Bloody hell, really thought we could of got a win today!
Agaisnt 10 men for most of the game and still couldn't get a result! That's poor if you ask me, look forward to read the reports on today's game.
I think maybe Ling needs to go into the loan market to strengthen the side, but with City bottom, Argyle bottom and Rovers losing 3-0 makes the loss today more bearable.
No real surprise to me, had Bradford to win 2-0 in my predictions. We have been poor away from home since the only 90min performance of the season at Bristol. At Aldershot we were poor all game and won with a deflected goal, at Dagenham we were poor first half and although dominated the second needed a penalty and havent scored since. Listening to Northampton, Shrewsbury and today can you honestly say you were expecting us to get a late goal? No of course not, below par performances.
Our home form is littered with draws and next week Gillingham looks like continuing that. We drew our last three league homes last season so its only about one win in ten at Plainmoor. Gates are dropping and after todays inept effort there will be under 2000 home fans next week, only the away fans pushing it over 2000.
I was talking to a couple of fans last night and they are not happy with these one half performances they are seeing and the farce of the grandstand. Somehow we have to get a victory next week just to ease this fall towards the bottom. only 3 wins in the league and only those at the bottom have lost fewer.
Just got in and wished i hadn't bothered going today. Thank f**k it was only a fiver to get in and at that i was robbed. Where do i start with this one? It was a grey, cold and wet day in west yorkshire and the depression that washes over me in waves when i visit this hell-hole is only comparable to that feeling i get when i visit Accrington. Anyway, the game started ok with us knocking the ball about and we probably had the best of the opening 15 minutes or so without troubling them. Stevens looked sharp and was on the ball a lot coming inside every time as usual though and not really posing too much of a threat. Atieno looked poor and pretty lazy from almost the first whistle. Bradford had a few shots from range but that was all. The game changed (ultimately in Bradfords favour midway through the half when Davies clattered into Stevens i think it was. At the time most of us fans didn't really think too much of the challenge yet we were all pretty shocked to see the ref give the boy a straight red. I didn't see the incident clearly but i can only assume it was for a late/studs showing lunge. Naturally their crowd gave the ref dogs abuse and the ref started to dish out a few yellows to our lads. Oastler picked one up. Stevens had our best and only chance of the half when he cut inside on the dege of the box and fizzed a rocket just over the bar. Then they scored. A cross along the face of our goal seemed to fox Bobby, who i thought should have smothered it, somehow Saah and Robbo i think contrived to let the ball roll through to Fagan and 1-0. Schoolboy defending yet again and we go in a goal down but a man up. we were all optimistic about the second half, how wrong we were. In short WE WERE EMBARRASSING and the lads treated us to one of the worst performances i have ever ever seen from a Torquay side. We passed the ball from side to side to back then to side then to back and so it went on. We did this slowly too, there was no urgency and no impetus to change this lethargy. Stevens (who everyone knows i think is poor) at least today looked lively but he always chose the wrong ball or chose to cut inside rather than get down the wing and get chalk on his arse. He did this only once t my knowledge and produced a low dangerous cross which Howe was so far away from getting on the end of he would have needed to catch a bus. Stevens loses his direction when the confidence in the rest of the team ebbs away and this became apparent as he was less and less effective and unwilling to try things. Anyway, as the half wore on we spent each ticking minute the same as the previous minute......by knocking the ball pretty directionless from side to side really slovenly and slowly. Each attempt at a forward move came to nothing and Branston ( who had come on as sub for Bradford) won everything and anything and got them going. Manse at least tried to have a go at a few of his players but to no avail. I could have sat there until the middle of next week and we still didn't even look like scoring. That was the most galling aspect, we didn't even put them uder any pressure whatsoever and didn't have any clear cut chances and they had 10 me for most of the game. It actually looked like we had the 10 men for most of the game. It was really shocking and i was embarrassed to watch it. For me, most had a bad game. Bobby was solid and may have done something about the goal but was ok. Atieno can just go and play for someone else as he clearly doesn't give a toss. Howe was busy but never looked like troubling their keeper. The rest were just atrocious apart from O'Kane who again stood out with some good passing and link up play. It was just like we couldn't even be arsed to get men forward (probably they would have to run back again when the attack broke down the lazy bastards!). I still can't get my breath as to how bad we were and what an obvious lack of any quality we have up top. We needed Bodin today, he would have done more than the other forwards put together. Going now but just really angry and pissed off and worried that we now have some major problems. Oh yes and one more thing, Ling has done amazing so far but waits until the game is nearly done to bring on Mcphee (who is also poor and ineffective) when we all could see we didn't look like fashioning any sort of chance well well before that.
