Match Thread Bradford City V Salford - Tue 23 January 2024 7.45pm

It wasn't, normally in bad weather it can be felt in the upper tier of the Kop, but last night the wind didn't get up until the last ten minutes. The pitch held up very well. No blame on the weather at all.

 

There is a malaise around the club Dave , made far and away worse since Jan 1st by the will, he won’t he , return of Young. It’s like a boil that needs lancing.

The crowds are diminishing and after last nights display couldn’t even get excited
The manager looks and sounds deflated
The manager , in front of the back five, is trying to make square pegs fit in round holes
The squad , no matter who plays, looks like they couldn’t give one. The body language of 50% of them in games speaks volumes?
I won’t “pick on” individuals other than to suggest Odour wants moving out and fast. Rambling and yes ambling around the pitch like someone bought him a Lego for Xmas instead of a PS5.

The squad GA has inherited , with a couple of minor exceptions is dire to say the least.

The Raynor comments about Rupp during the pregame or half time period need to hit home and fast. Basically get involved or F…off. Strong stuff and not said in those words but that’s how it came across.

 

We mad three chances over the whole match yesterday and Oduor made them all after Halliday he was the only player to show anything

 

My thoughts exactly. I am totally fed up with the way our club is being run it doesn’t matter which manager we appoint same rubbish different manager. GA is going to have to find a team in that lot.

 

And Smallwood. He showed how NOT to take a set piece.

 

If it's a competitive Top 7 budget, then we should be a competitive Top 7 team.

I think it's nit picking to moan about lack of increases, particularly as most clubs were or have been effected by Covid - but more because the proof is in the evidence.

I have no faith that if we suddenly got a Salford sugar daddy, we'd do any better than they have for the past five seasons.

We've now got Alexander. For what it's worth, I think he's correct to be more Parky / Adams attritional than nice pretty footy McCall/Adams. So we now need to stick to him and that mean all the way through next season as well.

Sacking managers all the time, simply does not work. You can look at virtually any club you want and the successful ones will be the ones that keep faith in their managers when the going gets tough. Coventry, Luton, Cambridge, Wycombe and Exeter have sacked about one manager between them in the last five years. Whereas ourselves, Watford, Charlton, Salford go through them as though they are shelling peas.

 

I get that's the rhetoric pushed but Andy Cook actually scored more goals up to those 5 games out that he did on his return.

Andy Cook was great all season, the 5 game spell probably gave him a much needed breather but it certainly didn't transform him in the way you're suggesting.

 

You say nitpicking I say common sense. If you keep dispensing with your manager then you need extra resources to actually pay off the previous manager and be able to bring the new managers players in? You need extra cash. Our problem is that we only do half a job, we employ another manager then tell him to make do and mend with previous managers players. Of course no one in their right mind would want to keep changing your manager, so you will not get any argument from me on that score. What you are failing to see is that we only do half a job. GA is now having to smile through gritted teeth about the quality of our squad.

 

Surely Oliver’s complete inability to look owt like a striker in those 5 games would work the other way and make Cook even more complacent knowing that his potential replacement was capable of offering absolutely nothing.

As you say Cook came back and scored in 5 of the next 6 games because it was what he was doing previously and what he continued to do after his break.

 

Did you notice him giving up on taking the late free kick and Chapman taking it, in which he wasn't much better.

 

The one that barely got off the floor and hit the first defender?
Set pieces.Overrated.

 

I'm sure it was Gillead that carried the ball before hitting the post for Halliday to tap in the rebound?

 

I did, let’s home the penny has dropped or we get a coach in who knows how to teach how to take a free kick. It is this lack of quite important detail that sets my teeth on edge.

 

Stop splitting hairs.
You know that’s who he meant

 

Not at lg 2 level, we get a lot and we need to have a footballer of two who knows how to do it.

 

I'm also keeping it secret that it was Gillead who supplied the pass to Wright for the good chance that he dragged wide.

Just in case it makes @Park bantam look stupid.

 

I was being facetious.
I very much agree with you.
We have a striker who is one of the best headers of a ball and we constantly fail to beat the first defender.

 

Whilst not one of them covered themselves in glory, I thought Odour performed slightly better than most.
And when he was allowed to take a set piece, he actually put it in the right area.

 

Why is it that every single fan can see Smallwood's set pieces are consistently shocking, yet Hughes and Alexander cannot see it.

Am I overlooking something?

 

It’s clearly pre planned as even when another player gets the chance take a quick free kick we ultimately end up waiting for Smallwood to amble over and launch it straight at one of their defenders or out of play.