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Match Thread Away vs Stevenage Mon 5th April @ 3pm

Discussion in 'City Talk' started by JonButterfield, Apr 2, 2021.

  1. Botswana Bantam

    Botswana Bantam Regular Starter
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    I agree, it was a really slow, poor start that just gave them the initiative.

    T&S are still working it out and injuries haven't helped but we need to balance between that overly slow, solid, laborious team that started and the crazy, pace everywhere, lack of structure that we ended with. Ultimately, although we ended well, we needed Paudie to take a yellow card to stop a 1 on 1 and they had other chances too.

    Ideally, to be more mobile we need to swap O'Connor out from central midfield. He's trying hard but he's not comfortable passing the ball under pressure, he tends to go backwards and put others under pressure.

    Then there's a choice - do we value Scales and his forward runs and opportunistic approach or Evans set pieces more? Because I think we need Vernham back in to give a different option of someone who runs with the ball, naturally goes wide not inwards and has pace to stretch the game.

    Donaldson might need a rest as well. Tough ask coming back in after so long out and having a run of games in succession but he's been influential in the last few games although perhaps less so yesterday despite scoring.
     
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  2. borderlescott

    borderlescott Squad Player

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    Our performances dipped around Bolton and players looked burnt out. No doubting we were bad at Carlisle and Scunny and we hit self destruct when in full control vs Newport.

    We’ve looked better, generally, in the last three games though and could kick on again. Sooner Sutton and Cooke return the better our chances are though.
     
  3. donhutchinsaffro

    donhutchinsaffro Regular Starter
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    Also teams have sussed us out. Any tackle in our half players are falling over on purpose........ they then get a free kick or set pieces and the pressure goes on and on.... a have seen at least three times were the player was not even touched... and I think the Newport game too. I just think where we were and are now and it's now and it's a lot better whatever happens this year. We are 4 players from being a very very good team.
     
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  4. Bronco

    Bronco Star Player
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    Which Burton and Blackpool found out to their cost ;).
     
  5. Park bantam

    Park bantam Regular Starter
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    Donaldson in the number 10 role has remedied somewhat the loss of Cooke
     
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  6. Fordy117

    Fordy117 Just call me Mr Flip-Flop!
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    What you are failing to understand is we are chasing.

    Tranmere, Newport, FSG, Bolton are in the play off spots all already. We didn't really close the gap on 7th so it goes down as a poor weekend.

    Salford matching us on points also makes it worse for us because we are in 11th. More than likely 12th by the end of today.

    Too many teams are above us for us to get to 7th

    No, I don't want McCall back.
     
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  7. TallinnBantam

    TallinnBantam Regular Starter
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    Hornby
    AOC POC Canavan Wood
    Sutton Watt
    Crankshaw Rowe Vernam
    Cook

    Wouldn't be suprised to see this used. Donno needs resting. Probably Scales too. Attacking intent with fresh players. If Sutton is injured, then AOC comes into midfield with FCD taking his place at right back. I think Rowe just needs to be allowed to drift around the final third. He can pick a pass, and with the pace of Crankshaw and Vernam, he should be able to find them space. Looks good on paper. Sadly we play on grass. Need to take the game to Grimsby though!
     
    #427 TallinnBantam, Apr 6, 2021
    Last edited: Apr 6, 2021
  8. Inspector

    Inspector Squad Player
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    It’s been a common theme unfortunately. Opposing teams seem to pick up numerous free kicks around our box and we’re lucky if we get one a game. Looking at ourselves we don’t seem to get in and around the edge of the area enough to draw fouls. Everything seems to go down the left, either Wood going the line and trying to cross or diagonal balls from POC to the left hand side. Aiming head high balls to a lone striker is unlikely to keep possession or if he does draw a foul it’s too far out to be of danger.
     
  9. Park bantam

    Park bantam Regular Starter
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    Forest Green are imploding and we have Salford and Morecambe to play there is no doubt it’s going to be difficult but we still have a chance and no one could have envisaged that a few months ago
     
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  10. Inspector

    Inspector Squad Player
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    It really frustrates me when AOC, Wood and Canavan take the pace out of the game by looking to either pass backwards or sideways with no apparent intention to take the team up the pitch. There was one occasion yesterday when we had the chance to break and outnumber Stevenage, the ball ended up back with O’Donnell to hit a long punt upfield.

