Why Bradford City and Barrow should look to Dino Maamria to lead them forward

Both Bradford City and Barrow have made the decision to dismiss their respective managers following a poor run of form in League Two.

Already names are being thrown about as to who could replace them but one man who should be front and centre of the queue is former Oldham and Stevenage boss Dino Maamria.

There are several reasons either club would be lucky to have him, especially considering their current low ebbs and the Tunisian’s undoubted skill at turning struggling teams around.

Below are four key points that highlight just why Maamria could not only kick start thier respective seasons, but also lead them forward to a brighter future:

1.Improving struggling teams

The core reason for sacking a manager, assuming there has been no clash of personalities behind the scenes, is because of lack of form. In the case of both Bradford and Barrow there is no doubt they are on really poor runs. David Dunn’s side had won just two of their 17 league games with him at the helm leaving them outside the bottom two on goal difference only.

There had been some positive signs from the Bluebirds but results were not coming and the board decided a change was needed. Bradford are too on 13 points and also remain above 23rd place Stevenage on goal difference alone.

The Bantams are arguably in a worse position than Barrow because unlike the Cumbrian club, performances haven’t been suggestive of better things to come.

Five straight defeats and eight losses in their last 10 league matches tell the story of a side in freefall and this is where Dino Maamria earned his stripes as a manager.

He famously kept Northwich up after they’d managed just two points from their opening 15 games of the 2007/08 National League season. He would get 42 from their next 31 matches leading Chris Wilder to text him after Northwich secured safety.

“F*** me Dino, you needed snookers!”

But it’s not just Northwich where he’s worked his magic but at every single club he has been in charge of, as the below graphic prooves.

This will be vital for the short term goals of both Bradford and Barrow who will not want their clubs to be anywhere near the relegation zone come the business end of the season. Maamria’s record suggests they need not worry about that if he’s in the dugout.

It’s not only his immediate impact that will appeal to clubs but also how he moulds his sides into very decent outfits. It’s important to remember that it was his choice to leave Oldham, a side who had begun to play some delightful football. Wins against Mansfield, Bradford and a 5-0 smashing of current League Two leaders Newport at Boundary Park were some of the best football played in the division last season.

Before deciding to move on, he had only lost three of his final 12 league games with the Latics and many fans were bitterly disappointed to see him go.

2.Strength of character

One thing you cannot accuse Dino Maamria of is a lack of passion. His force of personality has helped dragged teams away from danger by drilling into them the kind of work ethic he lives by.

This will be needed if a tense relegation battle at both Valley Parade and Holker Street are to be avoided. His personality is infectious and it’s his will power that helps to galvanise dressing rooms, get players out of bad habits and ruffle enough feathers to get the best out of the resource available.

Having an ability to get the best out of people has helped Dino make teams better than the sum of their parts. He’s never been blessed with a big budget at the clubs he’s worked for but that hasn’t stopped him turning lower mid-table sides, some real danger of relegation, into play-off contenders.

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3.Developing youth

With salary caps and COVID there is a real need for lower league clubs to make full use of their youth systems and academies. Dino Maamria’s recent record with young players deserves massive credit. It was he who helped Ilias Chair showcase just what a talented young player he was at Stevenage. The Moroccan star is now a regular with Championship outfit Queens Park Rangers.

More recently, when Dino arrived at Boundary Park the club were not giving any game time to a young winger named Jonny Smith. It did not take long for the Tunisian manager to turn Smith into one of the best wide players in League Two. The Bristol City loanee would end the campaign with 11 goals and five assits in 32 appearances leading to a move up a level with Swindon Town this season.

With youngsters like the impressive Reece Staunton and Elliott Watt already at Valley Parade and a host of other promising youth graduates coming through, Maamria could really get a tune out of them and make them better players, professionals and assets for the Bantams going forward.

4.Connecting with the fans

Bradford City have been on a depressing downward trajectory for a number of years and fans feel disillusioned. This is hardly surprising given the results and performances they’ve witnessed this season, not to mention the impact of COVID.

Whoever their next manager is, he needs to be able to connect with the supporters and bring them some hope and belief. With his strength of character and the fact that he wears his heart on his sleeve, Dino should have no problem getting the fans to back his side.

Even when the football is not at its best, Maamria has been able to engrain a battling spirit into his teams which makes them hard to beat. In their recent defeat to Oldham, Bradford were anything but and the board realised a change was required.

Both Barrow and Bradford have enough in their squads to avoid relegation to the National League, they just need a manager who is able to get more out of them and in Dino Maamria both clubs could do a lot worse.

words James Richards, D3D4 Football