Sitting here trying to convince myself that we have another gear, but didn't need it today. Also, players to conserve energy and remain injury free for the season finale. Musn't peak too early etc ... Oh well I did try
We do have another gear.
If we don't get promoted this season we'll see that gear next year: reverse.
I can’t remember a game where we played so badly yet won so comfortably. Just goes to show how bad Bradford were. too many players strolling around like it was a friendly. Dijksteel was awful . Williams no better . I forgot Reeves was playing until he came off and Aribo was far too casual. Igor isn’t the same player of two years ago but I think we all knew that. Taylor should have has a Hatrick . All that and we won ! Cullen ran the midfield as he has done nearly every time he’s played . Awful game but hey ho . Three points in the bag .
Play like that against Luton and we’ll get mullered.
Can’t think of a game this season where we’ve played poorly against top 6 side. The way we play benefits against better opposition.
Barnsley away.
Not sure about poorly we were hit by two worldies in the first 15 minutes and had to chase the game with a team depleted by injuries.
Well another 3 points win, we’ve picked up a lot of seasons at home this season.
i wasn’t convinced we were going to smash Bradford, as Shrewsbury away aside, we haven’t battered anyone this season.
As soon as I saw 5 at the back for Bradford, I knew it was going to be a slow afternoon.
We could, and maybe should have been 3 up by half time, and with Bradford hitting the post in the 2nd half, could have ended up coming away with just a point.
we do need to be more ruthless / more clinical in front of goal, I know if it’s if buts and maybe’s but do believe if Karlan was in the side we’d have won a bit more convincingly.
I just hope we can end the season on a high, rather than limp into the playoffs.
Its a good chance for players to play themselves into form, onwards and upwards.
Bowyer must be joking if he thinks that side is going to thrash anyone. We have one striker who plays on the left most of the time. Igor is rubbish. Play Parker and Fosu every game and ditch Williams.
Excellent at home to Barnsley. Excellent at home to Doncaster. Excellent for 60 minutes against Sunderland. Excellent at home to Pompey. Excellent at home to Luton ? I had a dream...
Hard work but Gary Bowyer had Bradford pretty well drilled. We miss Grant’s pace up top and if I’m honest, when a team sits back like Bradford did, hoping to catch us out on the break, shows how much the two fullbacks struggled getting forward and supporting the attack. Dijksteel marginally better, but took him until the 75th min to beat his man. Purrington not got the skill to do it at all. Worrying if diamond is our preffered formation as it relies on the full backs doing more
Three points and playoffs looking certain. Downside is we just cant score enough goals. Against a playoff team I wonder if we have enough firepower. Not saying we should be scoring three every game but we do need to do it occasionally.
8 goals conceded in 14 games since Phillips came into the team against Walsall.
If we carry on conceding that few goals, we won't need the firepower of a destroyer to sink our play off rivals.
Check our defensive record in 98 and what followed in the playoffs.
I can’t remember a game where we played so badly yet won so comfortably. Just goes to show how bad Bradford were. too many players strolling around like it was a friendly. Dijksteel was awful . Williams no better . I forgot Reeves was playing until he came off and Aribo was far too casual. Igor isn’t the same player of two years ago but I think we all knew that. Taylor should have has a Hatrick . All that and we won ! Cullen ran the midfield as he has done nearly every time he’s played . Awful game but hey ho . Three points in the bag .
Play like that against Luton and we’ll get mullered.
What did dijksteel do that made him awful? In the second half he was pushing up and beat the full back time and again and won a few corners although the final ball could be better. He kept the ball and used it well. He made one mistake in the second half but recovered to win back possession. It was his best performance in a charlton shirt and If that was solly pushing on like that, there would be lots of praise and man love.......unless I missed something?
