Most liked posts in thread: Home V Newport County Saturday 7/12/2019

Thanks so much everyone for your nice words. It's strange as although his death wasn't unexpected I'd not considered how I'd feel about going to games. I guess because we hadn't gone to that many matches together in recent years. But i appreciate now it was such a fundamental part of our relationship going to game will bring out a lot of emotions.

My dad was a bit of an anomaly in that he supported city and Leeds (I know weird, but I'm confident it was always in that order!). Some people couldn't understand that but growing up slap bang between both cities (Yeadon) he had attachments to both.

But when my sister and I started to like football in our teens it was always gonna be city he introduced us to. Dad had a very full life and was involved and loads of things, amateur dramatics, bradford league cricket, Crown green bowling etc etc. But he always kept city in his heart and right at the end was still getting me to bring him over a telegraph and wanted to talk about it.

I have happy memories of 3 trips to Wembley (1 less enjoyable than the other!). We were 2-0 up against Notts County and city fans started a Mexican wave. My dad goes - I don't like it , it's too soon the team will see and think it's won! He cared so much and couldn't relax until they final whistle went.

Some happy happy memories which I know many of you will share with your respective families. Football isn't more important than life and death but it does bind families together and that bond is so strong.

Come on city today. Do it for my wonderful dad and for all the other mums, dad's and loved ones who at no longer with us.

Sorry that went on a bit, whilst I don't know any of you personally I know this will resonate with many.

 

I have been listening to criticism on here over the last few weeks and in my opinion most of it is ridiculous. Last season we had one of the worst teams in our history Bowyer has had one transfer window to turn it around and he has done brilliantly.
This season we are sitting nicely in a play off spot with an injury list over the last few months which would have finished most teams off. Including most importantly the fulcrum of the team in Donaldson who is important to the way we play and as most people on here want to play 442 they must surely agree.
Today Newport pack the midfield and Bowyer got the tactics spot on as they didn’t have a shot on target the whole match and with just a bit of luck we would have had three.
The trouble with a lot of our support is the stupidly unrealistic expectations. Go back and read threads in the summer going on about how it was going to take seasons to turns things round and yet a couple of so so results and it’s all doom and gloom. We are a division two team and because we are Bradford city it means nothing. Take Macclesfield draw last week yes they have troubles but they have lost only once at home this season.
Yes Bowyer is by no means perfect but he is as good or better than anyone we can attract

 

Shed a couple of tears in that game, it wasn't the best but I'm so happy to get the win for my dad

 

We've got some good players though and he's restricting them? What makes you think something is going to click into place? Long ball merchant bypassing some talented midfielders and wingers into a Striker that isn't a target man? Awful tactics. We don't have the players to be a long ball side. Got to play to your strengths. We've looked dangerous in patches in the season when we have had Cooke in advanced positions and getting the ball out wide early to Ismail and Connolly. Why just hit and hope to Vaughan who is most effective in the box. Put any sort of quality in the box and he attacks it really well. How can't Bowyer see this?

 

Shame there aren't more people on here these days to talk to about the football. I strongly suspect that most have been driven away by boredom having to read your inane, pointless attention seeking drivel on every single post. Keep up the good work...

 

Bowyers post match interview on radio Leeds: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07x7crn

And the Sky video https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/competitions/league-two/11880948/bradford-1-0-newport

How that new rule can be bring any sort of positivity to the game is beyond me, Townsend clearly brings Vaughan down as he goes past him to put the ball into an empty net, by the new law it is deemed unfair to send the keeper off, yet Vaughan has to score to give that new rule have any credibility, from a situation of tapping the ball into an empty net to having to score a penalty to get the same result how is that helping the attacking team it's giving the defending team the advantage, the games gone mad.

 

Sorry to hear of your loss Shell. A lot of us have our dads to thank, or curse, for getting us into City

I have been going with my dad now for over 50 years, and although the bug has been handed down to my daughter, I cannot imagine the day going to Valley Parade without my dad.

I remember the first game after I lost my mum, the empty seat next to me a poignant reminder and it wasnt easy.

I hope City give you a perfect send off performance for your dad.

All the best

 

Chin up Bantamshell having lost my wife and both parents last year I know exactly what you are going through and it's tough You go today cheer and shout for the both of you am sure that's what your father would have wanted
So sad for your loss

 

Enjoy it mate.

Honestly I would give up anything to see my dad again. I can't express enough that if you're are from a loving family that you've to enjoy your parents.

One of the reasons I am so passionate about Bradford City building an infrastructure because it means a lot to so many people and the club needs to protect itself.

Anyway, it's great day for football. Let's get that win! Move up the table and let's get them Swindon fans that come on here to laugh at us over Doyle. worried.

No excuses today! 3 points is a must!

