The Voice - Match preview Bradford City vs Harrogate Town Saturday 16th September 3:00pm

I tell you what folks. I’m sick of League 2 and I’m sick of all of these tin pot sides we are running scared of. There is too much respect.

Look around our stadium. We need to remind ourselves who this club is, where it has come from, and where it should be getting to.

We’re embarrassed by Harrogate most seasons but enough is enough. It’s about time we took the handbrake off and took somebody to the cleaners.

plenty of other clubs see their sides score three, four, maybe even five, but is never us. Steady old Bradford City.

Come on Hughes. Wake up. Give it to somebody, once, for the love of Christ.

Apart from Colchester don’t think we’ve scored more than once in any game have we?

Enough of this ‘gelling’ now. Mid-September. Start performing. Hurt them. Wallop them. Get Weaver angry. Get the kids in the away crowd beffing because City have annihilated them and ruined their Saturday - like Hughes does most weeks to us ha ha

 

Imagine if we take the handbrake off and get pumped 4-0.

 

I agree with you on this one. I think managers know better than anyone else that this is always a distinct possibility. Some balance is required but I don't think we've quite found it yet.

 

If you worry about that it is the wrong mindset. I best not walk to the shop in case a bus knocks me over…..etc. i best not eat my tea in case I choke to death.

Harrogate at home. Yes, Harrogate, at home. It’s not Real Madrid! Contrary to Hughes’ quote, going four at the back is hardly radical!

we just wanna see the ball moved forward, with impetus, faster.

 

If we do, we do. At least it would confirm that the manager and group of players aren't good enough.

Anything would be better than this slow lingering "death by possession" nonsense.

 

Not quite true.They scored one in their EFL trophy game last week.

 

Either way, these are a side that we must get at early. Not play patient against for 60 mins then bring on Osadebe.

 

I just want 90 minutes that has a semblance of something that looks like it has some thought put in to it.
Is round pegs in round holes too much to ask?

I made my thoughts well known last week with my “front foot” rant,

I know occasionally it just doesn’t happen but If that first half was the result of a weeks preparation then we might as well pack it in.

If,god forbid there’s a repeat tomorrow ( I don’t think there will be) don’t insult our intelligence and come out with the same guff as last week.
I haven’t done any coaching badges but I know that the 11 we started with against Grimsby wasn’t picked with the intention of front foot football.


Let’s just hope for 90 minutes from a team that looks like it has a defined structure that the players are happy with and clear game plan from the first whistle.
If we get one the 3 points will inevitably follow.

 

Spot on and now is the time we must see these players are good enough.

 

More like, you know you won't get hit and killed crossing the road if you stop, look and listen (handbrake on).

But one day you decide it's more exciting to run across the road blindfolded (handbrake off)

To be honest, there's not really anything to fear tomorrow, but it still won't be massively easy. Can't take anything for granted.

 

You should direct the next Green Cross Code advert!!

 

'Blindfolds bad!'

 

In certain circumstances...

 

Of course we can. We should take for granted that, at home, we can absolutely go out, be positive and try to get after a seemingly pretty average Harrogate side.

Will it guarantee a win? Of course not, but it would be a damn sight more entertaining than drawing 1 1 at home to Grimsby with the last minute equaliser being your first shot on target in the entire match!

 

I do have empathy with what he is saying though not just this season so far or last or even the fairly distant past we never get cracking emphatic wins scoring multiple goals. I don’t though if there is any stats people reading this but it would be interesting to know how many times we have scored 5 in the last few years

 

The hand brake is off, we just aren't a very good side.

 

I think we are a lot better side individually than we are collectively

 

Well for Hughes sake, that needs to change.

 

But how much of that is down to the shape?

I think games such as Grimsby point out that it's far more than Hughes wants to admit.

 

What does that really mean though?

"Go out and be positive" isn't a particularly useful tactical instruction.

Does that mean ignore the big money striker that was sought after by one of our biggest rivals? Does it mean launch raids down the wing even if we keep getting tackled?

I dunno.

I don't expect Hughes to say "safety first", exactly, but we pretty obviously need to play our own brand of football and impose our will on the opposition, not just rely on cliches of what someone in the stands thinks is 'attacking'.

Sure, hitting the target with shots is the aim, but Stockport were roundly praised on here for missing the target 15 times (or whatever).

Do we want lots and lots of shots? Do we want lots and lots of crosses? Do we want lots and lots of wing play? Do we want lots and lots of long balls so we're not passing around at the back?

The players should want to get at Harrogate, and given they've scored only 4 goals, should definitely not be overly worried about them - but I'm not really seeing what 'positivity' is this time, since it seems to morph depending on what's happening at the time.