A better than expected turn out of Bradford fans seemed to be let down by the total lack of effort in their team. OK all the time it was 1-0 they were in it, they went through the motions, even might have scored when Bauer blocked, and yes hit the post too, however only by us shooting ourselves in all 22 feet (plus subs) would we have failed to win that. It felt like Bradford City let their players have duvet days when they don't fancy going to work, but the players had all used up their ration and were taking a duvet day anyway. they were pretty awful. That we didn't win by a lot more can be put down to profligacy as much as anything, with the Lyle Taylor miss inexcusable (sorry Lyle), but it can also be put down to kicking the wrong way which is hardly ever a good thing. It might even be down to complacency because in the first half in particular it wasn't even a contest. Our crowd start to 'ole' after 30 minutes that says it all, it wasn't really a competitive match and all the worse for that. If Bradford escape relegation it will be as surprising as Theresa May getting divorced to marry Jeremy Corbyn. Great goal from Taylor, all the players were ok to decent, but they weren't really tested individually or as a team. What looked promising ended up as meh, but the real prize was three juicy points.
Hegot an assist, but Aribo was below his best today. Williams should have had an assist but he was below par too. A win is a win though. If we win our next two, that will be the play off place done and dusted.
Awful game played by two teams with no clue of how to score goals. We need to start learning to make those passes forward when there is a player in space and looking for the ball. If they get flagged for offside, so what ? And Igor doesn’t have enough movement to justify his place at the moment
I can’t remember a game where we played so badly yet won so comfortably. Just goes to show how bad Bradford were. too many players strolling around like it was a friendly. Dijksteel was awful . Williams no better . I forgot Reeves was playing until he came off and Aribo was far too casual. Igor isn’t the same player of two years ago but I think we all knew that. Taylor should have has a Hatrick . All that and we won ! Cullen ran the midfield as he has done nearly every time he’s played . Awful game but hey ho . Three points in the bag .
Play like that against Luton and we’ll get mullered.
What did dijksteel do that made him awful? In the second half he was pushing up and beat the full back time and again and won a few corners although the final ball could be better. He kept the ball and used it well. He made one mistake in the second half but recovered to win back possession. It was his best performance in a charlton shirt and If that was solly pushing on like that, there would be lots of praise and man love.......unless I missed something?
Dijksteel's delivery today was tertible throughout the game - makes you wonder whar they do in training.
He has improved as a player defensively and has the potential to be a very good player but needs to learn to cross.
Bowyer has to aim for 91points and see where that takes us. I think Barnsley are creaking, but I can't see Sunderland dropping too many points. I think 91 points has a decentish chance of being enough for second, but it is unlikely we will win every remaining game.
Bowyer has been a revelation but I’m sorry Lee, we’re not going to finish top two.
No we won’t. But what is bowyer supposed to say - We have seven games of playing in 2nd gear and will then hit the play offs out of form? Bowyer needs to keep the squad believing that they can finish second for as long as possible, just to keep momentum and form going into the play offs. What sort of message would it give if bowyer said “play offs are guaranteed, I’m resting Cullen for 7 games and playing pratley instead and then expects Cullen to perform in the play offs. Bowyer is saying the right things, even if it isn’t true
Bowyer has to aim for 91points and see where that takes us. I think Barnsley are creaking, but I can't see Sunderland dropping too many points. I think 91 points has a decentish chance of being enough for second, but it is unlikely we will win every remaining game.
If we can play like we did today and still win then 6 of the remaining 7 games are definitely winnable and the 7th is the sort of opposition we step up for
To be honest, I think the hardest games will be Plymouth, Gills and Wycombe away. I expect us to beat an already promoted Luton. Of those first three I think we may get 5 points and I can't see 86 points being enough this season for automatic promotion.
Showed that parking the bus is fairly effective against us. Purrington very solid defensively today but is very limited going forward and easy to negate by being so one-footed. All of which contributes to low-scoring games.
