Match Thread: Bradford City v Port Vale

[geoff1]

13 minutes ago, Portvale4 said:

Can you not read, mate? In my selection for Tuesday, I noted that I’d put them both up top. Never at any stage did I suggest that Pope should be starting over Rodney. It was either Pope or Robinson to partner him, and I know who I’d rather have. 

now children play nice!

[PVFC764]

Can only see this going one way.  Bradford 4-0.  They are on a roll after sacking their manager.

Vale again has most of the play and just cant score.  None of the Vales corners actually make it in the box as they are hit too hard or just make the box.

They have 6 breaks and score off 4 of them after our midfield and defence stand and watch them play.

Askey says it was not his fault as the players are not performing like he hoped they would.  But he is still heartened that they are making scoring chances.

[PV1973]

1 hour ago, Coyney Valiant said:

If we were playing Man City next week you could bet they’d all be fit 

So you think players like Manny, Gibbo, Worrall for example would all make miraculous recoveries? Or are you taking about other players? 

[Sam Kelly's Left Boot]

28 minutes ago, philmpv said:

 

 

Halleys comet comes around every 75 years but you don't sit in the garden looking at the night sky in hope for 74 years. We have such backward looking fans at times. Rodney has more goals than pope, more assists than pope (the self styled best hold up striker in the league), more pace than pope, more mobility than pope and I've little doubt has more successful 'hold ups' than pope this season. Yet people are still picking pope! I just don't get it, at all.

 

Pope needs the right service, he needs wingers to stick the ball in the box, then he'll do the rest. Instead, he gets a route 1 ball lumped up to him to flick on to nobody or hold the ball up with no support.

Get the ball out wide and if the wingers do their job, he's 1 of the  best in the air at this level.

[philmpv]

He's had loads of crosses to get on the end of for most games that he's played this season. I am yet to see him put as much effort into getting onto the end of one than I have seen him waiting at the back post and then moaning like hell when it doesn't reach him. When did he last bust a gut to actually reach a cross? Man city away?

Pope needs the right service, he needs wingers to stick the ball in the box, then he'll do the rest. Instead, he gets a route 1 ball lumped up to him to flick on to nobody or hold the ball up with no support.
Get the ball out wide and if the wingers do their job, he's 1 of the  best in the air at this level.

[Coyney Valiant]

17 minutes ago, PV1973 said:

So you think players like Manny, Gibbo, Worrall for example would all make miraculous recoveries? Or are you taking about other players? 

Manny would 

[rider1308]

Don’t even think that most of the Vale players could even be arsed to travel to Bradford let alone put a shift in for Askey.  I’ll go for a Bradford win. 

[mikey]

a team who got rid of an ineffective manager vs a team that didnt

I can only see a Bradford victory here, but im hoping its not an embarrasing scoreline. 

[Santa]

2 hours ago, darren1810 said:

Though last season it was us with Will Atkinson. But yes in general we have let a few in late at Bradford. 

Devante Cole I think was one which sticks in my mind , Page set up not to lose and we fell to a sucker punch. 

There have been a few:

the Devante Cole one you mentioned

a last minute goal on a Tuesday night to lose 1-0, must have been 2014?

a last minute goal by the ex-Stoke player Davies to equalise a Dodds screamer (we nearly conceded another a minute later) - that must have been 2011.

the one in first half injury time just after Page took over.

I can also remember a last minute goal when we lost there 3-2 between Christmas and New Year in 1992.

On the flip side there was Atkinson's goal last season and Mbamba's chance on the first day of the season when a competent footballer would have scored.

[Platty's Tassels]

Can’t make my mind up if I pay to watch this. Makes me too angry😩

[valefan16]

Our main hopes are that being away they won’t be as tight at the back and will allow us more space to attack which is more suitable for us; Amoo and Rodney should get some joy.

Got to hope Manny is fit to replace Whitehead as that improves the midfield no end and then hopefully can defend better (that’s the big issue). Need to see some effort minimum here.

Seems bleak, last time I felt like this was heading into a game with 5 wins on the spin Bolton away... got to hope for the same shock outcome I guess.

Need to get bodies back quickly; hopefully Conlon is back for Saturday but will depend when his isolation began last week. (Is it 7 or 10 for a positive test these days?)

Weather may save us if they get heavy snow tomorrow and frost on Saturday to get time to get bodies fit. As I said yesterday, why didn’t we play the covid card with the chance we had to? It’s gamesmanship possibly but others do it. Just too nice we are.

[Platty's Tassels]

5 minutes ago, valefan16 said:

Got to hope Manny is fit to replace Whitehead as that improves the midfield no end and then hopefully can defend better (that’s the big issue). Need to see some effort minimum here.

Really hope so. That corner from Whitehead is etched in my brain. Absolutely embarrassing 

[Doha]

26 minutes ago, Platty's Tassels said:

Can’t make my mind up if I pay to watch this. Makes me too angry😩

You can achieve a similar experience to Tuesday night by instead giving the ifollow tenner to someone who lives with you and asking them to repeatedly glass you for 90 minutes.  

[ELDERBEZZA]

Can't see any result other than a thrashing after that last performance. 5-0 to Bradford 

[Platty's Tassels]

1 minute ago, ELDERBEZZA said:

Can't see any result other than a thrashing after that last performance. 5-0 to Bradford 

This is what worries me. Saying that I thought the same v Bolton