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

It’s like catchphrase. Say what you see.
The fans didn’t turn up? Agree?
The players didn’t turn up? Agree?
So what part of my post is incorrect?

 

Cannot blame you. The club is in a perilous state right now. The cost of living crisis is very real and will affect ST sales for next season for sure.

Gas/electric bills UP
Fuel UP
Food UP
Mortgages UP

If the club doesn't have an attractive proposition for next season then fans will leave in good numbers by default. Less disposable income means having a decision to make about where you spend it.

 

Also, our set pieces are absolutely scandalous. Nothing inventive whatsoever and every delivery is absolutely atrocious. Smallwood's delivery is gash and Foulds' was no better tonight either.

 

The dressing room must have been nice and warm at half time, because the players looked like they didn’t fancy been out their second half. Gutless ref and gutless players, the football at this level is just so awful it’s painful.

 

A set piece specialist is an absolute must this window.

I don't care what position they play, they just have to be able to deliver a bloody cross.

 

If ever a performance summed up this club post Parky then this was it. Groundhog Day vs the worst team in the league. Happens to us far too often. Decisions went against us but we have a weak mentality when going behind. Good sides start on the front foot and put crap teams to the sword. Good sides dig out results when they play poorly and decisions go against them. We do neither of these things this season or in previous seasons. It’s why the masses get so pissed off when witnessing such lacklustre befuddled play albeit in difficult conditions.

It’s only one result but boy do they owe the fans after that. It’s also results like this that put managers under pressure.
Hughes needs to get a tune out of this lot and inject some fortitude sharpish.
A sickening result.

 

Noticed Smallwood did his Carlisle trick and walked straight to the changing rooms at full time, not acknowledging the fans.
Pish poor, not what you expect from a so called leader/captain.
Over hyped and over paid bottle job.

 

I thought the same after the replay, didn’t think either of them were pens.
it’s probably my obvious bias but always seem to get these kind of decisions against us, rather than the other way round.

 

We really should be beating a poor Rochdale team at home.

They haven’t won in 6 matches and are crap.

 

7 matches!

 

Problem is Smallwood Is playing like a retired Championship player. Far to slow on the ball and one of many that join who seem like it’s a retirement club.

Gilliead isn’t good enough.

Suttone certainly isn’t good enough.

Our midfield is a massive issue. Strong changes need to happen.

 

Exactly. I’ve worked all day today, wolfed my tea down, driven 20 odd miles to Bradford and the same back, fuel costs, parking costs, kids wanted snacks, back home at 11pm, take the dog out, have a shower, bed at 11.30pm. Not seen the wife or daughter all day, and for what, a crap experience at VP that is happening all too often.

My electricity and gas bill is more than doubling in Feb after my fixed term ends, and I dread to think what my mortgage is going to be after my 5 year deal comes to an end in July.

City aren’t very appealing me right now. We might be 5th, but in many games this year we’ve been very average. The automatics aren’t going to happen, and in the unlikely event we get a play off spot we aren’t good enough to get through them. We don’t have a Phil Parkinson 2013 style side by a long chalk.

And so goes another season of 4th tier football. I’ve got a decision to make about my future loyalty after such a long association, man and boy, and at the minute it’s only going one way.

 

I am at a loss to understand how Walker is described in these terms.

 

The standout moment for me was the body language at the restart after we went 2-1 down. The players didn't even look pissed off. There was nothing. Totally inanimate. They should've been psyched up. Nobody even talking. I'm not into gimmicky shows of passion but there was nothing!

 

As one or two have already commented this is not about investment, we have been well backed for a league 2 club and yet we continually get turned over by smaller and cheaper clubs. This is all about drive, ambition, vision, resilience etc - things we on the whole have lacked as a team (and club?) for some considerable time. I don't how we can change this malaise as it seems to be ingrained.
What I will say is I've just listened to Hughes and all he did was bemoan the ref - he may have a point but this just reinforces the above. We can't control the lousy decisions from abject officials (and lets be honest, all clubs feel they don't get the decisions!) but he, the players and the club can do something about the direction and identity of the team, its heart and soul, its desire and fortitude - and we constantly fail to deliver in these key areas. Yes we have our moments but in my eyes we are no different under Hughes than under the previous batch of managers - he is just a bigger name and has been given a slightly bigger budget!

I do understand the need for patience and to end the constant chop and change process, but this is a key few months ahead. Bradford fans have always supported the club in recent years with season ticket sales despite many indicating they've had enough but the state of the world and economy might have real impact this summer on people's decisions - the frequent miserable experiences we have to put up with might start to have a more tangible effect.

Gone off at a tangent here but most honest fans will know, despite our ok league position, what has been served up hasn't been that appealing and engrossing. Everytime we have a semblance of hope its soon back to the same old, same old.

Night fellas and apologies for a bit of a ramble!

 

Just need the right manager, someone who knows how to get out of this division with a team of strong horrible gits

 

Anybody got the Hughes post match interview?

 

We haven't failed to get out of the division.