The Voice - Match preview Bradford City vs Doncaster Rovers Tuesday 5th March 2024 @ 7:45pm

Halliday and Tompkinson get some credit. The two wingers were woeful, as was Cook. Oduor looked like a version of the midfielder we shipped off to FGR. I’m glad the subs all made an impact, might shake the first teamers up a bit.

 

I think the season is over we are not “ Marching on Together

 

Donny were better than us and outplayed us for most of the 90 mins.

Ref (Look at me) was an absolute #x*@

And if Bradford City ever lower themselves to the extreme sh1thouse time wasting tactics as employed by Doncaster then I'm done with the game, it's over ....

 

We were very poor last night and it has been like this at home most of the season. Posters saying play off hopes are now over are probably right but I’m not sure they were ever on with our inability to score goals throughout the team. However on a more positive note we have taken 10 points from the last 12 available so if people think we had a chance of the playoffs a month ago then unless we are supposed to win every game our recent 4 match run replicated to the end of the season is good enough to get us there.

 

Ref was shocking but that wasn't why we were poor.

Some poor performances last night, something just wasn't clicking. Gilly did well in every position he played. Wilson looked great when he came on and tried to make things happen.

These sort of things will always happen in league 2. Onwards we go.

It was sad to see Cook had put on 3 stone in the break. Hope he can shift it before next game

 

Last was winnable.

We’re not good enough, We would need championship winning form.

This club is a mess. It’s not capable.

 

Only three defeats in about the last 20 we badly missed Smallwood whilst Oduor showed his talent with some nice passing he is not a central midfielder and we missed his magic further forward. On the plus side Adam Wilson skinned their full back when he came on and Smith scored a lovely goal so good use of substitutes. And full marks to Doncaster who look a much better team than earlier in the season as their results prove

 

He did and made a proper job of turning a non niggly game into one!

 

Dead?

 

Brutally honest interview with GA last night. "If we play like the first half we won't win another game all season", also critical of Officials, Stubbs booked for taking a whack, GK time wasting and only booked with 15 seconds left were two examples. GA drew attention to the directive on time wasting, 13 minutes added in first game of his season at MK, last night no time, only 4 minutes for subs. Officials are a joke.

 

Nothing more to add . Sums my feelings up to a T.

Playing our most recent creative player , Odour , so deep was nonsensical. All it meant was our three forwards were isolated and meat and drink to journeymen defenders.

 

I also thought it sounded another honest down to earth interview with GA, but what he didn't do was admit he got his selection and formation wrong. As soon as they lined up for the kick off everyone on here, those of us at the game, and I imagine the commentators on Radio Leeds, were baffled by Odour's deep lying role. Playing further forward in the last few games he has been a stand-out player. He was a disaster waiting to happen last night, but fortunately he got away with it, although we lost his impact higher up the pitch. Surely a blind man on a galloping horse could see that last night Gilly should have slotted back in alongside MacD, with Richards ( or possibly -at a very long stretch - Wright) at left wing back.

 

GA ...re the (so called) ref ...

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportlatest/24165212.bantams-boss-graham-alexander-blasts-referee-leigh-doughty/

 

Who allowed it to happen though ????? A decent ref would have been all over it from the first time it happened but he simply allowed it.
Thank fook we where just as bad last night though had he actually of cost us the game then that would have been a far bigger issue.

As for Doncasters play acting maybe had they actually concentrated on winning game rather than the over dramatics they may have won the game

 

Doncaster are renowned for time-wasting and play acting.
The 0-0 last season was a disgrace on their part, I'd never seen anything as negative ever in football.
It must be even harder for DR fans supporting them than it is for us at VP.

However, we don't help ourselves, the reason we see so much time-wasting tactics at VP is because we allow the opposition to score first.

A pal of mine works in a shop in meanwood Leeds, and there's a Barrow player calls in regularly ( my Pal's to get his name for me yet) and they were discussing the barrow v City fixtures ( prior to postponement) and he was saying that Bradford are easy to beat, you just wind them up and they go to pieces !

 

Complete utter waste of time.. will contribute 0 but he was a PR move.

 

Points make prizes usually is my motto but again this season we are into double for drawing matches that we should be taking by the scruff of the neck and winning.
I'm hoping that our form against decent teams, which isn't bad, starting Saturday, gets us into a position with at least something to play for right into April because if the season is over by the end of March, then no matter how much I like him, GA will have failed his 1st test.
BUT!!
There are green shoots of recovery to think about.
Take away his first 2 games in charge, getting to know the players and implementing his philosophies and methods etc, since Notts County away which we all agree he will have really learned about the players, we have a record of won 7 drawn 6 lost 3.
At an average of 1.678 ppg, that over a season equates to 77 points.
We've only conceded 13 goals in the last 16 matches.
We've scored 22 goals in the same period.
Over a season that again is positive with a plus 26 goal difference.
Our goalscoring opportunities since Walker was injured have really challenged us, with his potential back up Pattison also out then let's be honest injuries have really hampered us attack wise, on top of some really bad recruitment under Hughes.
His past record of a high-ish win %, getting teams promoted and how we are solid at the back does give me hope that if we fail this season it won't be because we've made the wrong appointment, it'll be because we didn't start the season under him, which I know wouldn't have happened as he was at MK Dons, but listening to his after match interview last night, gives me belief the GA is still the man for this job.

 

We “brought him home” …and also down to his level.
I got called negative and cynical for saying he was a lazy signing and a Sparks marketing move to get the fans on board.

 

Or 10 points out if the last 12