Saturday 5th December - 1st full fixtures this season with spectators

[valefan16]

Weird one Harrogate, one of the best sides we played and looked good on TV at Bradford but do seem to have been found out now.

They played with such high intensity and pressing that possibly fitness is an issue with all the games so close?

 

[hellogregory]

Donaldson should be retired, he's way past it. Having said that he played well (by his standards) in the last couple of games but tires after 45 minutes because hes 36 and is having to play 90 minutes every 3 days. Novak, weirdly, is hailed as the messiah by some of our lot because he has 4, yes 4 goals to his name which makes him marginally better than the rest of our 'strikers'. I don't rate him at all but he's injured anyway so won't be playing. Watt is good though and is probably our best summer signing. Has faded the last few weeks but thats probably down to confidence more than anything given we're losing every week. It's like I've said before though, if you press us high and make us go long then you'll nullify us going forward and our defence will always give you a chance. Strangely Cheltenham didn't do that to us in the first half midweek and we actually played ok as a result. Second half they figured out what to do and deservedly won the game. Think you'll scrape it 0-1 or 1-2.

Hadn’t realised Donaldson was 36. How did that happen? I had it in my head that he was about 29/30.

 

[kieran_vale]

Was curious to see Eoin Doyles comments on us in the lead up to tomorrows game saying how we are "tough and physical" and try to rough up opponents. I know how he said it he meant it as a compliment but if only it was true. In reality we look a bit of a soft touch and showing an inability to think well under pressure. Hopefully we can start to put that right tomorrow.

If can get a draw that will be fine, just something to stop the rot as this league is such that a couple of results either way can make a huge difference in your league position as our opponents tomorrow are seeing.

 

[valefan16]

Was curious to see Eoin Doyles comments on us in the lead up to tomorrows game saying how we are "tough and physical" and try to rough up opponents. I know how he said it he meant it as a compliment but if only it was true. In reality we look a bit of a soft touch and showing an inability to think well under pressure. Hopefully we can start to put that right tomorrow.

If can get a draw that will be fine, just something to stop the rot as this league is such that a couple of results either way can make a huge difference in your league position as our opponents tomorrow are seeing.

Yeah maybe he was watching videos of us 10 years ago under the messiah with Griff and Fraser in the midfield.

We are soft as shit and have been for years now. Wish we would toughen up!

 

[masi51]

Luke Joyce was featured in the local rag. He was pictured in the paper as a nine year old at Boltons last match at Burnden Park......His family are Bolton season ticket holders.
He got sent off against Tranmere true Boltonian.
Guaranteed to score Tomorrow.

 

[kieran_vale]

Luke Joyce was featured in the local rag. He was pictured in the paper as a nine year old at Boltons last match at Burnden Park......His family are Bolton season ticket holders.
He got sent off against Tranmere true Boltonian.
Guaranteed to score Tomorrow.

As much as I like Luke Joyce if he scored that would be lets say very surprising. Only recall him doing it once against Morecambe last season.

Now Burnden Park that was a proper football stadium. Remember going there with Vale in the 90's with that supermarket next to the away end.

Guess now is a good a time as any to mention don’t recall us ever beating Bolton certainly since I started supporting Vale. Tomorrow would be a nice time to break that streak rather than helping others end their winless ones for once.

 

[masi51]

As much as I like Luke Joyce if he scored that would be lets say very surprising. Only recall him doing it once against Morecambe last season.

Now Burnden Park that was a proper football stadium. Remember going there with Vale in the 90's with that supermarket next to the away end.

Guess now is a good a time as any to mention don’t recall us ever beating Bolton certainly since I started supporting Vale. Tomorrow would be a nice time to break that streak rather than helping others end their winless ones for once.

We improved as soon as we put a goalkeeper in the nets 4 straight wins since Billy the fish was dropped.
We have been unchanged for those 4 games but Tomorrow the will be certainly one and maybe two changes.
Tutte tore a thigh muscle last week and is out until the new year. White or Comley who have both been terrible when played are in contention. Crawford has missed three days training this week and if he does not make Darcy will come in giving the midfield more Energy.
We need to get more service to Doyle he simply scores with good service in this league.

 

[valefan16]

As much as I like Luke Joyce if he scored that would be lets say very surprising. Only recall him doing it once against Morecambe last season.

