The Voice - Match preview #8: Harrogate Town vs Bradford City Saturday 28th September 2024 12:30pm

I'll just go back over the last five games, hardly created anything, most of the goals we've scored have come off defensive mistakes. First half performances that send you to sleep. Players not looking happy with the positions they are being asked to play. I ain't gonna sugar coat this it's been a piss poor start to the season to a point now where Alexander in interview with Jamie Raynor today seems at a loss to know what to do to change it? As usual there are folk on here, and I don't mean to be disrespectful, that just don't look at the bigger picture, a goal victory here and there is enough to keep them happy and amused. But 12 months down the line from the sacking of Hughes and we simply have moved forward at all. The words spoken from our owner alluding to a fresh start and a more invested approach are quickly falling on deaf ears.

 

Keep scoring Harry, gotta pay the deficit off somehow next season .

 

What was the average attendance in seasons 1990-1995 when we were in the third tier and paying full price for a ST. I’d say that’s our true fanbase.
Equally in the seasons 2004-2007 after relegation from the Championship but before relegation to league 2 when the cheap prices started. What were the attendances?

 

The good news is our next opponent has yet to win in L2

The bad news is ...........................

Call it a bantam thing

 

Spot on post. We are absolutely no further forward. Even in our victories we've been far from convincing.
The squad that's been put together screams of mediocrity- seriously lacking in goals, and far from solid at the back. For years we've looked like a team that can be bullied and that hasn't changed.
GA sounded completely lost in his interview, much like his team did for most of today's game!

 

Spot on @Botswana Bantam. We continually launch long balls from back to front in the hope that Cook wins a flick on to nobody. It’s so easy to defend against but when you look a little deeper, who in this squad other than Walker and Oduor are capable of controlling a ball and holding off an attacker? We lack the basic skills needed to build any sort of pressure, it really was embarrassing at times. Alexander keeps rolling the dice (sometimes forced), but doesn’t have a clue how to build attacking passages of play that plays through the thirds and results with decent chances.

 

If I believed we wouldn't be trying to get out of this league I would seriously think about not renewing, fortunately I don't hold the same belief as yourself @loz , it's difficult to disagree with your comments, Rupp has been 8 years at our club and over seen us go from a potential Championship team to an also run team in the kahzi league and he alone has to take the blame as you say, the buck stops at his door.
I believe Sparks was a poor (cheap) choice for a CEO but I do believe he's tried unfortunately out of his depth hence bringing in someone like David Sharpe who has had previous of both running a football club and as he did at Mansfield sort the playing side out.
Like the vast majority on here I'd prefer an owner who wants to be involved in the day to day running of Bradford City AFC unfortunately Rupp is not that man and prefers to delegate, but as we know the grass is not always greener on the other side, but in Rupp's case I for one would take that chance with any new owner/owners.

 

I've replied to your question are you going to reply to mine @Loyalbantam ?.

 

For me, and I know our hands are tied a bit, but the box midfield doesn't work.

The 4-2-2-2, doesn't offer enough width in defence or attack and can be picked through easily by opposing teams and often means we get in each others way when we have the ball.

Neither pointon nor walker are genuine wide players, and aren't going to create an overlap or beat a man.

The formation also nullifies pattison, if we are going to play the three banks of two I'd swap walker and pattison around.

A further point from today , I thought Anthony O'Connor old manned cook today on the whole.

His error aside , he got cook completely off his game and yes the referee helped but cook lost his head and just didn't bother in the end.

I'd love us to get windass in for a week with cook, to teach him the art of winning free kicks and getting the referee onside. Windass was similar stature to cook and often up against bigger players however he knew how to play them and how to rub the defenders up the wrong way, like defenders are doing to cook

 

I never thought he would make changes so early most do it at half time, I believe Cook pressuring O'Connor into a mistake then showing what a composed finisher he is gave Alexander time to see if we could produce more quality for the next 17 minutes or so until half time I had no problem with the changes at half time in fact I made the call with regards Kavanagh and Oduor.

 

Cook scores goals, but I’d be going all out to find a forward who can hold the ball up and give the midfield chance join into attacks. Mills, Stead and Windass were all able to bring others into play, unfortunately Cook doesn’t have the technical ability to do so, but would benefit massively playing alongside one of those. GA’s game plan doesn’t cater for anyone else to be a focal point. Nullify Cook and you’ve more or less stopped the rest and because our players can’t think for themselves, they’ll continue to do the same thing again and again.

 

It's a difficult one for sure the run in at the end of last season showed Kavanagh could play and score along side Cook, unfortunately he's not shown anywhere near that sort of form early doors and deserved resting/dropping, Sanderson has looked a competent partner along side Cook unfortunately today he was dire (as were most of the starting 11) and I wasn't surprised to see him subbed, we played better the second half looked like we might break Harrogate down but it looks very much like if Cook isn't scoring no one else can, we produced little today again with regards chances.

 

Not taking anything out of anyone, just making an observation.
I used to enjoy reading your contributions but you seem to becoming a little blinkered,

 

Well said.

 

An analogy might be like this. Rupp buys a great racing car recommended by a bloke he believes knows all about cars. In the first season the car does really well and Rupp believes he's on to a winner. But the man he trusts tells him it just needs a bit more investment and it will win every race. Rupp believes him. Then the trusted man lays off all the maintenance team, buys second hand parts, employs his wife as race manager and takes control himself. The car flops. Rupp sees the light and gets rid of him.
He's left with a poor car. He let's it be known that he'll sell it but wants the price he paid when it was winning races. No one will buy. Advised by a former owner of the car he employs a PR man to run the show but he knows nothing about cars and things get worse. Rupp wants rid but his pride won't let him sell at a loss. He tells the PR man to keep the car running until someone is daft enough to buy it, but don't spend any more than is necessary to keep the car on the road. Car continues to fail due to poor maintenance. PR man employs several mechanics but none can get it running properly. They say money is needed to get genuine parts and Rupp says he will provide this. Some money is spent on making the garage look better but the car continues to be fitted with second hand parts.
And then one day he comes to the end of the road....

Edit. Apologies, this was meant as a reply to Rogered Tart post no 421.

 

Well I wouldn't expect you to agree with my posts, you've made your call with regards the club but to keep your relentless comments like "Seems 14K like the taste of bullshit" is becoming tedious, why are you bothered what other fans think or do come to that ?.

 

You say this to anyone who dares challenge your obnoxious opinions. You are repetitive as that bore Kevin.

 

What are you suggesting us we don't already know, Rupp is a multi millionaire so we can at least give him credit for being a part of generating his own wealth although I believe he had a partner (could be wrong), I have quoted numerous times I could never understand or forgive him for going along with a suggestion from his "bank manager" but would you sell for a loss if what is being banned around is correct £10m without Valley Parade he's never going to get what he's asking.
Not in response to your above but I find it quite amusing that a few on here keep telling us if we don't get promotion this season or past seasons attendances will drop off the cliff, yet even with an increase this season we still sold in excess of 14,000.

 

From my records:



RCB

 

I'm bothered because I care about the club and hate seeing it run this way.
My comment was very much light hearted but, some posters seem not to have a sense of humour.
Looking at replies to your posts it seems that it is you that is becoming tedious.