Bradford City at home Match Thread

[valakari]

Just now, valakari said:

He is not a good footballer.

Anybody could have scored 11 goals in a top 4 team at this level..if they play centre forward every week!

And he is certainly not good enough for the championship..which is where we hope to be next season!

[silverback]

Had to laugh when a wag in the crowd pointed out that at the end of the first half "we have brought them down to our level"

 

Vickers not good enough at this level, was the starting point of our attacks and so slow in distributing, he was resorting to the tried and tested lump it up to their defenders who 100% won that battle. Their Number 15 was a beast in their back four (whose bright idea was it to put Ward a foot or so shorter to mark him????) MOTM for me.

Cue the midfield who won virtually nothing all night and when they did they were outnumbered and outclassed. They couldnt make a pass in a brothel. 

So they overran us again and again, luckily they had no idea where our net was (as pointed out by an earlier poster) or they could have been at least 2 or 3 up by HT

HT Subs made an impact and but for some superb blocks and tackles we may have just sneaked a goal but again against a compact defence we tried everything, more hoofball, passing around and down the wings, a ton of over/under hit crosses etc but alas no joy.

Twas inevitable that a smash and grab was on the cards and when they scored there was no way we were coming back in to it.

As a team they were far better than us, and most certainly wanted it more. Having been a supporter for 50+ years I am used to the inevitable collapses (see England Cricket team batting) and fully expect something similar V Burton on Monday.

The fixture list looks reasonable weighted in our favour in the coming months, but I still doubt we have the wherewithal to beat Bolton in March, so I suggest we should be still possibly up for a trip to Wembley, but for a different reason.

 

 

[DavesaRam]

2 hours ago, G STAR RAM said:

Sooner or late Sibley is going to have to start taking responsibility for his performances.

Players not turning up is down to themselves but you seem to want to blame that on the coaching staff but then also blame the coaching staff for taking the players off, you can't have it both ways!

I used to be very pro-Sibley, I admit, because he got shafted by Rooney. Something happened between him and Wayne that held Louie back, almost as though his development ran into a wall. I have supported the kid because he has never been given a fair crack of the whip. Yes, he's had chances, but they have been spasmodic, and out of position, and even after playing well he has ended up dumped on the bench or out of the squad, while other players got chance after chance after chance, regardless of how they had performed - Tom Lawrence and Connor Hourihane for example, the latter ambling through a load of matches early this season, achieving nothing but still picked. Sibley still hasn't had a load of matches either at left wing, or preferably in the middle to stake  claim, so even before he's found his feet, he is on his backside again.

My comments about last night is that him and Thommo were the only ones with any urgency to get the ball forwards, but got binned off at half time when there were more deserving cases.

And last night was a mix of both players and coaches at fault. The players shouldn't need motivating, and you could say they don't need to be sent out onto the pitch armed to the teeth with tactics either. But we were completely without any idea of a plan bar the big boot to the front, and that isn't all down to the players. It was after Warne's MO when he first arrived. Yes, maybe Sibley should be above all this, and be capable of dropping onto the pitch wherever Warned wants to place him and make an impact, but he never knows which part of the pitch he is going to be in, and often that position has changed, sometimes several times in a match. But each of the positions he has to cover is a different discipline to the others, and he isn't a "jack of all trades", so perhaps it would be better to not treat him as one.

My attitude towards Sibley is that he is probably better off getting a move where he could be played to his strengths, instead of being squeezed into somebody else's mould. As I have said many a time, it is not as though Derby haven't got history. In his latter years we wasted Will Hughes, and Chris Martin in his last stay at Pride Park, Weimmann, who was accused of never cutting it, despite being played as a winger when he is a central striker, and when he went to Bristol and got played as a central striker, started banging the goals in.  There are countless others we have done this to.

I was also in the "Warned Out" brigade at around 90% or so until things suddenly changed after Stevenage. Warne may not have bowed to fan pressure, but the big change happened just after the fans had kicked off, and Warne was definitely hacked off by how he was treated by the fans, and refused to acknowledge them for several matches afterwards. It was too much of a coincidence. And it wasn't just  case of players coming back fit after injury. The last time we were  a number of players down he was forced to go 4 at the back, and we went on that run last season, but as players came back, he reverted to his 3 at the back obsession. And apart from last Saturday when he was forced to change because of Nyambe's international duties, he has pretty much stuck with 4 at the back, despite having players back from injury. I am now firmly in the "Warne In" camp, despite last night's shambles.

[RoyMac5]

23 minutes ago, DavesaRam said:

And apart from last Saturday when he was forced to change because of Nyambe's international duties, he has pretty much stuck with 4 at the back, despite having players back from injury. I am now firmly in the "Warne In" camp, despite last night's shambles.

You do know Wilson has played RB? Isn't there a single youngster with the capability to play there?

[bcnram]

I would like to think that the coaching and scouting departments attach some 'what if' to their planned tactics. In that, we will play this formation and team because we believe we will win, but 'what if' it doesn't work either because of player form or because the opposition have changed how they normally play, what do we do then? Last night I saw changes but nothing particularly impactful. All I saw was not for the first time this season, Derby being out-footballed (the stuff where you pass to your own teammates) by a supposedly inferior team.