Now Burnden Park that was a proper football stadium. Remember going there with Vale in the 90's with that supermarket next to the away end.

Guess now is a good a time as any to mention don’t recall us ever beating Bolton certainly since I started supporting Vale. Tomorrow would be a nice time to break that streak rather than helping others end their winless ones for once.

Joyce doesn’t do goals does he apart from the thunderbolt last season.

I just recall the disasters against Bolton in the relegation season. Went up to their place, cost a fortune for ticket, parking (sure was about £7 to park on rubble!) and game was gone in 15 minutes including Lawrie Wilson scoring a stunner... (one of our worst signings in the past decade and that takes some doing!)

Then us starting really well at our place and Big Reg stupidly punching the ball trying to score a Maradona when on a yellow! Cult status was gone in that instance. Still hit the post at 0-0 but was game gone and probably sealed our relegation virtually then the morons from both fan bases scrapping on the pitch.

We’ve a bad record, beat them in the FA Cup but think only a couple of times in the league. Best chance we will get to add to that but will have to defend better than we have and put more like the effort second half last week to have any chance.

 

[northstandexile]

Why is the Colchester vs Grimsby game kicking off at 5.30pm?

 

[The Terminator]

Why is the Colchester vs Grimsby game kicking off at 5.30pm?

So the Grimsby team can make the trip there and back on the same day without having to pay to stay in a hotel overnight, we kicked off at 5.30pm when they came to us as well.

We wanted the same thing for our last two away trips 5.30pm kick offs so we don't have to pay to stay in a hotel overnight, but Port Vale and Scunthorpe both declined to do this for us, so we suggested that we make the games a 1pm kick off.

The reason for us now wanting it at 1pm, is because of Covid protocools large crowds can't hang around in hotels together, so the players have to stay in their own rooms on their own without any company and according to our manager everyone would rather just play the game earlier to avoid the hanging around.

Of course for some away games, you can't travel to them on the day as they're too far. Barrow and Carlisle the obvious ones for us.

 

[denzel ecfc]

Game of the day at the top.
We are clearly on fire, scoring for fun. Of has been a long run of playing twice a week with some long trips, so this may be affecting some of the players, and of course masi is hoping they all get injured.
I doubt there would be many changes though, the usual Jay or Law debate.
Still feel positive though, 2-1 to us.

 

[Devon_Lad]

I'm feeling a 3-1 win for us. C'mon boys!

 

[masi51]

Game of the day at the top.
We are clearly on fire, scoring for fun. Of has been a long run of playing twice a week with some long trips, so this may be affecting some of the players, and of course masi is hoping they all get injured.
I doubt there would be many changes though, the usual Jay or Law debate.
Still feel positive though, 2-1 to us.

No i dont wish anyone to get injured, its just inevitable you are juggling too many balls....Sooner or later the balls are going to be dropped.
Nothing wrong in having a couple of cup runs but it will impact you come January or Febuary. Your game on the 9th January is already off against us as you play in the Fa cup that day.
We are out of all cups and we will have free Saturdays/midweek slots. Evatt already said we are bringing another Keeper and Forward in January......Its a long season and we are getting stronger each week

 

[shoddycollins]

Luke Joyce was featured in the local rag. He was pictured in the paper as a nine year old at Boltons last match at Burnden Park......His family are Bolton season ticket holders.
He got sent off against Tranmere true Boltonian.
Guaranteed to score Tomorrow.

We signed him while he was still a teenager and technically counted as an academy product for us, but a lot of United fans forget he was only with our academy briefly and did most of his apprenticeship with youse and Wigan.

 

[shoddycollins]

It's well known by this point that we have a whole load of ex Bradford players in our squad. Probably the most I can ever remember us having ex players of a particular club.

Callum Guy will be suspended after picking up his fifth booking, that opens the door though for Danny Devine or Joe Riley. Riley has been part of our midfield three most of the season but dropped to the bench against Salford in favour of Devine who was making his first league start and got man of the match. If they don't both feature to fill the gap vacated by Guy then it's likely to be Dean Furman, another ex-bantam who does. Then up front Omari Patrick is more likely than not to start having earned his place back following a short injury.

Bradford have two ex-United players in Elliot Watt and Ben Richards-Everton

 

[Carver]

Ben Richards-Everton

Who the hell is he?

 

[shoddycollins]

Who the hell is he?

