Match Thread Bradford City V Rochdale Tuesday 10 January 2023 @ 7.45

Are we finding out why no other team had given Hughes a job for three years ?

 

Terrible game of football that. First half, we probably played the conditions a bit better and did enough to be ahead. Not good by any stretch but better than Rochdale who were complete pants.

Second half was the same story. Failure to build on a lead, sloppy defending and an inability to come from behind.

Game came down to the two big decisions which for me the referee got wrong but we should've killed the game before there was any opportunity for some bollocks like that to go against us.

I'll say it again, we are in dire need of a quality central midfielder. We cannot control a game with the current crop and until we do we won't be able to push on.

 

Yes walker, watch him what does he actually do. I admit he hasn't had much game time but that was an awful twenty minutes. Poor touch, kept turning into trouble, headless chicken without the ball and least said about his rolling about for that foul the better.

Needs to do much more to influence the game when coming on. His last few cameos have been crap

 

In real-time ours looks stonewall, because it looks like Eisa wrong foots the defender who lunges in, missing the ball and sweeping Eisa's legs. But the replay looks like he may win the ball rather than Eisa being the one who cuts it back.

 

Smallwood IMO leaves a lot to be desired as our Captain but it can't all be put at his doorstep, as fans we know this team isn't good enough to defend a one goal lead, so once again I have to ask why didn't Hughes change things either before they scored preferably but certainly once Rochdale equalised.
It was a shocking surface to try and play football but once Rochdale got level they grew and sorry to say we showed no fight, he didn't make the Chapman/Walker sub immediately after they scored the penalty then for some reason he sticks with the other starting 9 until the bloody 83 minute to try and make an impact, that's 13 minutes after Rochdale took the lead, I'm not sure tonight's result can be all down to the referees calls Mark Hughes has to take his share of criticism.

 

I'm concerned Hughes is going to look at Smallwood, Gilliead and Chapman and think "they're doing okay individually", when it's clear the balance just isn't there.

Losing Ty is bad news, but I feel we can absorb the loss. Eisa is good, and even if Nevers is a sub for us, we're covered.

But that midfield has hamstrung us, and what's more concerning is we can't even compete when something goes against us; whether we go a goal down or something like that refereeing decision happens, the character disappears.

And it's only a week since I was lauding our character for bouncing back at a critical time against Harrogate.

Why are we losing that game? Because we got our feelings hurt?

Kinda pathetic.

 

We are such a groundhog day club - we have occasional signs of fresh hope but nothing really changes! We lack direction, leadership, passion, game changers, identity, drive - what happened tonight was just so predictable.
As well as most of the players, somebody posted Hughes needs a rocket up his arsenal too - but we know he's very prickly to criticism and a 'big name' so who's going to do it? Interesting point

 

....or you could be asking why their an ageing striker gets quicker to the ball than our defenders.
As Bronco says that is the second time this has occurred.

 

As for ROD we all know his weaknesses and what do our lot do ????? Not a thing to test them out my god judging tonight you would think he was a solid keeper .......... seriously wtf does Hughes and co say to them ......... anyone could have told you what to do tonight ......... just stick cross after cross into him and let him make the mistake he has in him ........., but nothing I would even go into the shooting from distance at him but we sadly ain’t got anyone in that side who can do that

 

Fans didn't clap hard enough? Some fans clapped at the end, I was astounded why.

 

It is a football forum @Bumblebee_Tuna fans will see things differently.

 

Can someone confirm they've seen that on a larger screen, because I've seen a woefully low quality phone recording on Twitter, and it looks like their lad hooks a foot around the ball.

But on a larger screen watching a higher resolution video, it's very apparent he does not touch it at all, and it's Eisa who pulls it back.

What screen is everybody watching this on?

 

he’s coming off the back of a long term injury to actually think he’s gonna be anywhere near his best is bizarre

 

People complain about gillead but smallwood and platt are shite

Platt hasnt done owt all season. I am honestly puzzled as to how he is a professional footballer. He gets turned all to easily and the games where he is without crichlow to back him up we have lost. He has to be the worst on the pitch every game for me. Dreadful.

Smallwood needs to be knocked back a peg or two. Thinks he is the bees knees but has as much leadership quality as a new born lamb. Get him off the pitch too. Shite

 

Well I've done the freeze frame thing and I think the defender does get the ball. It's obviously one of those decisions that may have gone the other way. Tough decision for any ref but I fall on the side of a good decision.

 

Love how the ref booked O'donnell for time-wasting, took his time to do so and issue the card, rather than adding on the time ROD just got cautioned for wasting.... the ref immediately blew for full time.

Apparently their second was offside? Can't remember any of it other than a scramble to be honest.

 

Damn right. Passengers and passive players

 

All part of being a Bradford City fan it's not the first time a team having a bad run turn it around at Valley Parade and it won't be the last .

 

For me their player gets a foot on the ball deflecting if left a bit. He does touch the ball first IMHO so not a foul.

 

Like I say, if you watched it on a decent screen, fair enough. I was just checking.