Seasons over

Every time we have been in the playoffs (five times) we have been at home first and got to the final on three of those, twice losing at home first to get there. Given our away form, if we lost by a single goal in the home leg, I would still back us to get to the final.

After that it's a lottery of who turns up on the day. On each of the three final matches we have been the better team and only lost to Millwall through an offside goal, Billy Clarke missing a one on one and TMAC going for glory.

 

Lets be fair, on the positive side a team so close with games in hand, have a better than 50/50 chance. The negative is we have a coach who lives by the theory that possession is 9/10ths of the law and a midfield that all suffer from catatonic nose bleeds when they cross the halfway line.

 

Hartlepool at home as a win ? You seen where they are in the table and their away form ? It's got guaranteed home defeat written all over it.

 

Let’s be honest, if we win Donny people will be back to declaring us champions (slight exaggeration for effect). It’s been a very up and down season not just on the pitch but with the fan base. After Tranmere all was right with the world, one game later the world is ending.

 

I think there's a belief that once we get a few wins in a week or two period we'll finally get a run together but I think the penny has started to drop that it isn't going to happen.

 

The reactions have been similar for a while though, all you have to do is look back after the Rochdale game then fast forward to after Tranmere.

 

Fast forward to March 2024, Bradford City sit 8th in League one having won 12, drawn 12 & lost 6. GD +8, points 48. Mark Hughes has just become our longest serving manager since 2016. Bu hey ho our possessions stats are amazing and we are handily placed for a final push !!

Nothing will change unless Hughes has a "St Paul On The Road To Damascus Moment"

 

We lost to Blackpool at home in the 1st leg 0-2. We all thought it was over. Same carry on really bumper sell out crowd, and we lost it. This is not new to Bradford City!

 

You know what else isn't new to Bradford City?

Self-sabotage!
Hitting the reset button.
Falling out with a team on the brink of (or even within) the play offs because 'we don't like the style'.

Tedious.

 

Let’s not give any ammunition to those fans who can’t handle their drink and lose without becoming obnoxious. I expect the majority of fans are going to watch the match have a drink and come home hopefully with 3 points or more likely 1 point but if we lose we do, that is football. It does not give anyone license to abuse the players or managers. So there will no allowances or understanding from me if that happens; they also need to remember drunken or otherwise they maybe subject to suspension or lifetime bans if they cause a disturbance.

 

Or to abuse other fans if they don’t agree with their viewpoint. One of the first thing pissed up fan bases often do is turn on each other when the going gets tough, happened at Leeds recently.

 

It is incredible that ppl speak a lot about freedom of speech these days, but as soon as somebody doesn’t share their view of what has taken place, the abuse follows. Turning on your own fans is just not on. We are all different and experience situations differently.
I like MH and the team. However, I am just as disappointed as everyone else at the way this season has gone. We are no way over, we are going to have to fight right to the end to stay in contention, this was not the script I envisioned at the start, but as in life this is what we have. At the moment we are going to have to forget about enjoyable football, it is not happening, we dig in and scrap for 90, as long as we get the points. We need to get out of this league. Fans are very important in these type of situations, but now we have put our own emotions to one side. We have to roar them on at Doncaster and VP and everywhere we go. As far as we are concerned every single player is Roy of the Rovers.

 

Welcome to the world of woke & being cancelled. There are far too many people in todays world who aren't able to debate or unable to accept another's view on everything. Football, and forums in general, only add to that.

 

Give me 8 homes wins between now and May and I'll happily take turgid football. Add another few away and I'll be happy as a pig in you know what.

 

Yep me too. Lots of fans want to be entertained, so do I, but we just have to face reality, turgid football is the only dish on the menu.

 

I think fans were disappointed that we could not beat the likes of Rochdale and Barrow with their poor form when they came to Valley Parade but both performances were poor.
If it had been like FGR or Plymouth the other year where we battered them and they stole a late winner I think the reaction would have been different but both were poor performances, more so the Rochdale game as we were 1 - 0 up and in control of the game until Halliday had his rush of blood and make a stupid tackle when the Rochdale player was going away from goal.

 

Why do we do this? It is my impression over the years that our “kick start everyone’s season” has been a feature. The better teams don’t really trouble us, but send poor teams to VP and suddenly they up their game and we roll over and let them. It has happened under numerous managers and players. Then there is the VP strikers curse; they come full of goals and within a week or two they couldn’t hit barn door. Yes we have had a few that has evaded the curse, but generally as soon as they leave they return to normal.

 

Isn't supporting Bradford City great .