Nobody knew who he was when he was released at the age of 16 or whatever but it came to my knowledge when he scored against us last season.

 

[Devon_Lad]

 

[Bottega Don]

We are playing the same team that beat Harrogate on Tues, surprising as Cox suggested some players may need to be rested.

 

[denzel ecfc]

No i dont wish anyone to get injured, its just inevitable you are juggling too many balls....Sooner or later the balls are going to be dropped.
Nothing wrong in having a couple of cup runs but it will impact you come January or Febuary. Your game on the 9th January is already off against us as you play in the Fa cup that day.
We are out of all cups and we will have free Saturdays/midweek slots. Evatt already said we are bringing another Keeper and Forward in January......Its a long season and we are getting stronger each week

Whatever mate. Northampton got the furthest in the Cup last season. Remember them?

 

[BarraMatt]

Just found out I can't go last minute, what a kick in the testicles.

 

[Devon_Lad]

This is one of the most in depth squads we have ever had. We have genuine competition for pretty much every place. Masi hasn't got a clue. we can rotate players with ease and not lose out in quality on the pitch. It's the advantage of having a dynamite academy.

 

[dedwardp]

So the Grimsby team can make the trip there and back on the same day without having to pay to stay in a hotel overnight, we kicked off at 5.30pm when they came to us as well.

We wanted the same thing for our last two away trips 5.30pm kick offs so we don't have to pay to stay in a hotel overnight, but Port Vale and Scunthorpe both declined to do this for us, so we suggested that we make the games a 1pm kick off.

The reason for us now wanting it at 1pm, is because of Covid protocools large crowds can't hang around in hotels together, so the players have to stay in their own rooms on their own without any company and according to our manager everyone would rather just play the game earlier to avoid the hanging around.

Of course for some away games, you can't travel to them on the day as they're too far. Barrow and Carlisle the obvious ones for us.

When we were promoted in 2005/06, we used to travel everywhere on the day - the players' coach was usually only just departing from Layer Road when you'd start to arrive for the supporters' bus.

 

[hellogregory]

It's well known by this point that we have a whole load of ex Bradford players in our squad. Probably the most I can ever remember us having ex players of a particular club.

Callum Guy will be suspended after picking up his fifth booking, that opens the door though for Danny Devine or Joe Riley. Riley has been part of our midfield three most of the season but dropped to the bench against Salford in favour of Devine who was making his first league start and got man of the match. If they don't both feature to fill the gap vacated by Guy then it's likely to be Dean Furman, another ex-bantam who does. Then up front Omari Patrick is more likely than not to start having earned his place back following a short injury.

Bradford have two ex-United players in Elliot Watt and Ben Richards-Everton

I expect it will be Furman for Guy. I don’t think Beech rates Devine in the midfield role that Guy plays, he’ll want him to play the same role as he did Wednesday, getting up and down and into the box when he can.

Farman
Tanner Hayden Bennett Anderton
Devine Furman Mellish
Kayode Alessandra Patrick

This will be the starting 11 in my opinion.

 

[Bottega Don]

What's that? Yet another harsh penalty given against us

I would have never expected that

Howard saved it thankfully

 

[Si Robin]

Whatever mate. Northampton got the furthest in the Cup last season. Remember them?

Cup runs usually add to a good season.

All of our best seasons (aside from 15/16 and last season) have had a cup run of some sort.

98/99 - Promoted to the League, FA Cup 3rd round (2nd time in our history) and semi-finals of the FA Trophy

01/02 - Promoted to Division 2, FA Cup 5th round (furthest we've been)

05/06 - Promoted to League 1, FA Cup 4th round

11/12 - Lost in playoff final, FA Cup 3rd round

12/13 - Lost in playoff semis, FA Cup 3rd round

 

[Devon_Lad]

Didn't Bradford also get promoted the season they had a phenomenal cup run? Or am I getting my years mixed up...

 

[Bottega Don]

Orient are playing a fun game of keep ball here we've barely touched it after 12 minutes

 

[masi51]

Whatever mate. Northampton got the furthest in the Cup last season. Remember them?

This season started later add to the fact some teams are in two cups i will watch this with interest

 

[dedwardp]

Last time we were promoted, we made the fifth round of the FA Cup and the area final of the LDV Vans Trophy. Presumably this is more to do with the fact that the teams getting promoted are generally strongest/having the best seasons though, so it's to be expected really.