Match Thread Grimsby Town vs Bradford City Tuesday 13th August 2024 @ 7:45pm

Baldwin and Byrne are big worries for me.The rash jumping into tackles from both of them and missing the ball led to breakaways in both games tonight and MK Dons plus the defending from Byrne with the Grimsby goal wasn't that great.

 

Thought we dominated the second half without much punch.
Pointon coming on improved us, giving us more drive.
Change of formation helped too.
Odour for me has to start at LWB.
Much better than Richards who as I've said for a year now, is awful.
Shepherd played well.
Halliday was poor again which backs up what GA said about him still catching up with his fitness.
22 shots to their 7 suggests we are on the right track and should give us enough of an understanding to beat them in the league at the end of the month.
That's not to say I'm not gutted.
My memories from my younger days supporting City are full of decent league cup runs and matches so to be out at the first round again after last years 3rd round appearance, is very disappointing.

 

Byrne looked same standard as ash taylor tonight and yes I know how bad taylor was

 

‘Stick has gone down for good so watched none of it tonight.

why, oh why, is Smallwood on pens ffs. HIS SET PIECES ARE HORSE S****E

 

totally agree - we looked far better once the 3 subs came on

 

Halliday has gone from being our best player last season to our worst player these opening two games. He seems very slow, far too slow for professional football.

 

What like Bradford?

 

Stubbs had a poor last season based on the standard he set when he first signed. For me, there was enough in the first half season to indicate he’s good enough as our first choice in the middle of a 3.

GA or Stubbs perhaps don’t see it that way, or maybe he’s not suited to a back 3 formation, but clearly he’s way down the pecking order.

Another of those who GA wishes to offload?

 

Would I swap losing tonight for promotion come May of course I would, but that's not the point.

Not a big fan of mass changes so early in the season, it's been pointed out countless times that our first eleven hasn't played together all summer and yet here where already one game in, dicking about the with the forward and back lines to try get minutes in...that is what pre season is for , not the first round of the cup you dimwits.

Proof again, we will be relying on the same old same old, first 11 ok but beyond that, we really are poor.

Starting to see already that perhaps, just perhaps the naysayers were correct in pointing out that the defensive replacement were downgrades on what we had the previous season.

Two years on the trot when only minor changes were needed but somehow we have managed to balls up the recruitment.

Will be interesting to see how Oliver's injury plays out, looked quite nasty. If he is out for a few weeks does that mean young doesn't get solved, and that transfer money doesn't go back into the squad?

Wild transfer window theory, pointon goes to Peterborough on deadline day in exchange for £100k and critchlow get some funds in

 

Definitely far from last seasons standards from the first two games. He’ll come good.

 

1. Team lacks quality & needs investment
2. Oliver is hopeless
3. Shepherd looks decent
4. Byrne & Baldwin are Conference standard
5. My grandmother can run faster than Smallwood & she has been dead 10 years
6. Get Stubbs back in the team

 

He was injured at the start of pre season and is still playing catchup in terms of getting up to full fitness/sharpness.

 

He had an excellent game.
On way home and thought performance was okay but not great over 90 minutes.
Penalties a lottery
That's it nothing more to say.

 

I called it that Johnson wasn’t brought in to play at RCB but to actually replace Halliday and everyone went mad about it. I just don’t think Halliday is an Alexander type of player

 

Do a Bradford Burns Unit charity bet with me then that we will finish above your lot. £20

 

Byrne looks like John Stones, but that’s where any similarities end. Gonna be a long old season if he’s first choice in defence.

I’m also going to stick my neck out, like I did towards the end of last season (and got pelters), Kavanagh is not the answer to our striking problems. Far too lightweight and tactically inexperienced.

 

Well our manager thinks we need more performances like that. Deluded.

 

That's another worry Vin for me, dominated without much punch. I just hope the clear cut chances will be coming with more games played because in two games so far we can count them on one hand and still pull a few fingers down

 

I wish GA had told the powers that be that Halliday isn't his type of player before they went and handed him a new and improved 2 year contract. What a waste of money that's going to turn out to be. Bloody typical city.

 

Surely Jake Young showed enough when he came on to warrant a place in the side on Saturday instead of Kavanagh?