Bradford City boss prefers January loans to full signings

Tom Elliott joins the squad to face Crawley at Valley Parade tomorrow – City’s fifth loan signing of the January window.

Jamie Walker, Matty Daly and Alex Bass all featured in the midweek win over Walsall, which cut the gap to the play-offs to five points, while Dion Pereira was on the bench.

Elliott’s arrival from Salford takes the Bantams to the maximum number of loans allowed in the matchday squad.

Adams has no issue with taking in temporary players at this stage of the season – and prefers it to making long-term signings.

He said: “If you do a permanent deal, it becomes very costly and takes in the fact you might have to do an 18-month or even two-and-a-half year deal.

“But when you get a loan signing, it gives you the option of looking at the player before you buy and obviously gives them a really good opportunity of playing minutes that helps them.

“The players that have come in all want to do well, get game time, say to their parent club, ‘I want to stay there’, or say to a buying club, ‘I’m free in the summer.’

“That’s why I’m always big on short-term contracts. I don’t see the need for long ones in these divisions.

“You need the players to perform in the short-term, not next season. It’s the season you’re in now.

“You do find a lot of players in these leagues sit on their long-term contracts and don’t play for the last six months.”

Salford are well known to be the highest spenders in League Two and City are likely to be subsidising a large chunk of Elliott’s wages.

Adams insists he has had the backing from the club that was promised for January.

He added: “We are spending money because we are paying wages.

“From my point, it’s beneficial to do it this way – it’s my decision to do it this way and no-one else. In the past, it’s worked well for me.

“The club give me a budget at the start of the season and we work to it. They give me a budget in January and we work to it, I’ve never asked for any more money.

“Tom coming into the club helps competition for places.

“He understands this league and that is important. He understands the teams and the players he’s up against.

“I think when any new player walks in the building, and we’ve had five already, people turn around and wonder what the manager is up to. He’s changing players at the football club.

“All we’re doing is creating competition which we didn’t have because of injury early in the season.”

Lee Angol is waiting to find out if he will need another hamstring operation

Lee Angol saw a surgeon in London yesterday to find out if he will need an operation on his left hamstring.

“We understood the risks with Lee at the start of the season and he has performed well for us in games,” said Adams.

“We were obviously hoping that his injury past had gone by but obviously it hasn’t and he’s had a setback a number of times this season.”

City will assess Liam Ridehalgh, who came off at Walsall, and Elliot Watt ahead of tomorrow’s game.