they had done the previous season. They kept all their team (after losing the play-off final to Barnsley), only added one and went up.
“We didn’t manage to keep the majority of ours, but that is football and you build new things. New players bring a fresh appetite for all of us on the staff along with the hunger.”
Both times were for the sake of the club, not myself. Stuart McCall, on having walked away from two previous jobs in management.