CITY can use the loan market to find the goals they were lacking last season, according to John Hendrie.

The Bantams were among the bottom six scorers in League One – a factor that ultimately saw them dip out in the promotion play-offs.

New boss Stuart McCall will have a marksman high on his list of priorities. And City legend Hendrie reckons it could be worth a punt on a Premier League youngster on a long-term loan.

Former manager Phil Parkinson employed the loan system well last term with West Ham teenage duo Reece Burke and Josh Cullen as well as Wolves midfielder Lee Evans.

Hendrie now thinks it could be worth borrowing a similar unproven talent up front from the top flight.

Newcastle teenager Adam Armstrong bagged 20 goals in his first year of senior football on loan at Coventry last season.

And Barnsley, another of Hendrie’s former clubs, stormed through the pack to Wembley promotion on the back of shrewd arrivals from a higher level.

Manchester United’s Keighley-born striker Ashley Fletcher, signed in January, was one of the scorers in the play-off final victory over Millwall.

Hendrie said: “Loans will be crucial this year, even more so with the change of system. You should look at Premier League clubs.

“Fletcher at Man United was linked with City. His dad Mick’s from Bradford and rang me recently.

“Think about someone like Marcus Rashford. If he hadn’t broken in to the (first) team through injuries, United would have been looking to farm him out.

“There are other players around – Armstrong at Newcastle. There is a lot of young talent needing to play.

“Barnsley were so successful with it last season. They arguably used the system better than anyone with little Isgrove from Southampton, Brownhill from Preston and Fletcher.

“At the end of the season Barnsley were free-scoring. They went to Wigan and scored four when Scunthorpe were breathing down their necks, then beat Walsall and Millwall comfortably.

“They scored plenty of goals in that period and deserved go to up because of that attacking flair. They had more of that than City.”

Despite reaching 80 points for the first time since 1999, the Bantams only scored more than once away from home in four games. They netted 15 fewer goals than Barnsley, who pipped them for the final promotion spot.

Telegraph & Argus columnist Hendrie admitted the lack of firepower had plagued City throughout the season.

“The play-offs summed everything up,” he added. “What was the difference between Barnsley and City? The attacking power.

“City were unlucky as well with Billy Clarke missing the first one and James Hanson out for both. He is such a key player and just his presence can upset the opposition.

“But scoring goals has probably been an issue from day one.

“The problem has been a lack of numbers. You look at someone like Neil Warnock who loves to have four, five or six strikers. If Phil had more of that, it may have been a different story.

“Devante Cole came in for a while but it didn’t work out.

“It never really happened for Luke James and (Steve) Davies missed nearly half a season injured.

“That was the difference and you saw it in the two games against Millwall. They never looked like scoring a second goal down at the Den.

“I always felt City were short up top and as a result had to rely on being strong defensively with 1-0s rather than winning 4-3 and 3-2. You never banked on scoring more than one.

“That’s the biggest thing to address for me, up top and through the middle where the loan signings have gone.

“The rearguard has been excellent this year but they need more attacking options.”