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What direction are we heading in?

Discussion in 'City Talk' started by bantamlad92, Sep 6, 2019.

  1. bantamlad92

    bantamlad92 Squad Player
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    At the start of pre-season it looked as though the club was - for the first time in many seasons - forming a solid squad at the beginning of pre-season, ready to get adequate game time to play together and gel as a team ready for a strong promotion push.

    Fast forward less than 2 months and we have released 2 of the core members of that squad we had formed in pre-season and who had been playing games together, gelling together, players who are match fit and more than capable at League Two level - Eoin Doyle and Sean Scannell. We are leaving players out who are also much capable at this level and who wanted to prove a point in pre-season - Shay McCartan. Bowyer said he trained terrifically and was ready for a return on the 8th August: https://www.bradfordcityfc.co.uk/news/2019/august/bowyer-provides-injury-update/ Where is he? Our midfield is predominantly made up of late new signings and players who are letting the team down yet we had our signings in early at pre season.

    How can we still, in September, be tinkering with formations, tactics, and not knowing which players are the best 11 to be on the pitch despite a full pre-season with them.

    It seems like there is no sense of direction, no plan in place, Rupp can finance what he wants but if he doesn't know what he's doing what's it really worth? He certainly is no Director of Football. As for Bowyer, he seems to be just rolling the dice every week and hoping for the best. It can't end well if we continue like this.

    We are heading for a complete catastrophe the way I see it.

    Can anyone offer me/us some hope? How do you guys see our club's current direction?
     
    Jay likes this.
  2. Campbell's soup

    Campbell's soup Impact Sub
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    Sorry, all out of hope.
     
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    bantamlad92 and Tony Wilkinson like this.
  3. Offcomedun

    Offcomedun Important Player
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    Stay away from the windows.
     
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  4. Skyebantam

    Skyebantam Impact Sub
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    It’s alright, he’s an Apple user.
     
    Jay, Bronco, Hulmebantam and 4 others like this.
  5. Lordbantam

    Lordbantam Fringe Player

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    Why don’t you watch over the next 10 games and if we’re still struggling to perform then PANIC
     
    Bradford End and shoatsy like this.
  6. Wakefield Bantam

    Wakefield Bantam Squad Player

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    You’ve not been supporting us very long have you?
     
    FlitwickBantam and bantamJS like this.
  7. Steve1970

    Steve1970 Squad Player
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    We are a 1 legged duck swimming in circles.
     
    trevor, Bronco and bantamlad92 like this.
  8. Doodle

    Doodle Impact Sub
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    I really do think all this is being completely blown out of all proportion... we'll be top 7 by the end of the season easy, it just takes time for things to settle.
     
  9. bantamlad92

    bantamlad92 Squad Player
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    23 years (since the age of 4). I've been very busy lately and as such have had minimal opportunity to keep up with the latest happenings at the club.

    The general consensus is that things are considerably worse now than 2 months ago - what's gone wrong and why does it seem like the club is being run by a collective of circus clowns?
     
  10. How

    How Knows Football
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    6 games into the season.

    That’s all we are. Mccarten has trained this week I think Bowyer has said. The rest we had to get rid of due to wages. Good players for league two or not. We cannot have them at top end of wage bill. It causes unrest.

    Give it time. Stop the panic. We are not in meltdown as most want you to believe
     
  11. Tolly856

    Tolly856 Squad Player

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    Without getting into the ins and outs we look a mid table side. Not great but not a complete farce either.
     
    bantamlad92 likes this.
  12. FrenchBantam

    FrenchBantam Squad Player
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    As a happy clapper/optimist, i read your post and agreed until the penultimate sentence. I still believe GB can deliver but his constant tinkering worries me a little. His signings suggest he's looking to play 4-4-2 and i for one would welcome this formation with JV & CD spearheading an attacking set up but for some bizzare reason GB is playing every system but our strongest.
     
  13. Campbell's soup

    Campbell's soup Impact Sub
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    So can I order my spectacles from you? :geek:
     
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  14. FrenchBantam

    FrenchBantam Squad Player
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    Feel free :)
     
  15. borderlescott

    borderlescott Squad Player

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    I think there is a bit too much panicking going on.

    Last year we were absolutely hopeless. The first step over the summer was plugging the woeful defence.

    Through a drop in league and a few faces coming in we now seem to have a decent defence. BRE has been one of our best players. We know Paudie is League One level, nevermind L2, and he’s only just got fit. Chicksen was diabolical last year but we have better alternatives this year with Wood back in plans and Henley doing a job. Even Longridge hasn’t done badly in the rare time he’s been given.

    O’Donnell is faring better. Looks the GK we thought we signed last year.

    A solid defence is what any promotion side should be built upon.

    Vaughan is the best striker in the league and been scoring despite us not playing with wingers.

    Yes, midfield isn’t sorted yet, but Palmer seems better than Devine, Anderson and Akpan, we know Devitt is a top L2 player from his time at Carlisle and we now have wingers as well as a fit McCartan to come in.

    I know we were babba under Edin but he’s gone and we need a bit more perspective.

    Pritchard looked lively on Tuesday and if he can build on that performance and Connolly injects pace on the other side, all is not lost yet!
     
  16. borderlescott

    borderlescott Squad Player

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    We look far from the finished article but most of our games have been tight. Expected goals tables suggest we deserve to be a few positions higher.

    Improvement is needed, yes, and Bowyer does deserve some criticism for bending over and accommodating visiting teams at home, as well as constantly changing the system, but it is still very early days, we could quite easily be sat in the playoffs and we all know we’re probably playing below our full potential.

    I think we’re showing about 65 % of what we’re capable of with this squad but, long term, i think a 4-4-2 with this side will see us nestle in the top seven;

    O’Donnell, Longridge, Paudie, BRE, Mellor, Pritchard, Palmer, Devitt, Connolly, Vaughan, Donaldson

    That’s a very good League Two team (on paper) if a fit Longridge and Connolly prove up to it and offer natural balance in their respective positions.

    Cooke, Anthony O’Connor, QPR kid, Wood and McCartan looks a fair bench too.

    Keep Hornby, Devine, Patrick, Anderson and Akpan as far away from the XI as possible.
     
  17. Bigrod

    Bigrod Captain
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    Certainly require them if you mix up optimist and optometrist. :eyes:
     
  18. Campbell's soup

    Campbell's soup Impact Sub
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    E0BCF32F-7253-4AE2-BA3C-950E57297E4B.gif
    Eh?
     
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    Tennesseebantam and Bigrod like this.
  19. Old city man

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    The one thing I look for is a good strong mentality throughout the squad.

    Top players ending up in the basement with a limited time as professional
    footballers should show they want to go out with a bang and achieve as much
    as they can.I hope Vaughn and Donaldo will do this,I think they will.

    Younger players need to do the same for different reasons.Going as far as they
    can as a player so producing all the attributes we want to see.

    The Bolton result felt like a defeat and showed little of what I want to see,
    especially in the first half.The mentality required to be successful is to WIN
    every game you play,or give it your best.Players who don't give that extra
    effort don't deserve to be in the squad.Last season apart from OB we had
    that indifference nearly all season and if we fall into that lethargy again we
    will be struggling.

    We are in the basement and the only direction we can consider is UP.I am
    hopeful the wingers we have will create what we were missing last season and
    if Vaughn and Donaldo can keep fit we should be afraid of no one in this league
    and our aim should be automatic promotion and kick on to another crack at the
    championship.Then,who knows.
     
  20. Skyebantam

    Skyebantam Impact Sub
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    Opposite of ‘up’.
     

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