City v Rovers

[finley]

Good start to the season,still unbeaten.I've no idea what to expect from Rovers or what team McCall will pick.I do expect some changes,especially in forward areas as hopefully McCall will adopt a more attacking approach at home.Hoping for a home win 2-1 with McNulty getting of the mark.

 

[Pirateer]

gotta love that thread title, simple but classic!

anyway we will adopt our usual away tactics of defend for our lives first, which hasn't worked at all this season so far and you will when easily.

Utg!

 

[Aber gas]

We've played well in patches and it's slowly coming together. I fancy a win from this one. 3-1 Rovers

 

[ComeOnIrene]

I'm not as pessimistic as Pirateer. We didn't deserve to lose 3-1 at Scunthorpe (thought a draw would have been fair) and we were absolutely robbed of 3 points at Southend by the referee.

Granted we aren't as attacking away from home, but we won't shut up shop entirely. We aren't playing well enough defensively to just sit back all game so we will definitely try and attack whenever possible. We'll need the players in the spine of the team to play well if we have any chance of winning, but this could just be the day that things come together for us as they've been threatening to over the last couple of weeks.

 

[GasAttacK]

One of only two unbeaten sides in L1 and 3rd in the table suggests a trip to Bradford will be one of the toughest away days of the season.

Not sure how we'll set up as DC always springs a surprise or two but I have a feeling we'll revert to a 3-5-2. Would like to see Clarke-Salter make his debut if fit as I haven't been overly impressed with our defence of late and Lines has to start in midfield.

Would be delighted with a point.

 

[FiRTHYY]

Would like to see us adopt a 4-1-4-1 formation

GK: Colin Doyle

RB: Stephen Darby
CB: Romain Vincelot
CB: Nathanial Knight-Percival
LB: James Meredith

DCM: Timotheé Dieng

RW: Mark Marshall
CM: Josh Cullen
CM: Danny Devine
LW: Nicky Law

ST: McNulty/Clarke/Vuckic/Hanson/ Hiwula

Take your pick in the attacking department. No idea how we'll line-up, in truth.

I fancy us to run riot.

 

[LS Bantam]

If we take our chances then I think we'll win, sounds an obvious thing to say of course but we've created a lot this season but still found ourselves drawing more than we should have considering the amount possession and shots we've had - convert those few percent more and we could be looking at scoring maybe 3, carry on not converting and we could be looking at another 1-1, the new look line up (Vuckic, McNulty, even Vincelot in midfield) which is starting to get somewhere near full strength (maybe another fortnight away) will go along way to improving our chances

 

[JJH]

Nice thread title.

2-0 Bradford.

 

[miagsygas]

I still believe we are better than league position suggests (although it's getting harder to say that) but it's going to be extremely difficult for us to get a result in this one. I'd doubt we'd get battered though.

 

[Cas]

2-1 Bristol Rovers.

 

[Gassy]

We're very poor defensively.

Think we'll get a bit of a battering here, Bradford to wins by at least 2 goals.

 

[bantamigo]

Thought a point was fair. Bristol R were steady but unspectacular but should have scored at least 2, although their goal was very unfortunate for us as it came from a slip from Vincelot. We bossed the ball again but didn't create enough. The striker fiddling continues.

Also first ever drone delay. Probably the most exciting event of the afternoon.

 

[finley]

Gutted absolutely gutted 2 points dropped.Why oh why did McCall go with Hanson and Clarke,a strike force that failed last season.Hanson,Clarke doesn't work,won't work,will never work.Having said that did Bristol only have one shot on target?

 

[bantamigo]

Hanson could have scored a couple to be fair. Shot saved at the end of the first half and totally free header put over in the second. Not saying he's good or that I'd pick him but doubt many would have been moaning about the pairing if he'd scored them.

Was worth a try to see if the new style worked well with Hanson and Clarke up top but I'd try something new at Bolton.

 

[MJA]

Play delayed because of a drone invasion?
Could they not think of anywhere more exciting to fly it?

 

[bantamigo]

Play delayed because of a drone invasion?
Could they not think of anywhere more exciting to fly it?

First time it could be flown over Valley Parade, last season it would have been downed by a Mcardle long ball.

 

[FiRTHYY]

Had Hanson started on the bench, we'd have easily beaten Rovers today.

I thought they offered absolutely nothing, until we gifted them a way back into the game.

I've always strongly believed that there is a clause in Hansons contract, whereby should he be fit, he has to start.

The guy offers us absolutely nothing in an attacking sense.

Start him next week at Bolton, and the unbeaten run WILL end.

Not good enough.

 

[LS Bantam]

As predicted days ago, don't convert possession and chances and another 1-1...

 

[Mighty_Bantam]

Very frustrating.

So frustrating continuing to dominate the ball every game without looking threatening. Why oh why Hanson has to come back in I've no idea. And if he is in, he has to put both his headers away. No doubt about it as he brings little else to the table.

Thought Bristol looked poor. Worked hard and defended ok, but very easy to win the ball back from them.

 

[Gassy]

I've missed this totally today. Why was there a drone?

 

[Aber gas]

Good point for us against the total football, galacticos of Bradford city. I feared the worst with all the talk of them " running riot" but we did OK. I actually thought we could have been a bit more positive especially second half when their defence looked like they'd collectively shit themselves at the prospect of defending.
It's getting there and we'll be absolutely fine.

 

[ComeOnIrene]

We put a massive focus on defending today in a bid to register our first clean sheet of the season and whilst we obviously didn't manage to achieve it, we did look more solid - albeit at the expense of our usual attacking play.

