Bradford City (A) April 23rd, 3pm

[tinned]

I agree with Cully :shock:

Whitney needs to lay the truth bare, and if that offnds and upsets a few of them ....... good, they need a dose of hard reality.

[ChopperWFC]

Two questions .

Who's idea was the hoof ball ?

Can this set of players not realise that a promotion was at stake today ?

We made the game so easy for Bradford today they didn't have to break sweat . Funnily enough neither did our lot. On our day that lot would have been swept aside but Jesus wept put a shift in Walsall. I was desperate for someone to put a hard tackle in maybe even a rash one that showed frustration but no nothing. This was not the time for a display like that . My dad came along today who unlike me picks and chooses his games and he could not recognise this side who normally work hard and play football . Getting more and more frustrated by the minute . At least we have a second chance with play offs but my god WFC step up , be counted and show you want it because we as fans can accept failure if we see you care and want it as much as us the paying fans.

[moaning saddler]

As soon as I heard the team selection I knew we were in for a hard afternoon.
Why play Henry in a position where he becomes so ineffective? - baffling.
Mantom in the 1st half put in a performance equivalent to Taundry at Coventry. However, it was still a country-mile better than Downing's pathetic non-showing in the 2nd half.
Forde again showed that, when the going gets tough, he buggers off and hides.
The only players to emerge with any credit today were Etheridge, O'Connor, Chambers, Sawyers and possibly Kinsella.
A great season could now swiftly turn into an embarrassing one - still, who thought we would make the Play-offs at the start of the season, blah, mindless fecking blah ....

[Harry]

Tuesday - Replace Downing with Preston, Rico at left back, Morris starting with Jordy and Bradshaw upfront and drop Manton.
.

I agree with all those changes.

Downing has been at best average since he came into the side three years ago. His distribution is appalling and he is weak in the air. Preston has his faults, but he deserves another chance.

Has Rico ever had a good game as a winger? Why play one of the best young fullbacks in the division, who has been picked as fullback by the league one managers in the League One team of the year, as a winger? What are they thinking?

Why hasn't Morris been given a decent run in the side this season? He is strong, quick, skillful, and can score a goal.

Bradshaw scores goals - he has to be in the starting eleven.

Mantom has been average or poor all season. We were at our best when he was injured and George Evans was in the team, when he came back everyone wanted him dropped after a few poor performances, but he scored two goals at Chesterfield which is apparently supposed to be reason enough for him to start in the team for the rest of the season.

[Cowshed]

At the start of the day 4 wins would have got promotion

We now need 1draw (to secure playoff) then 3 wins to get promotion

We know the team have the ability to beat anyone in the league and we have beaten all the likely playoff teams

It's still on

[Mazza01]

At the start of the day 4 wins would have got promotion

We now need 1draw (to secure playoff) then 3 wins to get promotion

We know the team have the ability to beat anyone in the league and we have beaten all the likely playoff teams

It's still on

Fair play mate, great positivity.

[coop63]

At the start of the day 4 wins would have got promotion

We now need 1draw (to secure playoff) then 3 wins to get promotion

We know the team have the ability to beat anyone in the league and we have beaten all the likely playoff teams

It's still on

Fair play mate, great positivity.

Yeah - very positive but you're assuming we win the remaining games and also that Burton drop points

What you overlook is that it's quite possible that even with a good run from us in the final 3 games, goal difference may well decide this lot and frankly after today's b******* that is almost definitely a problem.. Effectively a 7 goal swing in one game is a major hurdle when points and positions are this tight

I'd love to believe we can do it but a 6 point gap with 3 games to go (admittedly one in hand) is a big deficit -

Personally I believe it's playoffs for us and if JW doesn't sort his team strategies, morale and who's up for this out then we are stuffed..

Basically we've got to muller Shrewsbury on Tuesday to have any chance of maintaining a chance of an auto spot - a win will guarantee us a play off place but we just don't look in good enough form to get past the first leg with any real chance - hope I'm wrong!

UTS

[SWS1]

Negative: what a bloody awful performance (and tactics and team selection and , oh, whatever) :evil:
Positive: it's been a great season (far more joy than sorrow) and we could still win the playoffs :D

[chunkster]

Negative: what a bloody awful performance (and tactics and team selection and , oh, whatever) :evil:
Positive: it's been a great season (far more joy than sorrow) and we could still win the playoffs :D

NEGATIVE. we still need points to get into playoffs :wink:
POSITIVE.we only need 1 :lol:

[Guest]

All over now. Or is it? Maybe not. OK, it probably is. But you never know...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y3-sqvepcw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

[saddlerbishoff]

