Tuesday 21st March

[devilofajob]

Bradford v Carlisle
Crawley v Doncaster
Gillingham v Crewe

I hope we can maintain our recent form. A win for us and Gillingham losing would increase the gap to the bottom 2 and bring Colchester, Gillingham and Harrogate within reach.
Two of the current bottom 6 to go down.

 

[AdamStag]

Add mansfield vs grimsby on wednesday night.

 

[F!RTHY]

Carlisle United at home - massive game

…all must win games at this stage of the season, but lose tomorrow and I think we can kiss the autos goodbye.

Thankfully, it’s at home. Now I wouldn’t say that usually cos our home form could ultimately cost us, but we never beat Carlisle at theirs but have a decent record against them at Valley Parade - praying this continues.

Crowd need to play their part tomorrow night. It’s been really flat all season, but we’ve never looked like bossing a game at home all season, neither.

I know my fellow City contingent won’t agree, but the same starting XI again for me.

GK: Harry Lewis

RB: Brad Halliday
CB: Matt Platt
CB: Sam Stubbs
LB: Liam Ridehalgh

CM: Alex Gilliead
CM: Adam Clayton
CM: Ritchie Smallwood

AM: Jamie Walker

ST: Dara Costelloe
ST: Andy Cook


Tight game - fancy us for a 1-0 win.

Cook to score, obviously.

 

[Richard Cranium]

Hope the Grimsby players have been on the lash since full time celebrating a great cup run. We really need all 3 points here

 

[AdamStag]

Home to grimsby wednesday which should be rightfully viewed by the home fans as an expected win.

Injuries or not, we’re good enough to be winning and the home form needs to pick up if we’re going to achieve something. Given an extra days rest and the “after the lord mayors show” for grimsby i’d like to think we’d manage the 3 points.

I’d expect the grimsby following to be a little lower than per, but given the weekend that would be entirely understandable

 

[Kauto Star]

Carlisle United at home - massive game

…all must win games at this stage of the season, but lose tomorrow and I think we can kiss the autos goodbye.

Thankfully, it’s at home. Now I wouldn’t say that usually cos our home form could ultimately cost us, but we never beat Carlisle at theirs but have a decent record against them at Valley Parade - praying this continues.

Crowd need to play their part tomorrow night. It’s been really flat all season, but we’ve never looked like bossing a game at home all season, neither.

I know my fellow City contingent won’t agree, but the same starting XI again for me.

GK: Harry Lewis

RB: Brad Halliday
CB: Matt Platt
CB: Sam Stubbs
LB: Liam Ridehalgh

CM: Alex Gilliead
CM: Adam Clayton
CM: Ritchie Smallwood

AM: Jamie Walker

ST: Dara Costelloe
ST: Andy Cook


Tight game - fancy us for a 1-0 win.

Cook to score, obviously.

For me we have to drop one of the defensive midfielders Clayton or Smallwood and bring in Scotty Banks.

I would imagine Jamie Walker is an injury doubt, if he doesn't make it, recall Harry Chapman.

If fit, Derbyshire has to play in place of Costelloe

 

[devilofajob]

Add mansfield vs grimsby on wednesday night.

Doh!! Apologies, didn't think to check Wednesday and I can't seemingly edit the title.

 

[Cas]

3-1 Carlisle. Don't fancy us at all against them.

 

[F!RTHY]

For me we have to drop one of the defensive midfielders Clayton or Smallwood and bring in Scotty Banks.

I would imagine Jamie Walker is an injury doubt, if he doesn't make it, recall Harry Chapman.

If fit, Derbyshire has to play in place of Costelloe

I hear you but we’re back to getting overrun again in midfield.

1.) Hughes won’t drop Smallwood - and I agree.
2.) Clayton has 4 assist in 11 games - he’s contributing.
3.) We won’t drop Gilliead because he’s the fittest player we have.

East is too lightweight to play in 2 man midfield. Banks only starts if we play with wingers.

Costelloe partnering Cook is the key reason why Cook is firing on all cylinders at the minute.

If Walker is injured then I just say fuck it and go 442. Banks and Chapman on the wing and we’ll get buttfucked in the middle - no matter who we play.

 

[Son of Cod]

Home to grimsby wednesday which should be rightfully viewed by the home fans as an expected win.

Injuries or not, we’re good enough to be winning and the home form needs to pick up if we’re going to achieve something. Given an extra days rest and the “after the lord mayors show” for grimsby i’d like to think we’d manage the 3 points.

