Match Thread Bradford City V Rochdale Tuesday 10 January 2023 @ 7.45

Surly now after so many games at this level he must know that the refs are shocking .......... is it so difficult to drill it into them that they will have to go out and win the games themselves .......... with the amount of money he’s had we shouldn’t be relying on sub standard refs .......... we should be good enough to be walking over teams ............. I actually think him not giving us a pen was a god send to him he could rant and rave about him rather than bringing up how dire we where ........... if the conditions where so bad for the passing game then why not put cross after cross into a keeper who struggles to deal with them ??????
Sorry the subs everything about last night was all down to him and I really shudder if we start dropping down to midtable because frankly nobody is gonna but into that bullshit again

 

Spot on.

 

And himself!!

 

Hopefully many will sit down today and reflect on both decisions from the referee being correct. He'd be well within his rights to return all the verbal volleys I was serving him last night.

Telling points for me are the city reactions. Neither Sutton or Oliver the two closest to the foul on Eisa appealed for the penalty, and for theirs as soon halliday realises the guy has gone down he sheepishly looks at the ref knowing he has fouled him.

No one to blame but ourselves unfortunately and a glorious chance wasted yet again. No doubt we will beat Wimbledon on Saturday and Northampton will slip up then we are back to square one. It's the hope that kills us

 

Yesterday was nearly as bad had it as it gets for the club. Fans messed about in terms or is the game on. Yes, I know @Kevin1954 that the ref decides but the club can get the ref in early. The club were desperate to get the game on and I can understand that because we all thought we would beat Rochdale.

However, what fans needs to understand is to until this club gets a decent owner or a CEO that knows what he is doing then this club goes Nowhere.

Football now seems to understand that what happens in the boardroom effects what happens on the pitch.

 

Wasn't our greatest day at the office but i've seen worse. Lets be honest this one was written in the stars that we'd lose, we've had that many of them over the years. Must admit though, i would expect a few more ins and outs in the transfer window after tonight, its clear East won't get much game time if any at all and Jake Young must realise now his time is up. Imagine seeing a fellow forward leave, the new arrival gets straight on the bench as does a an out of form Periara. If i was either of them i'd be asking for a move like Oliver was contemplating before he finally got some game time.

 

I didn't realise until it was mentioned on iFollow commentary, that we've yet to win a single game this season when we've been behind. That's a really damning indictment of our resilience and belief, as much as our quality.

After their 2nd goal, at kick off, I saw most of our players with heads down and hands on hips. Including the captain. Not good enough.

From the start of the season our performances have indicated a lack of willingness to really fight and scrap. We've had a couple of games that have been an exception, but most games we just want to rock up and play sideways, pointless football, not win 50/50s and not defend our penalty box. I remember how McArdle and Davies used to defend our area - that's what it takes at this level.

 

We had players like Darby also.

Think the problem is Smallwood. Like people like @Onside has been saying that as a captain for us he isn’t cutting it. He’s more like Josh Wright than Gary Jones.

He’s no Darby or anything. Plus to make it worse his performances have been woeful in the main by a player of his standards.

 

Totally get your post and i didn't want to go either but youngest lad before heading back to Uni wanted to be there and he had yet to see City lose this season(until last night-so his good luck charm has gone)
BUT what was odd last night was the weather was really warm and the rain had eased off at half time, spent most of the game with me hat off which for a January night game is unheard of!

What wasn't odd though is that City crapped the bed again, against a team second from bottom and struggling for form.
My lad was seething after the game and i hadn't the heart to tell him he will have a lifetime of this if he sticks with City and the apathy doesn't kick in.

 

I appreciate all fans are entitled to do what they want, as paying customers we all have the right to an opinion, but I totally agree with you

Against Northampton, I got into a disagreement with some happy clapper because I questioned how fans could clap such a poor performance, to which he responded "why would you NOT clap the players" followed by a rant at how i've probably never played football etc

After the Carlisle game, a woman in front of us (she was being an awkward sod all game, moaning about people standing etc) purposely stood on the steps in everyone's way and clapped as high and loud as she could. I honestly felt like booting her down the steps . Some people just thrive on getting a rise out of folk for no reason at all!

 

Don't know how hughes and players clap fans after that garbage. Should be ashamed

But there not blame penalties, offsides anything nut themselves

This group of players are gutless and won't get us out of league 2

 

Every interview don't want to.upset hughes with questions. You get vague sub questions.

Question shouldve been why did it take till the 84th minute to get our top scorer onto the pitch. Why is he getting so few minutes now

 

I have a friend like that. Refuses to criticise and still believes Hughes is a great manager on the basis he played at the highest level.

Yesterday I said the football since the second goal was panicked and rushed, yet he insisted it was good consistent pressure.

Some people just refuse to see what's in front if them, despite the evidence.

I'll be gobsmacked if Hughes takes us up, but his attitude is all will be well, a long way to go, bounce back at Wimbledon etc.

He just can't see that 15 points from 12 games is shite.

 

Hughes comment about the conditions not suiting us is a poor one
The first half we battled against waterlogged areas on both wings and did ok the pitch at the Kop end was much better and I expected us to really kick on second half but there was on fight no intensity no will to win Rochdale wanted it more which is a poor indictment of the players and management. We are still in a good position but we need to put it right starting Saturday

 

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?

 

Hughes and Hodges spent 20 minutes from the 70th minute with a piece of paper in their hands discussing what to do, whilst the game ebbed away. Infuriating.

 

Yes I was talking to my mate at half time bringing up the same point what an incentive as we sat there in the lead, regardless of tactics, referee’s etc. the players should have been running through brick walls to keep and try extend the lead second half, we saw non of that.

 

Well you don’t leave your highest goal scorer sat on the bench. You get him on, plus Walker, Nevers (deep end] I would have East on the bench if not starting, because if he can’t replace any of that midfield I have questions about recruitment.

 

Cook's 500th career appearance last night. You can guarantee he would have been absolutely busting a gut to cap that off with a goal and a win if he'd started the game.