My favourite Bradford City players from a tough season...

Well the 2021/22 season is over and done with at last and as a City fan it is safe to say I am glad. After a preseason full of promises the season didn't exactly go to plan with Adams in charge but we will go more into that another day. We did see a turn around once Mark Hughes became manager (still not sure how we pulled that one off) but it was too little too late and it was just a case of seeing out the season and working out who would be in the plans for the following season. Honestly at the start of the season I struggled to find any favourite players from the squad as they all looked quite poor minus a few exceptions but there was no consistency from anyone. After the Hughes appointment though players seemed to spark up and we started seeing what they were capable of, so here are the Bradford City players that impressed me during the 2021/22 season. 

Liam Ridehalgh 

Ridehalgh impressed me out on the left when he wasn't injured. Even once he was back from injury we saw a big change down that side of the pitch as he seemed to slot right back into the set up. Ridehalgh linked up really well with Vernham when they shared time on the field together and we saw them create some great attacks with this link up. I think if he stayed fully fit or even had half the time out injured that he did we would have really seen the best of him this season. 

Levi Sutton

Sutton was one of the only players that stood out to me at the start of the season and honestly when he was on the pitch he really put a shift in and made some great tackles to stop the opposition progressing and also took part in some good plays to get City forward. Unfortunately midseason he ended up spending some time on the sidelines so we didn't get to see as much as I would have liked to under Hughes management but I think he is another player that if he stayed fully fit all season could have really made a difference in how the results played out. 

Charles Vernham 

Vernham has really impressed me this season and again I wish he didn't have that long spell on the sideline injured as I think we might have picked up a few more points if he was on the pitch. For many seasons now we have been lacking that winger that can get a good ball into the box, take on defenders and generally cause trouble for the opposition. Vernham was capable of this and it is just a shame most of the time there was no one in the box to connect with his crosses. He even managed to grab a few goals for himself and showed himself as a real threat. 

Yann Songo'o

Songo'o was one of the signings I wasn't too sure about in the summer but it didn't take long for his performances to change my mind. He ended up playing as a centre back for the majority of the season and he really helped keep City in the game plenty of times. Some of the challenges he put in were fantastic and some of the last minute blocks and clearance really stopped City losing by a lot higher margin or kept them on level terms with the opposition. Songo'o also managed to grab himself a few goals during the season and I think I would say he was in my top 2 favourites of the season.

Dion Pereira

It felt like forever waiting for Pereira to get his first bit of game time for City due to injury but when he did finally get some game time we saw just what potential he had. He looked far too good for the league and created some great plays and opportunities. It does make you wonder how well we would have done if he was fit from the day he signed as he really helped lift the squad and the fans spirits due to his quality. It is just a shame we only got him on a loan as we were just starting to get the best out of him so who knows what influence he could have with a full season under Hughes' management. Could we eventually sign him on a permanent deal? Who knows but it would be fantastic if we could tempt him for another season. 

Jamie Walker

Since signing on loan Walker has easily become a fan favourite and has shown the quality he can bring to the side. Unfortunately Jamie is another player who had an injury spell but that didn't stop him and he ended up coming back and scoring some great goals for the team (in front of the Kop too which we didn't see much of this season) and helped create some promising attacks for the team. I am so glad we managed to turn his loan into a 2 year permanent contract as I think with his capabilities he is going to be influential in helping us push for promotion next season and under Hughes he can definitely develop into an even better player. 

So there you go those are the players that really stood out to me over the course of the season for Bradford City. It is safe to say it was a difficult time to be a City fan especially up to the middle of the season however, the appointment of Mark Hughes has seen a bit of optimism come back among the fans and I wonder how many players are going to impress us next season. I am looking forward to seeing who we bring in as it could be an interesting one, I wonder if any of these players will make my favourites next year too. 

Who was your favourite Bradford City player this season?