Last edited by AustrianAndyGull on 08 Oct 2011, 21:03, edited 1 time in total.
Strangely enough it was Pope Gregory the 9th inviting me for drinks aboard his steam yacht, the saucy sue currently wintering in montego bay with the England cricket team and the Balanese Goddess of plenty.
Be realistic with your ambitions for the side. We overachieved last season and Ling has made some astute signings and appears to know where things are going wrong for us atm. Something we get from Ling is honesty which Buckle never really had. Ling admitted that Morris hadn't performed, and he was one of his signings. A couple of draws and a defeat and some fans are preparing for life in 'evo-stik' football. Be realistic and realise that every team goes through a bit of a bad run, and i don't even think we're on a terrible run! It's not good, but it's certainly not relegation form.
stevegull wrote:Good job keeping spirits up dazgull!
Be realistic with your ambitions for the side. We overachieved last season and Ling has made some astute signings and appears to know where things are going wrong for us atm. Something we get from Ling is honesty which Buckle never really had. Ling admitted that Morris hadn't performed, and he was one of his signings. A couple of draws and a defeat and some fans are preparing for life in 'evo-stik' football. Be realistic and realise that every team goes through a bit of a bad run, and i don't even think we're on a terrible run! It's not good, but it's certainly not relegation form.
If we play like with the attitude and disinterest that we did today even against Hereford or Plymouth then we will get beaten and i can see us sliding down the table a bit.
Strangely enough it was Pope Gregory the 9th inviting me for drinks aboard his steam yacht, the saucy sue currently wintering in montego bay with the England cricket team and the Balanese Goddess of plenty.
Good to hear a report from someone actually at the game and clearly it wasn't a good display, infact far from it. I just don't want the doom brigade to come out in such force so early on! Look on the bright side, Rovers got hammered....
Seriously Steve. It was a shocker and i fully expect other members who were also at the game to glean few positives from it. Just to make me feel better about being so negative!! Ha. For me, it was the fact that they played for most of the game with 10 men yet we couldn't even have a worthwhile shot at goal in 90 minutes. At least if we were pressing and hoping their defence would crack under the pressure of only having 10 men and still lost 1-0 then it would have been more acceptable. The fact is we just weren't interested in playing today. It was a empty performance that deserves lambasting.
Strangely enough it was Pope Gregory the 9th inviting me for drinks aboard his steam yacht, the saucy sue currently wintering in montego bay with the England cricket team and the Balanese Goddess of plenty.
not here to gloat guys, but i think you were unfortunate to come across us during our most determined performance of the season. I wouldnt say it was the best we have played this season but the lads at the back certainly put themselves about more than they have all season. I seemed to think you miss a focal point for your attack and that is something we have struggled with all season. We have had a big lump upfront all season and we have carried no threat whereas today, we had craig fagan who once he gets fit will be a real class act at this level. I must say i was surprised your guys never gave it a real go especially knowing our frailties in defence. Onwards and hopefully upwards guys i think we will both be ok to be honest but whether that is down to how bad plymouth and hereford i dont know
Cheers mark. What did you think of Branno when he came on? He still can be immense can't he? I thought your lads were a bit poor today like ourselves, Reid looks a good player and is a threat on the wing whilst upfront you've got really good options. I think Bradford are on the up now after many false dawns and i fully expect you to grab a play off spot.
