Bradford often play a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Doyle up front on his own, someone who usually scores a hat-full in this division, and we should be cautious of him as considering that Bradford are a team who currently sit bottom of the league, he has got himself into double figures for goals and has a respectable four assists to his name too. Behind Doyle, Bradford also have some very good players in their attacking midfield, David Ball, Jack Payne, Jacob Butterfield, and of course Billy Clarke who we know well. It is quite puzzling how a side with so much attacking talent can be so far down the league to the point where a defeat tomorrow could almost see the end of their survival hopes. Well, the answer is they're extremely poor defensively, conceding 67 goals so far this season, only Rochdale with 76 have conceded more. An interesting stat too is that Bradford have scored fewer headed goals than any other League One team
this season (3) and only Rochdale have conceded more goals from headers
(19) than Bradford (14). With a goals against number as high as that with still a whole month to go of the season, it is a recipe for disaster, even if they had a great attack that scored a lot of goals. But they don't, only 43 in 39 games is not enough for any side to really compete in this division.
Form wise, Bradford are poor having only won twice in their last 13 matches. In fact, when you examine their last 13 matches in the league, they've picked up a dismal 9 points, conceded 27 whilst only scoring only 12 in that time too. Specifically when you look at their away form, they have only won 3 times away all season, and not at all this calendar year. Their wins away from home have been at Shrewsbury on the opening day (1-0), AFC Wimbledon at the beginning of October (1-0), and Rochdale just after Christmas (4-0) - three of the five teams directly above them. Against the top six, they are of course yet to play us away from home until tomorrow. However, they have lost to each of Luton (4-0), Barsnley (3-0), Portsmouth (5-1), and Sunderland (1-0) away from home. Only Shrewsbury have a worse away form in the league than Bradford, but that could all change tomorrow if we beat Bradford and Shrewsbury pick up any kind of result at Southend.
Regarding us, I fully expect the players to be right up for this game and I am sure that Bows and the team will have drummed into them how they can't afford to be complacent against Bradford. Being at The Valley I am sure that won't happen and I am quietly confident of the lads putting on a show for us tomorrow. Being at home, I would personally hope that Bowyer decides to revert back to the centre back partnership of Bauer and Sarr, being able to work our way forward against Bradford will help us enormously, especially without the technical Bielik sitting in front of the back four. However, I would not be surprised to see Pearce continue to lead the team out which will unfortunately mean Sarr will drop out. The midfield is fairly easy to pick, Cullen will be sitting at the base, Reeves on the right of the diamond, Aribo on the left, and Williams behind a front two of Taylor (who's birthday it is today) and Vetokele. Bradford are a side who cannot cope with running from midfield, they cannot cope with good crosses being put into the box. Vetokele will have a huge role to play tomorrow where he will need to drag one of their centre backs away and out of position, we will need to put quality in the box and we will need runners to support the strikers. Going the other way, we have to be careful of the transition, Bradford still have players capable of hurting us on the counter attack. But with saying that, Bradford are a bit like Barnsley where both teams are very slow in transition from attack to defence. So it is here where we could be cute and clever if we wanted to draw them out, we could potentially hurt them very quickly. Finally, we are a far fitter team in general than what Bradford are so I wouldn't be surprised to see a late goal to make the score a little more convincing for us.
Phillips Solly Bauer Sarr Purrington Cullen Reeves Aribo Williams Taylor Vetokele
We were top and Swindon bottom, Without checking, 99/2000 season ?
Sticking with 3-0 tomorrow.
Yep, year we won the league. Michael Carrick sneaking one under Deano.
I had no idea it was someone that good who had scored the goal (even if it was in reality a Deano howler), which will I suppose make Deano feel better! On loan from West Ham at the time and only 18
Every match is, as they say, a big game now but a win tomorrow will take us 12 points ahead of Peterborough in 7th and, to all intents and purposes, seal our play-off place with 7 games to go. It will also enable us to put some pressure on Pompey for 4th place and a second home leg in the semi-final.
I don't expect tomorrow to be easy but if we can get our noses in front, Bradford may, like other struggling teams low on confidence, feel a sense of doom and conclude that they are in for a long and arduous afternoon. Let's hope so.
Like @Sage, I hope that Naby Sarr comes back into the side, as his passing from the back will help us split the lines offensively, particularly as they are likely to get lots of men behind the ball. More importantly, I had a vivid dream this week that the Nabster curled a beautiful free kick into the top right hand corner of the Covered End net (i.e. to the goalie's left), although I couldn't identify the opposition and so this 'premonition' - stoked by plentiful Tuscan food and wine - may come to pass in one of our other remaining five home games (including the play-off semi-final). Remember, you heard it here first.
We were top and Swindon bottom, Without checking, 99/2000 season ?
Sticking with 3-0 tomorrow.
Kiely basically scooped the ball into his own net.
He did - that was the game where Swindon won without having a shot on target. For the goal, the guy pulled it back from an acute angle and Deano tried to smother it at his near post, and managed to squeeze it under his body back towards his own goal and roll across the line - haven't ever seen anything similar before or since!