I’d expect the grimsby following to be a little lower than per, but given the weekend that would be entirely understandable

Yeah, was gonna say that. I'd expect it to be four figures still but won't be anywhere near a sell out.

I think we've rested players quite well despite this cup run and being partway through an endless run of Saturday, midweek, Saturday games. Central defence is an area of concern in that respect as Maher, Waterfall and Efete have played a lot of football lately. Everywhere else on the pitch we have players capable of coming in and doing a job. Emmanuel, Lloyd, McAtee and Taylor have all been well rested lately. Harry Clifton had one game off a few weeks back so he's charged back up for another three seasons. I hope Mansfield go into this expecting the free hit that it looks on paper as I think we could get something from this. We're certainly better equipped to deal with this than we were at Carlisle after the Southampton match.

From everything I've seen/read this isn't a particularly strong Mansfield side and if it wasn't a weak season I doubt they'd be up challenging for a playoff spot.

So after saying that, we're quite clearly gonna get pumped!

Was entertaining the idea of doing this from London but I've been told off for going to too much football and for coming back from Brighton too drunk. Hope we get to go to Stags on a Saturday next season if we're in the same division.

 

[GFC4EVA]

Must win vs crewe, considering some of our fixtures coming up

 

[GTFCfish]

Yeah, was gonna say that. I'd expect it to be four figures still but won't be anywhere near a sell out.

I think we've rested players quite well despite this cup run and being partway through an endless run of Saturday, midweek, Saturday games. Central defence is an area of concern in that respect as Maher, Waterfall and Efete have played a lot of football lately. Everywhere else on the pitch we have players capable of coming in and doing a job. Emmanuel, Lloyd, McAtee and Taylor have all been well rested lately. Harry Clifton had one game off a few weeks back so he's charged back up for another three seasons. I hope Mansfield go into this expecting the free hit that it looks on paper as I think we could get something from this. We're certainly better equipped to deal with this than we were at Carlisle after the Southampton match.

From everything I've seen/read this isn't a particularly strong Mansfield side and if it wasn't a weak season I doubt they'd be up challenging for a playoff spot.

So after saying that, we're quite clearly gonna get pumped!

Was entertaining the idea of doing this from London but I've been told off for going to too much football and for coming back from Brighton too drunk. Hope we get to go to Stags on a Saturday next season if we're in the same division.

I think it might drop below 4 figures given the money forked out by a lot of fans on Southampton and Brighton and it being on a Wednesday night.
Anywhere from 800 - 1000 would be my guess.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

We’ll play shite and lose, nothing more to be said

 

[AR27]

I hear you but we’re back to getting overrun again in midfield.

1.) Hughes won’t drop Smallwood - and I agree.
2.) Clayton has 4 assist in 11 games - he’s contributing.
3.) We won’t drop Gilliead because he’s the fittest player we have.

East is too lightweight to play in 2 man midfield. Banks only starts if we play with wingers.

Costelloe partnering Cook is the key reason why Cook is firing on all cylinders at the minute.

If Walker is injured then I just say fuck it and go 442. Banks and Chapman on the wing and we’ll get buttfucked in the middle - no matter who we play.

They're all valid points which make a mockery of our central midfield recruitment.

 

[LS Bantam]

Gillead justifying a place because he’s ‘the fittest player we have’ is mad (I’d guess Brad Halliday for example does more miles every single game), might as well play Mr Motivator there as I’m sure he too will provide no goals/assists/any attacking threat or specific defensive midfield role - as Gillead has done all season yet starts every game, rant over.
On the game itself I’ve very little confidence, one as I said earlier in Hughes’ stubbornness at changing this 11 that for me just doesn’t work at home and two this never seeming to match teams who are up for it, like really up for it. Annoyingly I can’t go which isn’t helping the pessimism.

 

[Son of Cod]

I think it might drop below 4 figures given the money forked out by a lot of fans on Southampton and Brighton and it being on a Wednesday night.
Anywhere from 800 - 1000 would be my guess.

Yeah you could be right. My thinking was that there won't have been that many to have returned tickets though, and we'd shifted a load for the original fixture. Plus people will have missed out this weekend and the Yorkshire/Manc exiles will be able to do this one.

 

[Chief Rocka]

If I was a Bradford fan I'd rather see Elvis Costello upfront, hopeless the other fella, wouldn't score in a brothel with a 50 quid strapped to his knob.

