Most liked posts in thread: Away vs Swindon Jan 4th 2020

Well that was an awful game. You were good value for your point, although there was little sign of an equaliser coming until a bit of magic.

For anybody who watched on IFollow i apologise about Hockaday. He doesn't represent us with his views. He's a miserable sod and i don't know any Swindon fans who like him being on the commentary. He spent half the game commenting on your style of play even though we were playing just as shit!

If i was a Bradford fan i'd probably be wondering what all the fuss was about with Swindon after playing them twice. The truth is though, you've caught us at a good time again. Ravaged with injuries, players who are clearly not fit and players being played out of position. It's a shame from my point of view you never got to see what we are really about this season. Our performance against Plymouth compared to our performance against you, you'd think it was 2 completely different teams. Really am puzzled as to why we abandoned our philosophy to lump it down the channel.

Back to the game. I personally think Reeves should've seen Red. His challenge was no different to Lyden's. Poorly timed, reckless and very dangerous. Also thought you had a pretty good claim for a penalty. Haven't seen it back, but there were 2 dodgy challenges where i was waiting for the referee to point to the spot.

I'm really not sure why you play so defensively. On the rare occasions you did venture forward, and got the ball wide to Connolly, you looked a threat. Palmer had a good game in midfield. Vaughan i felt sorry for. Had absolutely no support for large periods of the game. I hope if you do recall Doyle, you aren't going to use him in the same way. I can see now why so many of your fans are frustrated. You have a good team there. Go and hurt teams.

Hopefully now the Doyle saga can be resolved. He won't work for you, but at the same time, i can see why you wouldn't want to leave him with us scoring goals. It's a massive January for us. The biggest in around 5 years. Apparently Power and Jewell weren't at the game today? potentially a positive sign for us.

Good luck for the rest of the season. Couldn't care less if you finish in the top 3. Just as long as we join you.

 

For me, this is a great result. There’s a time and a place for these tactics though.
To continually play the same, almost damage limitation, tactics against teams like Macclesfield, Carlisle and Morecambe is where it’s not acceptable.
We’re in a good position, but I feel we’re underachieving and with the players we have that we could be in a far far better position than we are.
We should be bossing this league with the squad we have - it just needs a bit of ambition in terms of tactics and team selection.

 

Back from Swindon and quite pleased with the afternoon. Swindon had the edge in the first half; while were often mis hitting balls despite the plethora of midfielders who should have done better ? Reeves appeared to be duplicating Taylor at times with the later having a great opportunity in front of goal but skewed it wide. Swindon were crisper and they got a reward when Wood handled and Yates slotted home from the spot ! 1-0.

Second half we stuck with the 4-5-1 but I began to notice that Cooke-Palmer-Taylor were getting on the ball having effect. Palmer had a great chance on the edge of the box but sailed it over !. At 60 mins Reeves off and Oteh on, we were beginning to look the better side. Vaughan battling gamely up front now had a partner and we seemed to get some belief. At the back BRE and the excellent AOC had rarely allowed Yates a lookin and Swindon clearly missed Doyle.

Bowyer switched Taylor for McCarten and that added a little more creatively to the attack. With practically time up your thinking actually we definitely deserved a point here but we would be denied by the pen ? Then a bit of a ruck on the edge of the box saw Swindon conceed a deadball. McCarten stands over it with Palmer and bam ! Its in angle top left corner beyond the reach of the keeper ! Que celebrations and a feeling that we really deserved that.

So a good day out; and feeling that this could be a crossroads of sorts ? Credit the players they put in a shift and got their reward. We werent fantastic but there appeared to be some shoots of a team maybe finding its identity at last. As I say BRE and AOC a real bedrock. AOC is proving time and again that he is much more than the player pilliored as he was last season. While Taylor-Cooke-Palmer looked more connected in the midfield. Cooke worked hard in front of the defence tackling and breaking up Swindons play Then carrying the ball forward. Maybe Reeves should have a rest and we trust T-C-P ? .

There were counter chants about Doyle ? Swindon assuring us he hates us ! City retorting that Doyles coming home ? I think we all agree that this needs to be resolved but from our perspective I think we should not rush to a decision and stall it to the latest we can in this window.

Coming away thinking we potentially have Donaldson; Devitt and Doyle to add to the team this month ? seemed quite a prospect.

 

Supported City for many years but never had a promotion chasing season that feels like you're trying to avoid relegation.

 

For me, we were poor the first 20 mins and not great throughout the whole first half. We definitely improved towards the end of it but we seemed slow, lots of heavy touches, poor passing and very little movement. Swindon on the other hand were quick out of the blocks and threatened to a point, without creating anything of note aside of the goal.

Vaughan was isolated throughout the first half and aside of a solid back 4, no one stood out. I thought the starting formation was good, but the midfield three failed to assert themselves and all 3 looked a bit all over the place. Taylor should have done a lot better and apart from the flick onto the post from a food Reeves corner, we did little else.

Second half was much better. Didn’t start till 55-60min but after that we started to stretch Swindon and Connolly began to get much more of the ball and get at the LB. Cooke dramatically improved once Reeves went off, who looked leggy and perhaps an suggestion the Christmas period was a bit too much after such a long time out. Palmer should have scored his chance after good work from Connolly (I think).

Free kick was absolutely superb, real class from McCarten. After that the cut back from Connolly wasn’t great for Vaughan and it was a really good chance missed.

On the whole 1-1 was the fair result. Criticism of Bowyer is harsh IMO. The players in the first half were off the pace. That said, as soon as he changed the formation with more support up front, we were better.