I remember we spent the whole game battering them, but couldn't seem to force it over the line, with Matty Svensson missing some good chances.
We had a very similar game against Huddersfield a few weeks later, where absolutely tore them a new one for ninety minutes, only to be undone by their one shot on target.
It’s been two months since we last played (ok 2 weeks but it seems like 2 months), the sun is shining, it’s like the season is starting all over again...and in a way it is, as it’s a mini season in itself...one last push to try and win everything now and see where we end up...
We don't seem to run away with games this season, but this has been the season of penalties. I feel we will be awarded a penalty today, the issue is will we score it.
Comments
Also a salutary lesson in life for my 11 year old who on the bus back home turned to me and said "Dad life isn't fair is it?"
2-0 to Lee Bowyer's red n white army.
Expecting a rout and good momentum for the final run in
Form wise, Bradford are poor having only won twice in their last 13 matches. In fact, when you examine their last 13 matches in the league, they've picked up a dismal 9 points, conceded 27 whilst only scoring only 12 in that time too. Specifically when you look at their away form, they have only won 3 times away all season, and not at all this calendar year. Their wins away from home have been at Shrewsbury on the opening day (1-0), AFC Wimbledon at the beginning of October (1-0), and Rochdale just after Christmas (4-0) - three of the five teams directly above them. Against the top six, they are of course yet to play us away from home until tomorrow. However, they have lost to each of Luton (4-0), Barsnley (3-0), Portsmouth (5-1), and Sunderland (1-0) away from home. Only Shrewsbury have a worse away form in the league than Bradford, but that could all change tomorrow if we beat Bradford and Shrewsbury pick up any kind of result at Southend.
Regarding us, I fully expect the players to be right up for this game and I am sure that Bows and the team will have drummed into them how they can't afford to be complacent against Bradford. Being at The Valley I am sure that won't happen and I am quietly confident of the lads putting on a show for us tomorrow. Being at home, I would personally hope that Bowyer decides to revert back to the centre back partnership of Bauer and Sarr, being able to work our way forward against Bradford will help us enormously, especially without the technical Bielik sitting in front of the back four. However, I would not be surprised to see Pearce continue to lead the team out which will unfortunately mean Sarr will drop out. The midfield is fairly easy to pick, Cullen will be sitting at the base, Reeves on the right of the diamond, Aribo on the left, and Williams behind a front two of Taylor (who's birthday it is today) and Vetokele. Bradford are a side who cannot cope with running from midfield, they cannot cope with good crosses being put into the box. Vetokele will have a huge role to play tomorrow where he will need to drag one of their centre backs away and out of position, we will need to put quality in the box and we will need runners to support the strikers. Going the other way, we have to be careful of the transition, Bradford still have players capable of hurting us on the counter attack. But with saying that, Bradford are a bit like Barnsley where both teams are very slow in transition from attack to defence. So it is here where we could be cute and clever if we wanted to draw them out, we could potentially hurt them very quickly. Finally, we are a far fitter team in general than what Bradford are so I wouldn't be surprised to see a late goal to make the score a little more convincing for us.
Solly Bauer Sarr Purrington
Cullen
Reeves Aribo
Williams
Taylor Vetokele
Maxwell, Dijksteel, Pearce, Pratley, Lapslie, Fosu, Parker
Charlton Athletic 3-0 Bradford City
Taylor
Vetokele
Aribo
Lee Bowyer:
'I don't understand why Bradford are down there. They've got good strikers and they can hurt you. But they do leak goals'.
So you do fucking understand why we're down there then.
Read more: http://thecowsarse.boards.net/thread/1225/chartlon-colon-crushing#ixzz5jas1koMd
I don't expect tomorrow to be easy but if we can get our noses in front, Bradford may, like other struggling teams low on confidence, feel a sense of doom and conclude that they are in for a long and arduous afternoon. Let's hope so.
Like @Sage, I hope that Naby Sarr comes back into the side, as his passing from the back will help us split the lines offensively, particularly as they are likely to get lots of men behind the ball. More importantly, I had a vivid dream this week that the Nabster curled a beautiful free kick into the top right hand corner of the Covered End net (i.e. to the goalie's left), although I couldn't identify the opposition and so this 'premonition' - stoked by plentiful Tuscan food and wine - may come to pass in one of our other remaining five home games (including the play-off semi-final). Remember, you heard it here first.
I remember we spent the whole game battering them, but couldn't seem to force it over the line, with Matty Svensson missing some good chances.
We had a very similar game against Huddersfield a few weeks later, where absolutely tore them a new one for ninety minutes, only to be undone by their one shot on target.
They have a leaky defence - we dont score many.
Always do poorly against the bottom sides
Players either been away on international duty so lots of travelling or sat at home on their mini-break.
They have a striker we chased last year (Doyle), a player returning to the Valley (Clarke) and we have one of their cast-ofgs (Marshall)
Ergo.....0-2 (Doyle & Clarke - with Marshall giving away a pen)
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45923589
If Scunthorpe drop a place this weekend then they're the other bottom six team we've lost to this season
I feel we will be awarded a penalty today, the issue is will we score it.