Maybe the players didn't attach any importance to the game (I didn't), and if it had been a league game things may have been different.

[jimtastic56]

32 minutes ago, DavesaRam said:

I used to be very pro-Sibley, I admit, because he got shafted by Rooney. Something happened between him and Wayne that held Louie back, almost as though his development ran into a wall. I have supported the kid because he has never been given a fair crack of the whip. Yes, he's had chances, but they have been spasmodic, and out of position, and even after playing well he has ended up dumped on the bench or out of the squad, while other players got chance after chance after chance, regardless of how they had performed - Tom Lawrence and Connor Hourihane for example, the latter ambling through a load of matches early this season, achieving nothing but still picked. Sibley still hasn't had a load of matches either at left wing, or preferably in the middle to stake  claim, so even before he's found his feet, he is on his backside again.

My comments about last night is that him and Thommo were the only ones with any urgency to get the ball forwards, but got binned off at half time when there were more deserving cases.

And last night was a mix of both players and coaches at fault. The players shouldn't need motivating, and you could say they don't need to be sent out onto the pitch armed to the teeth with tactics either. But we were completely without any idea of a plan bar the big boot to the front, and that isn't all down to the players. It was after Warne's MO when he first arrived. Yes, maybe Sibley should be above all this, and be capable of dropping onto the pitch wherever Warned wants to place him and make an impact, but he never knows which part of the pitch he is going to be in, and often that position has changed, sometimes several times in a match. But each of the positions he has to cover is a different discipline to the others, and he isn't a "jack of all trades", so perhaps it would be better to not treat him as one.

My attitude towards Sibley is that he is probably better off getting a move where he could be played to his strengths, instead of being squeezed into somebody else's mould. As I have said many a time, it is not as though Derby haven't got history. In his latter years we wasted Will Hughes, and Chris Martin in his last stay at Pride Park, Weimmann, who was accused of never cutting it, despite being played as a winger when he is a central striker, and when he went to Bristol and got played as a central striker, started banging the goals in.  There are countless others we have done this to.

I was also in the "Warned Out" brigade at around 90% or so until things suddenly changed after Stevenage. Warne may not have bowed to fan pressure, but the big change happened just after the fans had kicked off, and Warne was definitely hacked off by how he was treated by the fans, and refused to acknowledge them for several matches afterwards. It was too much of a coincidence. And it wasn't just  case of players coming back fit after injury. The last time we were  a number of players down he was forced to go 4 at the back, and we went on that run last season, but as players came back, he reverted to his 3 at the back obsession. And apart from last Saturday when he was forced to change because of Nyambe's international duties, he has pretty much stuck with 4 at the back, despite having players back from injury. I am now firmly in the "Warne In" camp, despite last night's shambles.

I am 100% in agreement with your thoughts on Sibley . As for last night - because of the small turnout , you could hear any loud comments coming from the East stand . I was shocked how many fans were shouting instructions to 30 year old pros as if they were at their 8 year old sons school game .

[duncanjwitham]

8 minutes ago, DavesaRam said:

Warne may not have bowed to fan pressure, but the big change happened just after the fans had kicked off

I'm still far from convinced that anything has significantly changed.  When teams have stood off us and we've been able to play out from the back, we've looked OK.  When we've been significantly ahead in player-quality terms, we've mostly looked OK.  When teams have sat deep against us, we've huffed and puffed, struggled to create chances, but quite often got away with it (because NML pulls a goal out of nowhere or something).  When teams have pressed us aggressively, we've struggled.  When team are bigger and stronger than us, we've struggled.  When teams have been better than us player-quality wise, we've struggled.  That's been pretty consistent over the whole season IMO.  We've just had a run of games against opposition that played in ways that suited us.

Last night they were bigger and stronger than us, pressed us aggressively, plus had 2 guys in and around our DM area, and we never got to grips with it.  First half, when we tried to play through Fornah, they closed him down quickly and he couldn't deal with it.  Then when they won the ball back, they always had spare men in that area to play to.  Both Sibley and Thompson were pushed too far forward (and too wide at times) to help him out too.  So we ended up resorting to long balls forward that we never really competed for.

Second half, with Bird and Hourihane in there, we looked a (little) bit better.  We managed to play out a bit more, and certainly got more balls and bodies into their final third, but never really managed to create many actual chances.  At least in part because our final ball was dreadful.

[Gerry Daly]

12 minutes ago, jimtastic56 said:

I am 100% in agreement with your thoughts on Sibley . As for last night - because of the small turnout , you could hear any loud comments coming from the East stand . I was shocked how many fans were shouting instructions to 30 year old pros as if they were at their 8 year old sons school game .

It’s much more damaging for 8 year olds to be getting idiotic instructions from the sidelines from parents who couldn’t play for toffee. Diddums if these 30 year old pros can’t take it

[MadAmster]

We set up a certain way. The way they set up saw them press our box which led to our main tactic being lump it up to Collo who was being marked by two 6'4" centre halves thereby playing into Bradford's hands. There should have been a change of shape inside the first 15 minutes and if that meant a change of personnel, so be it. 

