[Archived] Bradford City (home)

[darrenrover]

The Good Friday Eve game, courtesy of Sky, is the first of a series of 5 games in 12 days. 

We'll start the game in third place and I consider it imperative that we as supporters are out in force and vociferous on Thursday night and prove to be the 'extra man'.

I'd think that we need at least 4 wins and a draw from the 12 day montage.

On a personal note, my wife's joining me at Ewood for the first time in a while and the last time she watched Rovers play Bradford was away, on the day of George Courtney's re-introduction to Rovers!

We have to win.

COYB!!

 

[Tom]

Pretty much a must win to get us back above Shrewsbury and into the top 2 putting the onus back on them to win on Saturday 

Not an easy game but one you would expect to be winning 

[arbitro]

I hope Mowbray was at Valley Parade today as we have Bradford and Gillingham coming up in the next couple of weeks.

[arbitro]

Corry Evans was substituted after 62 minutes for Northern Ireland. Hopefully this was a tactical decision and he is not injured.

[Rover_Shaun]

This could ruin Easter...............lets hope the lads have the balls for it

[darrenrover]

Just now, Rover_Shaun said:

This could ruin Easter...............lets hope the lads have the balls for it

Shaun, the contra argument is Thursday night and Easter Monday could make it a great Easter.

I really believe that in the run in, we as fans, can and should make a big difference, the more the merrier.

On Good Friday Wigan have Oldham at home and Shrewsbury Oxford at home. You'd expect both to win. MK Dons away on Easter Monday is a key game for me and I think Rovers have missed an opportunity in not offering free away travel in order to maximise a potentially large away following.

But I agree, let's hope the lads, TM and we as fans, have the balls for it.

[arbitro]

7 minutes ago, darrenrover said:

Shaun, the contra argument is Thursday night and Easter Monday could make it a great Easter.

I really believe that in the run in, we as fans, can and should make a big difference, the more the merrier.

On Good Friday Wigan have Oldham at home and Shrewsbury Oxford at home. You'd expect both to win. MK Dons away on Easter Monday is a key game for me and I think Rovers have missed an opportunity in not offering free away travel in order to maximise a potentially large away following.

But I agree, let's hope the lads, TM and we as fans, have the balls for it.

Well Nick let's hope Oldham treat this as another cup final like they did when they played us in both games. If they can repeat their performance at Boundary Park and first half at Ewood who knows. Oxford with a new manager could be a different proposition to their recent form.

The big thing for me is that it's still in our own hands. Keep matching Shrewsburys results and we go up.

[darrenrover]

24 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Well Nick let's hope Oldham treat this as another cup final like they did when they played us in both games. If they can repeat their performance at Boundary Park and first half at Ewood who knows. Oxford with a new manager could be a different proposition to their recent form.

The big thing for me is that it's still in our own hands. Keep matching Shrewsburys results and we go up.

I agree Tony, we have to win our next 2 and hopefully Shrewsbury may drop a couple of points against Rochdale and Oxford in their corresponding games over Easter. By my reckoning, we've then got a couple of games at home to Southend on 7/4 and Gillingham away on 10/4 before Shrewsbury play Bradford away on 12/4. We should be aiming to win all 4 and then emphatically throwing down our marker at Bristol Rovers on 14/4!

If only, it's nailed on that Charlton and Oxford, we'll be biting finger nails and chain smoking!

[Vinjay]

1 hour ago, arbitro said:

Well Nick let's hope Oldham treat this as another cup final like they did when they played us in both games. If they can repeat their performance at Boundary Park and first half at Ewood who knows. Oxford with a new manager could be a different proposition to their recent form.

The big thing for me is that it's still in our own hands. Keep matching Shrewsburys results and we go up.

Could have been due to Rovers employing the worst manager Oldham have ever had.

[Rover_Shaun]

1 hour ago, darrenrover said:

Shaun, the contra argument is Thursday night and Easter Monday could make it a great Easter.

This is Rovers though. Never the easy way (apart from 2000/2001)

[chaddyrovers]

my team

                       Raya

     Lenihan Mulgrew Williams

Bennett  Evans  Smallwood  Bell

                      Dack

          Graham Armstrong

Subs:- Luetwiler Downing Travis Whittingham Antonsson Samuel Payne

  

[darrenrover]

1 hour ago, chaddyrovers said:

my team

                       Raya

     Lenihan Mulgrew Williams

Bennett  Evans  Smallwood  Bell

                      Dack

          Graham Armstrong

Subs:- Luetwiler Downing Travis Whittingham Antonsson Samuel Payne

  

I can't go for 3 at the back as you depict: Bell has shown he's currently lost as a wingback on the occasions he's played there, Evans and Smallwood offer nothing as a pairing in an attacking sense and with 3 at the back, Charlie would struggle to venture forward and spray the ball about. I'd like the front 3 though!

