The Voice - Match preview Bradford City vs Harrogate Town Saturday 16th September 3:00pm

He made changes to the shape in the first half changing it from 343 in attack to 3421, changing from 343 to 4231 in the middle of a half with 2 new players coming on would have been madness and confused the players

 

Didn't you think he played well last Saturday being one of the few apart from Pointon,Tulloch, and Afoka when brought on who was prepared to risk a nose bleed getting into the opposition's final third.

 

But it wasn't madness to do it at half time.

 

I reckon Hughes is gone if these lot turn us over

 

I am going today, but it is requiring a massive effort. I am not looking forward to it. I used to be full of beans on match day. It seems we have been watching drudge football since McCall left. If I don’t enjoy it today, never say never an all that but I think I will stay at home until the situation improves.

 

I think he basically said as much in his Harrogate pre match interview, we're only 8 games in, which up to a point I'd agree with, but we have seen nothing to suggest we'll get better going forward apart from better quality players returning after injury.

 

Yes because he had 15 minutes to get the players together and tell them what changes he wants rather than seconds to shout it onto the pitch and move nearly every player out of the position they were in.

 

What the fu@k do they do all week in training ?
Is all week spent on the starting formation for Saturday?
What if there’s a major injury in the first minute?

Hughes doesn’t have 15 minutes to tell them what to do then.

To say we can’t make any tactical changes until half time for fear of confusing professional footballers who have all week to work on different formations.is a proper stretch.

 

Yet you posted he changed formation during the game, doesn't that suggest the same 11 have similar problems with the formation change it looked very much like it to me I saw nothing along with the other 18,000 things looked better with regards our play do stop trying to justify poor managerial decisions.
Hughes had 15 minutes to get the players heads round the new formation he wanted them to play. really ?
If he needed 15 minutes to allow his players to get their heads round a formation/system change why were both Gilliead and Tulloch both warming up on the pitch at half time for almost the full 15 minutes, and please don't insult my intelligence by suggesting he needed them both warmed up.

 

It's why I didn't blame the players for the first 45 minutes last week. They never stood a chance with the formation and instructions they were sent out with, literally hung out to dry by the manager. It's the question we were asking around us in the kop, how the hell can you try pass out the back or go long with that line up? It left the players looking far worse than they actually are.

 

Don't you play Football Manager.

 

Whilst the owner / CEO keeps seeing record ST sales and 17k through the door every week, they must think it’s fine.
If we as fans have sheep mentality, keep turning up and inanely clapping a 1-1 home draw with Grimsby, nothing is gonna change.

 

You’ve said consistently that there’s a team in there if they are set up right.
Couldn’t agree more.
Last week’s first half was solely down to Hughes’ insistence on setting up in a pragmatic way.
No problems with it away from home but at home that’s unforgivable.

 

So you won't be attending today ?.

 

They must realise they can only hide ST absenteeism for so long; if it doesn’t concern them it should. I have committed to City for many a long year including this one so not attending is expensive.

 

And when Hughes changed it the fans responded positively to it, the crowd was right behind them from the second half kick off. No one who has an ounce of sense will berate Hughes if we give our all but get beat by the better side.

 

Hughes may think it’s really early in the season that he’s safe and not under pressure but Sparks must be thinking what if it does n’t improve? I have liked every managerial appointment Sparks has made but they just have n’t worked out for whatever reason. I can’t imagine him wanting to make another but empty seats and apathy may force his hand.

 

I really don't get this non attending theme, if I made the call of not attending (which I can't see happening) after about 5 minutes I'd have every device on watching listening to what I would be missing or not missing, and my mate who sits two rows down would have no one to argue with, I couldn't miss a home game for that reason alone .