Match Thread Most liked posts in thread: Bradford City V Rochdale Tuesday 10 January 2023 @ 7.45

For me, that's kind of the point; if we're talking about the need for freeze frames and screen resolution to be sure, there's enough doubt to make it a marginal call.

Still think their pen was soft, but I can also understand why it was given.

I couldn't bring myself to really get angry with the ref - he's the wrong target. Our performance was far more damning. Zero shots on target second half, everyone back to defend corners even at 2-1 down, poor performances across the pitch, poor use and choice of substitutions, Chapman continually being a bigger threat to row Z than the goal when shooting, Sutton being a headless chicken, sloppy defenders, Smallwood being wayward.

Far more to complain about - that we're in control of - than the ref.

Hughes interview is a total cop out. Rapidly losing faith in him tbh.

 

It’s performances like tonight that make me wonder if it’s worth renewing my season ticket next season after 30+ years. We’ve seen this all before. A real chance to make grounds on 3rd place and we blow it.

Regardless of what we think of the referee’s performance we were awful tonight. 3 shots on target in the first half, none in the second.

Rochdale on the other hand took the game to us and fair play to them for a spirited second half that got them the 3 points they deserved.

We are our own worst enemies and for the good of my own mental health I think I’ve had enough.

 

Personally I like having the choice.
I have a season ticket and attend most home games, but if I choose to watch on ifollow for whatever the reason, it’s nobody’s business but mine and the person I usually attend with

 

Well I've heard it all now , nothing to do with the defenders making sure they get to any rebound first, Lewis did his job our defenders didn't.

 

Personally I love midweek games, regardless of weather

If it is going to be nippy, a few layers with a thick jumper and coat and some thick socks on, small flask of coffee, under the floodlights. Bring it on

 

Anyone else a bit worried tonight's game might not go ahead? Bucketed it down all night and heavy rain forecast all day. Hope I'm wrong but it doesn't look promising.

 

whilst I think two ludicrous decisions cost us points what disappointed me was the negative way we approached the second half giving Rochdale the initiative instead of pressing which we have done in recent matches. And it is absolutely no good making adhoc substitutions and losing our shape completely. The only plus on a terrible night for us is that Eisa is gaining fitness and looking like the player we thought we had signed last season

 

Piss poor. There'll be the usual ragefest against the ref, but not beating a team like that at home and simply blaming the ref is an abdication of our own performance levels. The second goal was an awful one to give away, we were ragged for too much of the game, didn't create anywhere near enough and lost all composure after their equaliser. How many saves did O'Donnell have to make? Oliver, Sutton, Chapman all poor and they weren't alone.

Simply not good enough.

 

Very little fight in this squad when things going against them.

They just bottle it against teams who scrap and want it more in a battle.

Unforgivable

 

we've had real investment. This is possibly the most expensive squad in league two. Problem is we have a manager who has wasted it again. It's not rupps fault we aren't in the top three, it's hughes. Smallwood, chapman, walker, all expensive. Platt, foulds, gilliead, sutton, not promotion material. Too many players come here for the money and have no stomachs for the fight.

hand on heart, when have we played well this season ? Orient & Stevenage would have torn Rochdale a new hole tonight.

 

you seriously think folk are gonna turn up next season on the back of this shite ???
Patience ffs we’ve had years of this shite now while far smaller clubs with far smaller budgets continue to out perform us .............. I wouldn’t mind if you actually see signs of us moving in the right direction but apart from the odd performance there has been nothing ............ and last night sums us up perfectly sod the ref that was a against probably the worst team I will see down there this season and guess what ????? They beat us and that’s a fooking joke ........ Hughes will no doubt use the ref angle to deflect criticism but the ref didn’t stop us fighting back at 2-1 down his team did

 

Exactly. I’ve worked all day today, wolfed my tea down, driven 20 odd miles to Bradford and the same back, fuel costs, parking costs, kids wanted snacks, back home at 11pm, take the dog out, have a shower, bed at 11.30pm. Not seen the wife or daughter all day, and for what, a crap experience at VP that is happening all too often.

My electricity and gas bill is more than doubling in Feb after my fixed term ends, and I dread to think what my mortgage is going to be after my 5 year deal comes to an end in July.

City aren’t very appealing me right now. We might be 5th, but in many games this year we’ve been very average. The automatics aren’t going to happen, and in the unlikely event we get a play off spot we aren’t good enough to get through them. We don’t have a Phil Parkinson 2013 style side by a long chalk.

And so goes another season of 4th tier football. I’ve got a decision to make about my future loyalty after such a long association, man and boy, and at the minute it’s only going one way.

 

Hughes must shoulder most of the blame for that performance last night. We need a win, but surprise, surprise, we lose. It's just what we do. When you continually select Smallwood, Gilliead and Chapman in a midfield, then wonder why you don't dominate the most essential part of the pitch, you deserve everything you get. Hughes has assembled this squad, yet refuses to select 30% of it. He should have gone for quality over quantity. A failing of so many managers since Parky.

Onto the players -

Foulds - get the ball in the box. Taking second touches then failing to beat his man. Worst performance in a while and beginning to think he's reached his maximum capability. Upgrade needed.

Platt - Your meat and drink defender if its played in the air. Played on the floor or given time to think, exposes his flaws. Add to that the lack of pace and you'll see why he won't play above this level.

The midfield - no bite, no fight and look at your shoelaces when we concede. I've absolutely no confidence in Hughes doing anything about it. If he hasn't recognised its an issue by now, then he never will. Poor East can't even get a single minute out there.

Finally (not one of ours) ROD. The coaching team must have known about his weaknesses, hence the reason why he was released. Did we test him in those weaknesses, nah. Most comfortable night he's had in a while.

Rochdale were the worst side to visit by a country mile. Embarrassing result for the players, management and club. No excuses that was poor.

 

What worries me is that if the opportunity to gain ground on Northampton and really push towards that 3rd place doesn't motivate this group of players, what will?

 

As the saying goes if Carlsberg ever did Saturdays without us playing then we have just been handed one. I'm really struggling to see a better result from any of the games that concerned us Mansfield losing to Barrow, Orient beating Donny and Salford beating Northampton,
we really have been handed a belated Xmas present providing we bear Dale Tuesday.

 

Just spoken to someone at the club and they told me
The game is definitely ON.
Wait for a 5pm abandonment.

 

I wish fans would stop clamoring for Jake Young. He’s not very good, folks.

 

I can assure you mate even after 60 + years a performance and result like tonight doesn't get any easier to take, irrelavent of who Hughes brought on why did it take him so long, the Cook sub was a joke, I said I'd have changed Chapman for Walker at half time (knowing it wouldn't happen) I have no axe to grind with Oliver but we basically played the lone striker as Oliver offered little.
Harrogate game Cook took there best player Headley out and again tonight within 2 minutes of coming on he was spilling blood for the cause to win a header, for me Hughes has to start Cook at Wimbledon but our problems are deeper than one man.