 

Keep reading we will get found out and can’t keep scraping wins and it not catch up with us?
Yet here we are two weeks into December and with a game in hand we are only a point off of getting into
Top 3.

We spent many years in this league the last time we were here and we know the league is a slog. We are not gonna play teams off of the park. It was dire under parky at times but it’s just about getting out of this league.
Good players missing for a good chunk of season so far but they are nearly all back now apart from Donaldson. Nearly at January and hopefully a chance to strengthen.

we’ve beaten some good teams at home. Keep our home record going and we will be well up there

 

I said Newport were very direct and I wasn't surprised that it was a dour match, but we got the job done. I thought Reeves was our best midfielder today, I'm surprised to see him recover his sharpness so quickly after nearly two years out.

I think people are forgetting how many boring and completely uninspiring 1-0 wins we had under Phil Parkinson. This league is dire, some games are going to be dire. I don't think we'll start playing in a more eye catching way until Donaldson is back from injury and we can hold the ball up the right end of the field.

 

Go on i'll bite. Bowyers got his tactics spot on? You having a fcking laugh? Up until the penalty it was like having root canal work done, it was painful. It was only because the worst team i've seen to visit Valley Parade for an age practically gave us a goal on a plate. I don't mind giving credit where it is due, and three points is minimum requirement at home, but that game yesterday was bloody awful. Difference is Park you're happy whatever happens, i demand a hell of a lot more from my side, especially in league 2.

 

He must be doing something right. Best home record in league 2, 2 points of autos with a game in hand, all achieved with numerous injuries we have had to overcome.

I am not a happy clapper by any means, and yesterdays game was painful to watch, but I am confident he will get us out of this awful league at the first attempt

 

My team:
OD
Henley AOC POC Wood
Connolly Reeves Cooke Pritchard
Vaughan Oteh

 

Great, we won. But that was dire. Other than 2 set pieces we created nothing all game and looked completely disjointed.

And now 352 will be back next week, probably.

At a time where a decent side would be hitting its stride, we're going backwards in terms of performance and seem more bothered about setting up to stop the opposition.

I really dont see us going up.

 

Shocking manager in terms of style of play. Couple of league 2 fans I know last year said he makes Parkinson look like Guardiola, saw a comment on here the other day saying they’d take Flynn probably without seeing his teams play. No thanks, we’ve scored 10 more than them and we aren’t an entertaining team, just to put him into context.

 

Clearly you didn't see the game yesterday.
That "busy fool" you refer to ran the midfield yesterday. Was constantly talking to his team mates organising the shape of the team and ensuring everyone was on their game. I lost count the number of times he tackled and won the ball. I havent seen anyone anywhere near as vocal as he was since El Capitan Jones.
He made far more than 2 forward passes as you say.
His corners second half were bang on the money. Delivered with pace and accuracy.
He was like a new signing yesterday. Enthusiastic and influencing the game. Constantly wanting the ball to see what he could make happen.
Once we get a few others back from injury we will have a first 11 strong and good enough to compete for top 3.

 

Oteh's header was a hair's breadth off being a second goal against a team that's only conceded 15 goals - equalling Forest Green and Cheltenham as the tightest in the division. Newport have only lost 5 now - same as Swindon. It wasn't pretty but it was still a good technical performance against a team that is set up to be hard to beat. We were losing games like that last season. Winning such difficult games is a huge improvement and stands us in good stead.

 

A lot of modern football fans have developed a quite strange mentality where any loss or poor performance is automatically the managers fault, it’s not just here either it’s country wide. Now a loss means the manager is useless or negative, it’s as if they think players can’t perform poor off their own back. It was actually a mentality started by modern day owners in a quick to sack environment. It’s far cheaper and easier to sack one person I.e the manager than to get rid of multiple under performing players, and now fans have bought into this way of thinking. If Man Untied has have done that in the 80s they’d have never had the Fergie years. Managers need time it doesn’t happen over night, or after just one window. You need players who’ll play for the manager first and for most, especially in the lower leagues where there’s not as much skill so hard work and organisation gets you a long way. I’m a believer in giving managers time, unless they’re a rookie out of his depth because he was hired by an egotistical idiot.

 

@Fordy117 most will agree with you that we are not setting the world alight and Bowyer is making some odd decisions in terms of formation but I think you’ve got a short memory and need to cut the guy some slack

He took over a basket case of a club less than a year ago, no spirit, no identity, no affiliation to its fan base, it’s not like he’s walked in and had to tweak a bit here and a bit there He’s had to basically start again.

At the end of last season I feared we could fall even further this year, to be fair to Bowyer with help he’s managed to turn a lot around in a very short period of time.

So whilst I agree that given our current position and seeing the lack of quality In this league we must aim for promotion this year, Bowyer has surely earned the right to see this season out and deliver what we all hope.