    After the FGR game I was hopeful the high press and tempo would be a ploy we might become accustomed to seeing, but for the first half yesterday we retreated backward and went back to walking football again. We desperately need a Cullen type defensive midfielder next season. Take the ball from the back and carry it forward.
     
  11. WilsdenBantam

    WilsdenBantam Squad Player
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    I don’t agree with @Fordy117@Fordy117 on every, in fact probably a lot. But it surprises me the stick he gets on here for calling us poor. We’re Bradford City, mid table in the fourth tier and rarely have more than 3 or 4 shots on target a game and spend more time passing back to the keeper for him to often boot it up field to either the opposition or out of play. It’s not always his fault either as he’s often put under pressure from negative backwards passing. Fans used to play hell in the stands when we did it under Bowyer, I see it so often now I think they’re lucky there are no fans in.

    Hopefully next season with some fresh faces and a full pre season will see a more positive and structured approach to our play. But for now I’m happy to agree with Fordy, Bradford City languishing in the fourth tier playing boring football is poor.
     
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  12. Inspector

    Inspector Squad Player
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    I don’t think the Grimsby game is going to be as easy at it might appear when looking at the table. Since the beginning of Feb they’ve P13, W2 D7, L4 conceding more than 1 on two occasions and drawing with Salford, Tranmere and Cheltenham during that run. I can see another frustrating draw on Saturday. Hope I’m wrong though.
     
  13. Inspector

    Inspector Squad Player
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    He gets so much stick because he’s playing the pantomime villain. I don’t think for one minute he believes half of what he writes. I can imagine him sitting there in his Y-fronts and dunking digestives in his tea stained cup, laughing at those who take the bait...
     
  14. WilsdenBantam

    WilsdenBantam Squad Player
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    I think he plays up to a role, but he’s probably more passionate and upset about where we find ourselves than a lot on here who are just happy to plod along and accept the crap we’ve been served up the last 3 years and plenty more before then.
     
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  15. bantam2708

    bantam2708 Squad Player
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    We're a good side at passing it between our defensive line but as soon as it comes to playing it forwards its either Paudie hitting a diagonal or back to O'Donnell for a hoof to Cook.
     
  16. Faithful Bantam

    Faithful Bantam Squad Player

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    Midfield is the area to be improved, along with at least one of the wide spots. Watt has promise and its easy to forget hes only 20, but for all the talk of being linked with Hull - he's not ready for top end league 1 football and certainly not ready for the Championship. He needs to kick on next season. And Sutton is industrious but poor in terms of how he moves the ball. Poor first touch, can't see a pass, can't knit our play together from back to front. We need an experienced pro, who's technically good on the ball to coordinate things for us though. A Gary Jones type, or a Kieran Lee.
     
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  17. Captain Grumpy

    Captain Grumpy Impact Sub
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    Of course I understand we are chasing, what you fail to understand is that we were desperately fighting relegation in December, and we’ve achieved the mission very easily under Trueman and Sellars , far easier for instance than Parkinson found it in his first season. Under Parkinson we were hovering round the bottom 4 and it was only until a win at Northampton in April 2012 that secured our safety. These guys have got us to stay up easily with a squad which many on here including yourself described as far worse than the Jacko Christie squad that Parkinson inherited. The fact that we are even chasing the play offs after wasting the first 3rd of the season is incredible. Getting 4 points out of 6 over Easter is a good achievement but you slag them off and want their contracts cancelled if they fail to win a game.
     
  18. Fordy117

    Fordy117 Just call me Mr Flip-Flop!
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    Getting four points when chasing play offs isn't a good achievement at all. We needed 6.

    Ok, yes we are in with a chance of the play off's which is great. We were never going down. No chance.

    Oh and its not bloody April 2012. I don't care but whats depressing about that is that 9 years later we are still in div 2.
     
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  19. Park bantam

    Park bantam Regular Starter
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    Spot on they have done a brilliant job
     
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  20. Tony Wilkinson

    Tony Wilkinson Squad Player
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    Don't want to sound like Fordy but I'm not sure that if we miss out on promotion/play offs this season that we would carry any momentum in to next season, can't tell you why just feels that way..
     
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