Strangely enough it was Pope Gregory the 9th inviting me for drinks aboard his steam yacht, the saucy sue currently wintering in montego bay with the England cricket team and the Balanese Goddess of plenty.
austrianandygull wrote:Cheers mark. What did you think of Branno when he came on? He still can be immense can't he? I thought your lads were a bit poor today like ourselves, Reid looks a good player and is a threat on the wing whilst upfront you've got really good options. I think Bradford are on the up now after many false dawns and i fully expect you to grab a play off spot.
thanks for the balanced report mate.
in reid and fagan they have two good players.
as for the pickler..............donkey! =D
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austrianandygull wrote: I think Bradford are on the up now after many false dawns and i fully expect you to grab a play off spot.
jeez i wish i shared your optimism !!! Without going as far as saying we are in a false position, as the table never lies, we have had a lot of turnaround recently. over the summer we brought in 9 players, since changing manager in august we have since signed 7 more ! never had a settled side.
Branston, i am not a fan of his he has the turning circle of a stobart and can be cumbersome but today he was great. I think getting dropped as given him a kick up the jacksie.
Reid is a typical winger, really frustrates the life out of you, can be brilliant or abysmal. In craig Fagan we have a talent, something most sides in this league lack and we have done really well get him. (selling a 15 year old for 2million smackers helps). At times this season we have looked lost but slowly the signs are there and hopefully if we can keep the loan lads (devitt a class act who didnt play and davies who got sent off) then mid-table isnt out the question and who knows next year
I think you guys should aim for a play off spot. You've got the players there it just takes belief and and understanding which i'm sure PP will instill sooner rather than later. I think Branno did well today as we didn't have anyone up top with any pace. He is cumbersome but does the basics really well and organises his defence.
Strangely enough it was Pope Gregory the 9th inviting me for drinks aboard his steam yacht, the saucy sue currently wintering in montego bay with the England cricket team and the Balanese Goddess of plenty.
Reading your report seems just like watching our lot.Sideways,backwards,sideways,backwards that was the limit of our football against a very average Oxford side. It soundsa bit like you have a similar defence to ours and a midfield to go with it . you seem to at least have the talent of OKane to create something whereas all of our talents are in the forward department but we cant get them into the game!!
Yesterday was my first visit to the Bradford ground and I have to say I was very impressesd by the Braford fans. They are proper football fans. Every single fan stands up and claps their subs off and on the pitch. All four sides of the ground had fans chanting in unison.You really get a sense of their togetherness. As for the game.... well the Ref liked his whistle and showing his cards....and it was exciting when Bobby went forward in the added time. He got two touches of the ball but the Ref judged his second touch as a foul.It was a frustrating game but I didnt come away to down hearted. Maybe thats because I knew I was going home to sunny Devon and saying goodbye to a dull grey Yorkshire.
Well what a strange and vexing game. Plenty of incident but usually for the wrong reasons. Didn’t look like a red card to me at the time, after which the ref was playing catch up.
We looked like a team that had been bussed up on the day and were still travel weary. Oastler looked like he had cycled there from Paignton, whilst the Hobbit gave one of the best performances I have seen from him. Now that isn’t saying too much but at least he was drawing fouls and being booed by the home fans. Now that is progress.
As for the performance and tactics – ooh er. We had no midfield drive and no cutting edge or pace up front. At no time was I really aware that Bradford were a man down. Perhaps we were trying to pass it round them, however it didn’t work. Joe Oastler had a stinker and his half time replacement looked tentative as well. O’Kane flattered to deceive.
Mrs yellow thought Bradford’s stadium was more impressive than the one on her last away trip had been (Ebbsfleet) and that Danny Stevens was our MOTM. I bow to her judgement on both counts.
"A day without football is a day lost" (Ernst Happel)
"Look at the (Plainmoor) stars, Look how they shine for you, And everything you do, Yeah they were all yellow" (C. Martin)
