Most liked posts in thread: Home vs Scunthorpe Jan 18th

Just put some effort in FFS - it’s not hard

 

Nothing left to say, same old shit from the same clueless manager.

Bowyer out.

 

Bad vibes in and around the stadium tonight.
Bowyer as got to go.
The fan base has been turning against him for weeks.
Negativity in abundance.
Won't be long before it turns ugly in the stands.
Clueless management.
We were 2-0 up FFS

 

Bear in mind we only scored when their right back was injured and couldn't challenge Akpan for the first, and then was off the pitch leaving a gaping hole for the second. Mellor absolutely appalling. Another shambolic performance. We were outplayed and overrun all game.

 

That's your Bradford City mentality in a sentence, right there.

 

I agree Bowyer is responsible but that team ain't that good. Embarrassing at times how much better Scunthorpe we're on a terrible pitch. That was a battering second half, thankfully they just couldn't get the goal their pressure deserved.

 

Mellor would make me look like Bale.

 

They also had a winger playing at right back, but did we put a winger on his side to test him? Did we bollocks.

 

To be fair, he scored.

It's nothing Doyle didn't do at Swindon, he missed chances but crucially scored as well.

Can't criticise Vaughan too much, he cemented a two goal lead.

Should be straightforward from there.

 

Tell me you didn't waste 2 hours in Mauritius watching that shite....

 

After we went 2 nil up, despite being against the run of play, I thought here we go, finally we’re going to steamroller a team. We were chasing, closing down and Vaughan almost got another. Then, for some reason we sat back and let them get into the game again. Gilleads goal was something out of a 5 a side match - just rolled into the net because he had so much time and space.
Second half we didn’t even turn up. Second to every ball and the midfield of Akpan, Palmer and Cooke just went missing. Was only a matter of time until they scored again.

And when they did, he brings on a like for like player in Reeves for Akpan! Devit should have been brought on. Good enough for the bench, good enough for the last 20 you’d think. Palmer, I had to check it wasn’t him who’d come on for Connelly such was his disappearing act.
Mellor was abysmal. I thought at least Wood tried to get forward.

Doyle and Vaughan showed signs of working together, but without any support of any kind, they are on a hiding to nothing.

Once Vaughan went off and Paudie was given the armband, I at least expected him to rally the troops. Nope. Nothing.

The keeper did alright and looks to have confidence, but it’s the middle of the park where we desperately need someone to take the game by the scruff of the neck.

Very very disappointing yet again.

 

AOC got MOM for playing the entire 96 mins covering Right Back & Centre Back. Mellor was absolute cack today !

 

Mellor is shit.

 

We didn't get out of our own half for the first 8 minutes of the second half. WTF was said at half time??
Can't blame Mellor, he's trying to earn a living, its Bowyer who chooses that shower over Henley.
How did Palmer stay on instead of Akpan??
Not once did any of our midfield put their bodies on the line for the cause.
For me the players aren't playing for Bowyer.
He shouts at them whilst trying to instruct some kind of bollocks towards them but they look the other way and ignore him.
Northampton, Colchester and Plymouth winning again.
Can we get some winning form going??
Is our pitch contributing?
So many questions, but I can't see us finding any solutions.

 

Can’t be the pitch, Scunny looked nice and composed on it today, passing was fast and accurate.

 

I'd say from that, and looking at the actual percentages, Akpan was the worst performer.

Barely involved, as is almost always the case.

 

Looking back to last season against Blackpool and that defeat at home. Bowyer was crowing that he'd signed most of those players who played with strength, pace and athleticism. I think we all hoped he'd bring that style to us.

He's correct that he signed them but he wasn't responsible for the way they tore us apart. Maybe the right coach could do the same with this bunch and when he's at another club, he will say the same thing.

I'd like him to succeed but as a few have said, we don't have an identity or blueprint of how we're going to set up. He doesn't know his best 11 and isn't getting the best out of the squad. He needs Devitt and Donaldson to change his fortune or I fear another managerial change and the merry go round starts again.

 

This is has been evident for a lot of the season. Add to that movement. There is literally NO MOVEMENT when we have the ball in our first half of the pitch and don’t even start me on dead ball situations. Throw in’s are almost a catalyst of giving them ball straight back to the opposition. It’s no wonder we play so much either in front of then back 4 side to side or backwards.

We severely miss someone to connect midfield to those up front. The lack of consistent wingers or the likes of Pritchard, Devitt and Donaldson who either have the ability to make space or hold the ball up, is strangling us.

Palmer is one of the guilty parts of this. Perhaps there’s a decent player in there, but on performances so far not in this City set up. Can’t help but think we need to give McCarten an opportunity to sit behind the front two and try link this together until we have some of the returning players back fit.

 

Bang on yet Bowyer insisted in effectively going with three centre backs, two full backs and two static deep lying central midfielders. Then we wonder why there is no movement upfield or options at throw ins. I've seen him play this line up a fair few times over the last dozen or so games, with either Oteh, Connolly or now Doyle partnering Vaughan. Its this sort of thing that has sucked the life out of the crowd, as soon as you see the line up it puts unwarranted pressure on the team. A good gauge is the reaction of opposition fans via games or on social media. Very rare do we get any sort of praise, more often its how are Bradford so high up in the table playing like that. Once in a while it would be nice to read a positive reaction or two, its an indication that others can see what you're trying to achieve, like Scunthorpe on Saturday who tried to play open expansive football on an absolute dog of a pitch.

 

The only explanation can be that Bowyer is demanding this ‘tactic’ and therefore the players are simply carrying out his instructions.

Palmer really, really irritates me with his inept and negative performances but he has played a good few games at a higher level so I’d he really this bab or is this the Bowyer affect?