Mark Lawn has dismissed suggestions that City have written off this season.

With all the talk of rebuilding his squad, Stuart McCall is already planning ahead for next summer when he will have only four first-team players in contract.

But Lawn insists that is not an indicator that the Bantams have effectively declared the current campaign over in terms of winning immediate promotion.

The joint-chairman claims that the next transfer window will see plenty of business at Valley Parade - and hinted that supporters will be excited by the familiar names on City's shopping list.

Lawn said: "I think we can bring in better players in January and think we can push. We're certainly not looking at writing the season off.

"The type of players I want to come here on loan are people the fans would be excited about. They are players that have been here before and the fans like them because they are good players."

He admits that City's current squad is too big and they are trying to move some out to create more room, both physically and financially, for new recruits.

Lawn feels that a cull will be necessary for McCall to start creating the team he wants.

"We've got too many players at the moment and too much dead wood. From a business point of view it's ridiculous keeping dead wood here and we do need to get people out to get others in.

"We need to look at players all over the park. I think Stuart knows what he wants and where he needs to strenghthen but you have to make sure he gets the right ones.

"There are going to be lots of changes. We had the opportunity to do it in the summer but Stuart quite rightly said that he didn't know this level and didn't want to gamble and get it wrong.

"Now he's out and about looking and knows what he wants. We'll have a meeting within the next month or so to see what he wants to do in January."

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