Let me say that I like JW a lot and his positivity is great to hear. It has been refreshing to hear after O Dismal and a former manager that scarpers to Brentford for the money.
However today's team selection was plainly wrong..
Doesn't the management realise just what Bradford's style is all about because certainly we do.
I accept that the loss of Pennington was a blow and his ability in the air would and should have made a difference but this was a game for Preston and not Downing and quite frankly I would have liked to see Preston give Hanson a hard time in more ways than one.
Who decided that Downing should pick up Hanson?
In any previous encounter with Hanson Downing has looked lost and not won a ball. What a surprise he did it again.
In Downing we have probably the weakest an most spineless Centre Back in the League.
Well done JW.
And Mantom. He has been useless for many weeks and still gets selected. He offers nothing. He can't run he can't tackle and he can't pass and create. Yet again he was picked so we effectively start with 10 men.
Rico played in front of Taylor. The fan's know that it NEVER works but we select that again. How to ruin Rico and his confidence.
Why play hoofball and play right into their hands? We played football as we can for a few minutes in the first half and create the chance where we hit the bar. How surprising is that.
We play Tom from the bench when we needed him on from the start.
We play Morris from the bench when he deserves a starting place.
We don't have room for Milan but we play Mantom and an ineffective Forde.
Thank god Etheridge kept the score down.
I like Kinsella but he isn't Jason.
Very very disappointing.
Mantom and Downing should be shown the door.
JW. This is the time to show what you are made of. You dont win things by being Nice.
There are some harsh words to say and some harsh decisions to make.
You may well stand or fall by what you do next.
UTS

[otiswfc]

15 mins into the game I thought oh cack we've lost this Bradford out battled and fought us from start to finish very very strange we've played the ball on the floor all season then wait for a massive important game and decide to start hoofing it up to the striker's, Downing was abysmal terrible performance as bad as taundry at Coventry and look what happened to him. I'm glad Whitney has been honest and basically said we were cack and "it wasn't good enough " but it doesn't excuse the performance, waving the pom poms about didn't work this time for Whitney perhaps it might work Tuesday night.

[kshammer]

Said it a million times... we're too nice.

It's been a great season and I love the fact we try and play (and wouldn't change it) but we need a couple of bastards in there.

No leaders.

[Optimistic]

Well I am almost lost for words. It's easy to pick the team after the game but I just feel that to pay hoofball against Bradford with the one we put out would probably end up with a big loss.

I think we should have mixed it up a bit and played with wing backs.

Etheridge

Rico
Preston
O'Conner
Downing
Kinsella

Chambers
Sawyers
Morris

Hiwula
Bradshaw

Defensive, Attacking and Flexible. I just think that we would have given Bradford more to think about instead of being predictable again in such an important match.

Fortune favours the brave.

[Whitters]

If anyone bottled it, sad to say Witters did.

All this abuse against Whitters reminds me of a mate of mine whose name is Dobson.
In the Michael Dobson era he was telling me how strange it was having people around him shout stuff like "fudge off Dobson you idiot!".

[Leatherman]

Midfield was missing again yesterday; reminiscent of the Swindon game.

Bradfords aerial threat was too much for us to cope with.

On that performance, if we still manage to go up, there's going to be a few vacancies in the first eleven.

Shrewsbury next. Can't fudge wait :?: :o :(

[Wragbyred]

Tuesday - Replace Downing with Preston, Rico at left back, Morris starting with Jordy and Bradshaw upfront and drop Manton.
.

Listening to Whitneys comments, and the fact we now need to win by big margins, this just may happen.

[Cully]

It doesn't get any better in the morning does it folks? For those that didn't go, just read sadderbishoff's post to bring you a flavour of how obvious it all went wrong and how bad we all felt after seeing that performance.

I have no idea how the players will react on Tuesday against Shrewsbury but there is only one way they should and as for Whitney, we all know about his good attributes and his lack of experience but it's time to put into action a different plan. If supporters can identify weaknesses in the team then surely it's not beyond the wit of our management team to see those mistakes that have been repeated many times over the last few months.

[Mazza01]

Well I am almost lost for words. It's easy to pick the team after the game but I just feel that to pay hoofball against Bradford with the one we put out would probably end up with a big loss.

I think we should have mixed it up a bit and played with wing backs.

Etheridge

Rico
Preston
O'Conner
Downing
Kinsella

Chambers
Sawyers
Morris

Hiwula
Bradshaw

Defensive, Attacking and Flexible. I just think that we would have given Bradford more to think about instead of being predictable again in such an important match.

Fortune favours the brave.

We did play with wing backs, it didn't work

[windowman]

Well I am almost lost for words. It's easy to pick the team after the game but I just feel that to pay hoofball against Bradford with the one we put out would probably end up with a big loss.

I think we should have mixed it up a bit and played with wing backs.

Etheridge

Rico
Preston
O'Conner
Downing
Kinsella

Chambers
Sawyers
Morris

Hiwula
Bradshaw

Defensive, Attacking and Flexible. I just think that we would have given Bradford more to think about instead of being predictable again in such an important match.

Fortune favours the brave.

We did play with wing backs, it didn't work

how did we ?, we played a back 4 not 3 ?

[tinned]

How much input does John Ward have on matchdays? Does he have any input into mid-match decisions or is he solely behind the scenes? I just ask because he wasn't there yesterday and I wondered if we missed his in game knowledge.