Swindon didn’t offer a great deal outside of the first 20mins. They stifled the game and didn’t allow it to flow with taking time to stop any momentum.

MOTM was O’Conner by a country mile for me.

Given the players we have to come back, plus be Doyle conundrum, we have more than enough to push on and get out of this league. For me Donaldson, Pritchard, Ismail walk straight into the team. Also think Devitt and Doyle (in theory) should also walk straight in to the team - it’s just how you fit these in.

 

I have to agree with this to be honest. The way you play hampered us, as that's exactly what you'd expect an opposition to do. I have to say, it was probably the worst game for quality and entertainment I've seen this season. I can understand why you Bradford fans may not be enamoured with the style of play. I can also see why Doyle wouldn't fit in that team, but he would probably still score a few, just not be as prolific. At this stage of the season you probably won't need him to be, another 10 or 12 will do I should imagine.

As for the game, you made it tough for us and if I'm honest, I found Morecambe more entertaining. But despite the possession I didn't see you scoring from open play at all (but then, I don't think we looked like scoring either). It was clear to me that you were a threat from set plays and I just knew that free kick was gonna go in. Overall, I think a draw was a fair result, as neither side deserved to win the game.

Whatever happens with Doyle (if I was a Bradford fan, I'd want him recalled too) I wish you well. It's things like this that sour relations and perceptions, as our fans bias, perceptions and passions get in the way. The longer it goes on that may affect our boardrooms too. I think it'll be resolved quickly. We should look to buy him, but as always, how much is Power willing to pay.

 

Like it or not Swindon created nothing from open play, if Power doesn't come up with the money (if we are happy to let Doyle go) he must be mad, twice I've seen Swindon and they were not a patch on the Crewe side the other month, we take Doyle back that lot will implode.

 

Can you always post in this colour because it's unreadable on the dark theme.

Thank yo

 

Please remind us all just how you scored, and how many other times our keeper was called upon to make a save, for the league leaders at home you were average at best, funny thing is if the boot was on the other foot and Bowyer was complaining about the opposition he would have been slaughtered because he could not change his formation to cope with other teams parking the bus.
We get teams coming to Valley Parade and park the bus, but we Bradford City fans realise coming to Valley Parade is their Wembley day out so its expected .

 

MASSIVE MASSIVE TEST FOR US TODAY!!

I was at the last game against Swindon back in October and I loved it, we really gave it to them in the end!!

Now we're away at theirs and they are table toppers, if we get all 3 points today I can promise we are gonna go on to win the league!!

My predictions for today:
Swindon 1 - 1 City HT
Swindon 1 - 2 City FT

Another 2-1 victory for us!!

COME ON CIIITTYY!!!!!

Time for Doyle to sit back and watch us dominate his beloved Swindon...


COOOMEEEE OOONNN CIIIITTYYYY!!!!!!!

 

Will take that but we still need to sort things out ....
It’s Shimla Spice for me tonight and a pint of Landlord or two

 

Delighted with that result. A draw at the current league leaders with an 89th minute equaliser. Sounds like they were hanging on at the end, shame we couldn't nick the 3 but I'll take that. Gives us confidence she keeps that unbeaten run going.

Get Donaldson and Devitt back in contention and things are starting to look pretty promising.

 

It's a funny one, it really is. Stylistically his football is shit. Entirely geared up to concede as few as possible and then rely on set pieces and opposition mistakes to score goals. Now, theres a decent argument to be made that it's working in terms of league position and generally, results.

But watching us, it's hard to shake the feeling that with the players and budget we have, we could be more ambitious and entertaining without compromising- and possibly even improving - results.

Either way, it's hard to dispute that we're awful to watch.

 

Very good result, but we were poor no doubt about it. Swindon the same in all fairness, we defended well and they created nothing other than at the start of the game. They're nothing without doyle.

However, I guarantee it was the plan for swindon to let us have the majority of the possession when they know we don't create much at all. And that's what happened, we looked very poor and uncomfortable on the ball. Absolutely no movement whatsoever. Vaughan isolated with no service at all. There's feeding off scraps but that was another level for the most part today.

Taylor absolute shite, reeves poor, palmer ok and Cooke probably MOTM.

We only looked even remotely threatening when we went 442/4231, absolute shock horror. Connolly saw nothing of the ball for 80 minutes yet he gets fed out wide twice in the last ten and beats his man twice. Why did it take so long?

McCarten excellent free kick so hopefully that gives him some confidence.

Bowyer got out of jail massively, with our only meaningful effort on goal taking 89 minutes and being a set piece. However there were signs of a greater attacking intent with 4 attackers on the pitch, so you can only pray he's learnt something after that.

We've got good players who can attack, let the shackles off Bowyer FFS.

 

Broncs, Lee Power wasn't even there today and neither was Paul Jewell. If as forecast this morning Rovrum recallYeates Swindon are screwed. We had 60% possesion second half, they were no threat. We've taken 4 points off a very average team who aside from us have still some big games coming. Good luck with that.

 

If we came away with a 0-0 draw from Swindon in doing so, I would take that

 

If we go there with the full intention of winning the game and it ends a draw then fair enough but the aim shouldn’t be to stifle the game.
This is a fantastic opportunity to close the gap to 3 points to Swindon and also open up an 8 point gap to 8th place, let’s not waste it

 

Always rated him in a City shirt last season. Probably the only player I could say that about.

 

Bit of a risk playing Vaughan, I might have opted for another defender.

 

This match puts to bed the whole Doyle debate.

Doyle will never score for us because our tactics are $hite. Why does he score for Swindon? Look at how they're playing. We never play like that!