Match Thread Away V Cheltenham Saturday 20th February @ 3.00pm

I'm very happy to admit I was wrong. T and S playing AOC at right back seems to have rejuvenated the guy. And I think this is his best position. Took T and S to sort that one out. Honestly, I love these guys! They've looked at the players they have and thought really hard about where is the best to play em to get the best out of them. The way they've pushed Cooke further forward has been a revelation. He's become Mr Assist King.

 

I don’t normally drag old posts back up but I’m not sure what pitch of theirs you’ve seen before to compare it to Exeter’s? It was arguably as good if not better than ours, which I consider one of the better in the league this season judging by the highlights.

Not sure the bottom 2 will be getting another 30 points in 19 games either so I’d re evaluate that prediction.

 

You're always going to have that with Levi. It's the kind of player he is. It's a bugger for the side when he gets yellows and reds, but that's the edge of the player. He's totally full on. I don't think I'd discourage him from that.

 

Totally accept Wilsden. Fortunately the weather forecast for Friday and today never came and you probably noticed there was a very strong breeze which I was told had dried things a lot.
Reserve judgement on the points issue but doubt they will come into the reckoning down VP way.

 

Yer, I saw that too. Very insightful.

 

He's really blossomed as the seasons gone on has Levi.

It just goes to show, it's not about where you sign the player from or what their reputation is like, it's about do they fit into the team, squad and formation.

Parky taught us this lesson over and over, so when Stuart signed this lad from Scunthorpe rather than assuming he'd be as ineffective as the man he replaced (Danny Devine), it would have been smarter to give him his chance.

 

Credit to Stuart on this. He picked the man, and we're benefiting. More so now though, because I think T and S understand how and where exactly to play him and why. I often got that feel with Stuart that he could identify a player with real talent, bring him in, but never be quite sure how to use them for the best. T and S have Levi playing the best football of his career.

 

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/competitions/league-two/12224085/cheltenham-0-2-bradford
Looking at this video clip you would think we scored two goals and were on the rack most of the game.

 

And here's my rant Jon

If that was even a true reflection of the game (which it wasn't, having watched the ifollow), I'd be happy. We won. But of course, we were much better than this suggests. We're getting better, game by game. The stats show the truth of it. After two seasons plus of sorrow, I'm a happy Bantam again.

 

I love being a City fan, I can’t think of any other club that gives the highs and lows found down at BD8.
Since the mid 80s we’ve either been world beaters or a basket case, we never have an in between dull period.
Hold on tight everyone I’m now convinced this is going to be the next hell of a ride in our rollercoaster history.

 

Meltham I love this post. This is the way it is being a Bradford City fan. Up, down, and then mainly down. But you can't give in, you can never stop hoping. My great grandad worked for Fattorini's making the FA Cup that we won in 1911. My grandad and dad were diehard City fans, through the thick and many many years of thin through the sixties. They started taking me to matches in the 70s and 80s, and we progressed a little. Like all of us, this club has become my life. No matter how well or how crap we do, this is my team and my passion until the day I die.

 

Good.

Let other teams think we're rubbish and watch them regret it.

 

Duff didn't like us at all today. Cos....we bloody won! Hard cheese mate.

 

Eh?

 

He saw him. He signed him. He picked him. He just didn’t know how to use him

 

I don't think that's quite it, he did manage the lad at Scunthorpe and Scunthorpe fans were surprised when he left, so their opinion must have been reasonably high.

I just think he didn't get the balance right in midfield at all, and that's something T&S have done brilliantly.

I have real reservations about how injuries to Watt/Cooke/Sutton might unbalance us, I get that there are options, but they're not quite the same.

Cooke at the minute is the player of the year for me.

 

Seriously, Talliinn? This racist trope is from the dark ages. In my opinion, it would be appropriate to apologise before you become the default Bantam Bernard Manning.

 

Yes, Vernam wasn't as much of a threat yesterday, but he worked hard tracking back, which is good to see. I also noticed Stevens doing likewise when he came on, which was a big improvement from the Exeter game where he left FCD isolated.

 

I like the look of Crankshaw he is unlucky not to be starting he is quick skilful and works hard. I think he can become a big player for us

 

Yeah I thought they had a very strong shout for a penalty there, maybe the ref felt the ball was too far away or it was just his momentum took him (it definitely wasn't!)... I was saying the other day I find it funny when he does it to centre backs but he needs to keep those sort of shenanigans at the other end of the pitch, would have been a completely needless penalty to give away when defending a lead