We need a better plan B attacking-wise, i guess LB not really convinced by Parker (neither am I)
Thought we played some pretty decent football in the first and could easy have scored 3 or 4. Taylor's sitter and post and Igor could have had a couple if he was on half decent form. More slightly worrying was that Bradford should have got a couple and missed a couple of sitters probably easier than Taylor's. Second half was disappointing. Perhaps game management made us bit too cautious but Bradford also organised themselves much tighter defensively.
Bowyer has been a revelation but I’m sorry Lee, we’re not going to finish top two.
No we won’t. But what is bowyer supposed to say - We have seven games of playing in 2nd gear and will then hit the play offs out of form? Bowyer needs to keep the squad believing that they can finish second for as long as possible, just to keep momentum and form going into the play offs. What sort of message would it give if bowyer said “play offs are guaranteed, I’m resting Cullen for 7 games and playing pratley instead and then expects Cullen to perform in the play offs. Bowyer is saying the right things, even if it isn’t true
Comments
If we don't get promoted this season we'll see that gear next year: reverse.
i wasn’t convinced we were going to smash Bradford, as Shrewsbury away aside, we haven’t battered anyone this season.
As soon as I saw 5 at the back for Bradford, I knew it was going to be a slow afternoon.
We could, and maybe should have been 3 up by half time, and with Bradford hitting the post in the 2nd half, could have ended up coming away with just a point.
we do need to be more ruthless / more clinical in front of goal, I know if it’s if buts and maybe’s but do believe if Karlan was in the side we’d have won a bit more convincingly.
I just hope we can end the season on a high, rather than limp into the playoffs.
Its a good chance for players to play themselves into form, onwards and upwards.
Excellent at home to Doncaster.
Excellent for 60 minutes against Sunderland.
Excellent at home to Pompey.
Excellent at home to Luton ?
I had a dream...
that said, a win is a win
Our midfield is very poor - very little creativity.
Nobody in the side seems able to deliver a decent cross or corner.
Taylor had a good game apart from the miss.
Need to improve before the playoffs.
To score so few goals in L1 is pretty poor.
A better than expected turn out of Bradford fans seemed to be let down by the total lack of effort in their team. OK all the time it was 1-0 they were in it, they went through the motions, even might have scored when Bauer blocked, and yes hit the post too, however only by us shooting ourselves in all 22 feet (plus subs) would we have failed to win that.
It felt like Bradford City let their players have duvet days when they don't fancy going to work, but the players had all used up their ration and were taking a duvet day anyway. they were pretty awful.
That we didn't win by a lot more can be put down to profligacy as much as anything, with the Lyle Taylor miss inexcusable (sorry Lyle), but it can also be put down to kicking the wrong way which is hardly ever a good thing. It might even be down to complacency because in the first half in particular it wasn't even a contest. Our crowd start to 'ole' after 30 minutes that says it all, it wasn't really a competitive match and all the worse for that. If Bradford escape relegation it will be as surprising as Theresa May getting divorced to marry Jeremy Corbyn.
Great goal from Taylor, all the players were ok to decent, but they weren't really tested individually or as a team. What looked promising ended up as meh, but the real prize was three juicy points.
Didn't capitalise on the good start but were strong enough to see it out.
Cullen enjoyed the extra space of no Bielik but Reeves and Williams had little impact again.
The split strikers tactic requires the midfield to run into the box but it didn't happen so leaving Taylor and Igor wide and no one to score.
Bradford didn't want to commit players forward so while we pushed our full backs forward they had little joy.
Philips had another good game but Bauer was my man of the match.
Worst cross bar challenge ever!
Three points as we ease into the playoffs.
He has improved as a player defensively and has the potential to be a very good player but needs to learn to cross.
We need a better plan B attacking-wise, i guess LB not really convinced by Parker (neither am I)
Second half was disappointing. Perhaps game management made us bit too cautious but Bradford also organised themselves much tighter defensively.
A good day, now on to the next one.
they were a shocking side, we never got out of 2nd gear but were so in control despite not really playing well at all.
would much rather play a top side and looking forward to Luton