Bradford had a lot of possession and were strong in the second half (as you would expect from the home team) but we looked competitive throughout and after equalising we could well have gone on to nick a winner.

Bradford are a big club with a decent budget (I'm assuming) and to take a point off them isn't a bad result. If they are a genuine promotion candidate we should be confident we can compete against any team in this division. That's not to say Bradford aren't good, it's just that we aren't a million miles away from getting things right ourselves.

That Roos save at the end...

 

[GasAttacK]

First half was fairly even. I actually think we had the best chance of the opening period when Bodins shot forced a great save from the keeper and Taylor somehow put the rebound wide. He scores those 90% of the time.

However, we were under the cosh in the second half until Bradford scored. I feared the worst at that point because we hadn't got going at all and although we defended well I felt the goal was coming. Luckily we managed to raise our game fo the last 20 minutes, forced the equaliser and could even have nicked a winner. That said, Roos made the save of the game near the end so we could have easily lost too.

 

[bantamigo]

I don't think we played that well l so wouldn't say we were promotion contenders based on yesterday. Was a bit like the Cov game where we were poor in the first half and better in the second, but whereas in the Cov game we went up three gears at half time this time we went up one.

It went flat after we scored and I could see why as it just seemed like we would win after the goal as Bristol R had offered nothing really. But they could have nicked it at the end. Bad concentration really, combined with the fact we can't convert chances and put ourselves out of sight.

 

[JJH]

Rovers fans sung "is there a fire drill?" yesterday. Stay classy Gasheads.

 

[ColB]

One of only two unbeaten sides in L1 and 3rd in the table suggests a trip to Bradford will be one of the toughest away days of the season.

Not sure how we'll set up as DC always springs a surprise or two but I have a feeling we'll revert to a 3-5-2. Would like to see Clarke-Salter make his debut if fit as I haven't been overly impressed with our defence of late and Lines has to start in midfield.

Would be delighted with a point.

Lines is generally good for you isn't he?

He split opinion for us, but I was very much in the camp who didn't rate him. Now and again he showed he had ability but he had no heart, completely went missing in games and generally ran around like a bit of a fairy.

I'm guessing playing for his boyhood club he can actually be arsed a bit more than he was for us though. I hope Granty breaks the fucktard in two next Saturday.

 

[ComeOnIrene]

Rovers fans sung "is there a fire drill?" yesterday. Stay classy Gasheads.

I genuinely don't think it was sung with any thought to what you are referring to JJH. It gets sung by Gasheads every time we play away when opposition supporters leave early, so it was just unfortunate on this occasion given what happened at Valley Parade in the 80s. Most of the fans who started that chant were young lads who were born at least a decade after that event.

(Disclaimer: if any supporters, however, sung it with the intention of taking the piss, they are of course an absolute disgrace).

 

[JJH]

I genuinely don't think it was sung with any thought to what you are referring to JJH. It gets sung by Gasheads every time we play away when opposition supporters leave early, so it was just unfortunate on this occasion given what happened at Valley Parade in the 80s. Most of the fans who started that chant were young lads who were born at least a decade after that event.

(Disclaimer: if any supporters, however, sung it with the intention of taking the piss, they are of course an absolute disgrace).

Apologies if I've misinterpreted then. There's a video doing the rounds on social media that was live from yesterday's game, and the sung was picked up on by a few supporters. Hope it wasn't intended in that way, you lot are better than that.

 

[GasAttacK]

Lines is generally good for you isn't he?

He split opinion for us, but I was very much in the camp who didn't rate him. Now and again he showed he had ability but he had no heart, completely went missing in games and generally ran around like a bit of a fairy.

I'm guessing playing for his boyhood club he can actually be arsed a bit more than he was for us though. I hope Granty breaks the fucktard in two next Saturday.

Lines has always been one of those players who can be a little hit ot miss during both his spells with Rovers. However, I think he's been excellent this season which is why I'm a little surprised he's currently out of the starting 11.

Not the best tackler it's true but he's extremely quick and can run through oppositions midfield with the ball. His distribution is good and his delivery from set pieces is also excellent most of the time. Can't fault his workrate this season either so I'd personally like to see him back in the side.

He's lost his place to Boateng who we signed on loan from Palace. He was superb on his debut against Rochdale but has been very average in both his appearances since.

Byron Moore has just come into the side after 6 weeks out injured. Early days but he looks pretty good too.

 

[ColB]

Lines has always been one of those players who can be a little hit ot miss during both his spells with Rovers. However, I think he's been excellent this season which is why I'm a little surprised he's currently out of the starting 11.

Not the best tackler it's true but he's extremely quick and can run through oppositions midfield with the ball. His distribution is good and his delivery from set pieces is also excellent most of the time. Can't fault his workrate this season either so I'd personally like to see him back in the side.

He's lost his place to Boateng who we signed on loan from Palace. He was superb on his debut against Rochdale but has been very average in both his appearances since.

Byron Moore has just come into the side after 6 weeks out injured. Early days but he looks pretty good too.

Cheers for that.

His ability was never in question for us, in fact I'd say at his best he's easily a a mid-table Championship calibre player if it was about ability on the ball alone. Just his attitude left a lot to be desired, certainly his determination when things got tough.

I honestly couldn't stand Moore. I've never seen a winger so unwilling to try and beat a full-back as much as him, even though he has pace. But he can pop up with the odd goal, and no doubt either one or both of them will have blinders next week if in your starting 11, so I should probably be praising them both!