I'd go:

                        Raya

Travis   Lenihan   Mulgrew   Bell

  Conway   Bennett  Smallwood

                     Dack

          Graham    Armstrong

[47er]

5 hours ago, Tom said:

Pretty much a must win to get us back above Shrewsbury and into the top 2 putting the onus back on them to win on Saturday 

Not an easy game but one you would expect to be winning 

I think we can safely say this is a must-win game!

[Kamy100]

My only slight concern is that by the time we play this game it will be 19 days since we played our last game.  Just hope that we haven't lost some of the sharpness we had prior to this break. 

[tomphil]

Rovers 1   Bantams  1

[Crimpshrine]

I think Grayson will come for a 0-0 draw.

Bradford have had a really bad run but can still make the playoffs. They will be happy with a point at Ewood after winning today.

If they do come to defend it could be a tricky night

[philipl]

Gosh, what's this- my football team playing a game?

What a novelty!

Read the match report of Bradford 1 Gillingham 0. From the statistics, Gillingham were comfortably ahead. The Gills had one of those first haves which they should have been leading at half time by 2 and having a 4 goal margin wouldn't have flattered them (we know what's coming when they play us- they'll fluke one against the run of play) but missed loads of chances and found the Bantams' keeper in inspired form. Bradford scored in the 48th minute and confidence came flooding back so could easily have got a second.

I was going to suggest that lightning is going to strike twice except Rovers will probably be far too match rusty to over run them in either half. The lads will probably need to reintroduce themselves to each other in the first half.

Whatever happens, we will be facing opponents who will have football's X Factor:

- a new boss

- confidence that a win gives you

- motivation because for Bradford, yesterday's results were perfect for reviving their play-off hopes.

Plus relief at discovering they can still play football after experiencing the worst run of form of any club in the 92..

Expecting a very hard fought tight game.

But there are going to be no "gimmes" in these last 9 fixtures. Just hope Mowbray doesn't over think his preparation and stop the lads from looking for fried Bantam from the first whistle to last.

Not making any forecast beyond saying this one like every remaining fixture until automatic promotion is secured is a MUST WIN. 

 

[Tom]

7 hours ago, Kamy100 said:

My only slight concern is that by the time we play this game it will be 19 days since we played our last game.  Just hope that we haven't lost some of the sharpness we had prior to this break. 

Said before but that’s on Mowbray he has to have them ready and raring to go 

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

We simply can't afford to drop any points...we have to be up for EVERY game now.

There are no excuses.

2-1.    14,550

[Mattyblue]

You expecting a big Bradford following SG? 

I’d be surprised if we hit 13k.

[G Somerset Rover]

Must win. No other way to look at it.

[chaddyrovers]

42 minutes ago, MCMC1875 said:

4411 Tony, ignore Chaddy.

Play 2 up front and Dack behind. Take the game to them. If Chapman has been fit then 4-2-3-1. Evans played well in the last game plus played well yesterday for N.Ireland. Payne was awful in the last game

[blueboy3333]

34 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Play 2 up front and Dack behind. Take the game to them. If Chapman has been fit then 4-2-3-1. Evans played well in the last game plus played well yesterday for N.Ireland. Payne was awful in the last game

Armstrong has been banging them in playing in Chapmans position. Bennett plays instead of Payne out wide. 3 at the back and wing backs is nonsense when we've hardly played it all season.

[arbitro]

34 minutes ago, chaddyrovers said:

Play 2 up front and Dack behind. Take the game to them. If Chapman has been fit then 4-2-3-1. Evans played well in the last game plus played well yesterday for N.Ireland. Payne was awful in the last game

Now is not the time to start fannying around with systems, particularly ones which we don't really have the players to suit them. We can undoubtedly score goals in a system of solid shape but our Achilles Heel all season has been shipping them in. Clean sheets are the key to promotion.

[chaddyrovers]

8 minutes ago, arbitro said:

Now is not the time to start fannying around with systems, particularly ones which we don't really have the players to suit them. We can undoubtedly score goals in a system of solid shape but our Achilles Heel all season has been shipping them in. Clean sheets are the key to promotion.

we can played both systems and well enough now. Mowbray said this a couple of weeks ago. 

so no one is fannying around with systems. And we have the players who can play 3 at the back and well enough. 

clean sheets and scoring goals is the key for promotion. playing 3 at the back would help us keep clean sheets surely and with Armstrong, Graham and Dack we can score goals