 

[hellogregory]

Think I’ve been to Valley Parade 3 times, including a preseason game and it’s been an aggregate score of 8-0. 3 visits, 3 defeats (including a 4-0) and no goals scored.

Bradford fans will be pleased to know I will be attending tomorrow night.

Hoping for fourth time lucky but I expect it will be more of the same really. Even though we won the home game, this is still a tough game and with our record there I do expect us to lose as we start our descent down the table.

It’s an unbelievable achievement to be where we are, but it’s largely down to being good at getting points off the teams around the middle and bottom areas of the league. We suffer from a severe lack the quality when it comes to most games against teams up the top end and I expect tomorrow will be like this. We’ll make a game of it I reckon, but we’ll fall short with the lack of quality.

Bradford City 2-0 Carlisle United

I don’t want our descent down the league to overshadow what a great season it’s been. To think of the shower of shit we were last season, even the team we fielded on the last day of the season at Bradford. The improvement has been remarkable. And whether we finish 7th, 8th or even 10th or whatever, it’s still been a superb managerial performance from Simpson.

 

[joethegill]

Don't like playing Crewe, never seems to go to form too much. We've been very good at home since January, but Crewe have been in decent nick themselves. Kind of game we need to win though with a couple of toughies coming up, just to keep the pressure off a bit.

 

[PuB]

Don't like playing Crewe, never seems to go to form too much. We've been very good at home since January, but Crewe have been in decent nick themselves. Kind of game we need to win though with a couple of toughies coming up, just to keep the pressure off a bit.

Think our socials are going to go in to full meltdown tomorrow if we lose, but yes we never seem to do very well against them, especially if we need something from the game

 

[Kendalcufc]

Our record at Valley Parade isn't all that bad. I remember watching us beat Guiseley 4-1 there in the FA Cup.

There was also a night game that I attended in League One where we got a 1-1 draw thanks to a goal off Lumsdon's arse.

 

[Soup Ladle]

We’ll play shite and lose, nothing more to be said

Yeah Crawley couldn't have asked for an easier fixture on paper to be frank

 

[RiftHouseLad]

Yeah Crawley couldn't have asked for an easier fixture on paper to be frank

Who,s Frank

 

[BlackHaddock]

Expecting an easy three points from Mansfield on Wednesday, they haven't pulled up any trees this season and the worm has turned in Grimsby at last.

 

[Son of Cod]

I think it might drop below 4 figures given the money forked out by a lot of fans on Southampton and Brighton and it being on a Wednesday night.
Anywhere from 800 - 1000 would be my guess.

1100 sold apparently, pay on the gate will probably be balanced out by those who can't go and forgot to get refunds on their original tickets so I reckon it'll be about that.

 

[F!RTHY]

1,200+ Carlisle making the 110 mile trip to West Yorkshire this evening.

Fair play.

 

[Conker]

Yeah, was gonna say that. I'd expect it to be four figures still but won't be anywhere near a sell out.

I think we've rested players quite well despite this cup run and being partway through an endless run of Saturday, midweek, Saturday games. Central defence is an area of concern in that respect as Maher, Waterfall and Efete have played a lot of football lately. Everywhere else on the pitch we have players capable of coming in and doing a job. Emmanuel, Lloyd, McAtee and Taylor have all been well rested lately. Harry Clifton had one game off a few weeks back so he's charged back up for another three seasons. I hope Mansfield go into this expecting the free hit that it looks on paper as I think we could get something from this. We're certainly better equipped to deal with this than we were at Carlisle after the Southampton match.

From everything I've seen/read this isn't a particularly strong Mansfield side and if it wasn't a weak season I doubt they'd be up challenging for a playoff spot.

So after saying that, we're quite clearly gonna get pumped!

Was entertaining the idea of doing this from London but I've been told off for going to too much football and for coming back from Brighton too drunk. Hope we get to go to Stags on a Saturday next season if we're in the same division.

It’s a stronger squad than last season where we got to the play-off final, we just have 10 players out and you’d probably start 7 of them. Even Ollie Clarke is a doubt for tomorrow, our midfield is basically non-existent at the minute and we can guarantee at least one striker playing in defence so it’s easy for the opposition to find the weak points.

 

[DearneValleyRover]

Who,s Frank

If he’s any good we won’t sign him

 

[PuB]

Why are Crewe playing tonight but not Saturday?

 

[F!RTHY]

Why are Crewe playing tonight but not Saturday?

Exactly.