[Fish]

If anyone bottled it, sad to say Witters did.

All this abuse against Whitters reminds me of a mate of mine whose name is Dobson.
In the Michael Dobson era he was telling me how strange it was having people around him shout stuff like "fudge off Dobson you idiot!".

Abuse? Not abuse, just an observation.

First of all you need to read that in the context that it was written; in response to other comments and supportive of many here who said that the team shape and selection was wrong.

And, being an admirer of Whitney, supporting his appointment and all that he has done for Walsall, there is nothing wrong in saying, as a 'critical friend', that in the way we were set up yesterday we bottled it.

I don't know if it's possible to use the BBC iPlayer to listen again to Wakka's analysis, but if anyone who hasn't heard it (and is some sort of masochist), his comparison of this performance with that at Gillingham, where the Gills didn't know how to play us or cope with the threat we posed, is worth listening to.

[Mazza01]

Well I am almost lost for words. It's easy to pick the team after the game but I just feel that to pay hoofball against Bradford with the one we put out would probably end up with a big loss.

I think we should have mixed it up a bit and played with wing backs.

Etheridge

Rico
Preston
O'Conner
Downing
Kinsella

Chambers
Sawyers
Morris

Hiwula
Bradshaw

Defensive, Attacking and Flexible. I just think that we would have given Bradford more to think about instead of being predictable again in such an important match.

Fortune favours the brave.

We did play with wing backs, it didn't work

how did we ?, we played a back 4 not 3 ?

Just shows how cack we were then, it looked nothing like a 4-4-1-1 it was that disjointed.

[Ancient Moaner]

You are being too gentle my friend, this did not even look like a football team, there was NO formation, and NO cohesion whatsoever, you could sort'of tell which players were meant to be up front'ish and which were sort'of defenders, after that the comparison ends.
This was an utter shambles of a display, some even stayed to clap 'em off! :? For what? they were an embarrassment, little wonder 90% of our following had left well before the thankful relief of the final whistle, ie no time left for 'em to walk in another couple of goals.
Even 'Optimist has realised that our season is all but over. He certainly would know for certain if he had witnessed that aberration yesterday!
No positives left whatsoever.
We will be in the Third Division again next season.

[otherbournemouthsaddler]

You are being too gentle my friend, this did not even look like a football team, there was NO formation, and NO cohesion whatsoever, you could sort'of tell which players were meant to be up front'ish and which were sort'of defenders, after that the comparison ends.
This was an utter shambles of a display, some even stayed to clap 'em off! :? For what? they were an embarrassment, little wonder 90% of our following had left well before the thankful relief of the final whistle, ie no time left for 'em to walk in another couple of goals.
Even 'Optimist has realised that our season is all but over. He certainly would know for certain if he had witnessed that aberration yesterday!
No positives left whatsoever.
We will be in the Third Division again next season.

I stayed and clapped in a half hearted post modernist way. We knew they were terrible, they knew they were terrible. This result could go one of two ways - either it has completely destroyed their confidence or they can just use it as an experience they don't want to go through again and make sure it doesn't happen again. I don't think it could be possible for Downing to have a worse match than that and giving more abuse at the end just all seemed a bit pointless.

Saying that i have just applauded my son for doing a massive cack in his nappy after he had been constipated for a few days so its all relative.

On an unrelated note - Etheridge seemed to be out well before any one else and he didn't seem to be doing any extra warm ups or training. Seemed a bit odd.

[chestersaddler]

No positives left whatsoever.
We will be in the Third Division again next season.

Nowt wrong with the third division, Ancient

My biggest concern is the likely exodus of players at the end of the season if we miss out, particularly as we don't have Deano here to unearth some more gems as done previously.

[JonnyOwen]

I clapped them off because even though we were dire, we are still in 4th place. They deserve a little bit of respect even after that horror show of a performance. It doesn't send the best message if we only clap them off when things are going well and then abandon them when it isn't.

[chestersaddler]

I clapped them off because even though we were dire, we are still in 4th place. They deserve a little bit of respect even after that horror show of a performance. It doesn't send the best message if we only clap them off when things are going well and then abandon them when it isn't.

Well said Jonny.

[tinned]

I've only left early twice before yesterday, but I was in Subway getting cookies for me and my son's journey home when the full time whistle went. Couldn't stomach the last 15/20 of that yesterday.

As a side note, did anyone else have the issue with the turnstile operators trying it on? They tried to charge me £40 for me and my son. Good job I'd already seen it should've been £35. Reckon it was the old "fiver in me pocket" scenario by the lad at the turnstile :roll:

[PT]

I clapped them off because even though we were dire, we are still in 4th place. They deserve a little bit of respect even after that horror show of a performance. It doesn't send the best message if we only clap them off when things are going well and then abandon them when it isn't.

Well said Jonny.

I clapped but it wasn't in recognition of the performance. It was more of a gee-up for what is to come.