[silverback]

6 minutes ago, MadAmster said:

We set up a certain way. The way they set up saw them press our box which led to our main tactic being lump it up to Collo who was being marked by two 6'4" centre halves thereby playing into Bradford's hands. There should have been a change of shape inside the first 15 minutes and if that meant a change of personnel, so be it. 

At one point they headed a ball between the 2 back fours ad nauseum, to the point where the crowd were actually cheering it like keep-e -uppies

Hardly bloody football is it, I was under the impression it was played on the ground silly me

[Blondest Goat]

So many people happy to write off players after no more than a handful of games and in some cases a half season that has been disrupted by injury and no significant run in the team.  Sort of mentality that saw Salah and DeBruyne moved on from Chelsea cos they weren't fantastic from day one.

Same people that saw JJ or Fornah do one good thing in their first 20 minutes of football for us and said they were going to rip it up in this league for us.  🙄

Edited January 10 by Blondest Goat

[DiggerB]

9 hours ago, G STAR RAM said:

The restrictions lasted for 2 seasons.

Having to agree a business plan is a restriction.

From memory, DC or SP said the EFL accepted our business plan without any amendments.

What it does mean though is, if someone became available now that PW thought was the player that could get us over the line then we could only sign him within the constraints of the business plan.

So although you're correct insomuch that we are acting within our self imposed constraints, I don't think its correct to say there are no restrictions. 

Just my take on it.

9 hours ago, Returning ram said:

Pretty sure we are still limited on what we spend until Aug 24. Whilst the EFL lifted "Restrictions", we still have to operate under the business plan which was previously submitted.

Dom Dietrich on RD last night I think (or on the podcast) suggested the club still communicate with the EFL regarding transfers/contracts. Make of that what you will.

[Ramarena]

9 hours ago, valakari said:

Keep Fozzy, get rid of Collins

If we’re in league one next year then I’d offer Collins a one year deal. We’d absolutely need to sign another striker as well, if we hadn’t already (this Jan).

If we get promoted then I’d lean towards not renewing, unless he was prepared to be a back up player we could bring on in the last 15 mins to harass the oppositions defence.

[DavesaRam]

3 hours ago, RoyMac5 said:

You do know Wilson has played RB? Isn't there a single youngster with the capability to play there?

Yes I do, and he could do a job there. But I’m loving him as mote of an out and out winger!

[DiggerB]

8 hours ago, RoyMac5 said:

Perhaps he should work out how to get them to 'turn up'?! It's what managers do.

Here he/she/they is/are! 😆

[RoyMac5]

8 minutes ago, DavesaRam said:

Yes I do, and he could do a job there. But I’m loving him as mote of an out and out winger!

Yes, but it wouldn't be forever(?) and he'd make a good attacking fullback I think. It would allow the defence to stay the same.

Edited January 10 by RoyMac5

[Ellafella]

7 minutes ago, RoyMac5 said:

Yes, but it wouldn't be forever(?) and he'd make a good attacking fullback I think. It would allow the defence to stay the same.

When he has played Right FB his attacking has been stilted by (usually Ward) the teammate played above him on the wing. I thought the idea would to interchange with Ward, but the problem is that Ward is a penalty-giver looking for an opportunity to mis-time a tackle on an opponent in our box. His success on that count is legendary at P'boro  

[RoyMac5]

1 hour ago, Ellafella said:

When he has played Right FB his attacking has been stilted by (usually Ward) the teammate played above him on the wing. I thought the idea would to interchange with Ward, but the problem is that Ward is a penalty-giver looking for an opportunity to mis-time a tackle on an opponent in our box. His success on that count is legendary at P'boro  

"Derby County have signed Bristol City defender Kane Wilson on a two-year deal, for an undisclosed fee.

The 23-year-old joined the Robins last summer from Forest Green Rovers, where he was named League Two player of the season for 2021-22.

Yet injuries limited him to five league appearances last season, all from the bench, and two EFL Cup starts.

"It's something I've wanted to do for a while so to get it done is brilliant," Wilson said.

Wilson, who plays on the right side at full-back or wing-back, becomes Derby's seventh summer signing as the Rams aim to return to the Championship after a seventh-place finish last season."

Dunno other than it's been mentioned. He looks decent in the tackle, much better than Ward all round, except occasionally crosses. 

[MaltRam]

On reflection, given 24 hours to consider the game, I'd just like say, "Aaaaaagh! My f****** eyes."

Thanks for reading.

[ariotofmyown]

28 minutes ago, MaltRam said:

On reflection, given 24 hours to consider the game, I'd just like say, "Aaaaaagh! My f****** eyes."

Thanks for reading.

Not good enough. We need multiple posts detailing how this shows that there are loads of fundamental problems with our squad, management team, scouting and recruitment, but also that most/all of our players, I'm sorry, just won't cut it in the Europa League.

Edited January 10 by ariotofmyown