Match Thread Bradford v Coventry Match Thread - Saturday 20th Aug (12 Viewers)

Otis said:

Well it's exactly that, Stu, scoring when you are on top. That is a very fine line between winning and losing.

I wasn't there but people are saying we could have been 3 goals up at one point.

It's very fine margins. We know Rose is capable of goals and Ghadzev looks like he may score a few too. I do think when you haven't been scoring as is the case at the start of this campaign then you can lose your composure in front of goal.

It's a fine line that we need to put right, but I don't think we should panic just yet.

Look back to Bury last season. We beat them 6-0, but they had a number of chances that could have turned the game completely had they bagged them.

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You see that almost sums it up, you're quoting a right wingback and a defensive midfielder as the ones having goals in them.

Mowbray signed Reid (yes I was happy with his signing) a winger knowing he was going to play wingbacks and would have to use him as a striker. Hes scored 27 goals in c280 career games.

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Earlsdon_Skyblue1 said:

I thought Turnbull was about 21?

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Ghadzhev gave away a penalty also

stupot07 said:

You see that almost sums it up, you're quoting a right wingback and a defensive midfielder as the ones having goals in them.

Mowbray signed Reid (yes I was happy with his signing) a winger knowing he was going to play wingbacks and would have to use him as a striker. Hes scored 27 goals in c280 career games.

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It is very, very clear to me that Reid is no striker.

Bradford fans had already made it clear that he was great on the ball but had no end product.

A lot of his shooting can be at best described as a bit wild. I'm sure he'll bag the odd worldy here and there, but I really don't think we will get anything like 20 goals out of him. Probably 6 at best.

Otis said:

It is very, very clear to me that Reid is no striker.

Bradford fans had already made it clear that he was great on the ball but had no end product.

A lot of his shooting can be at best described as a bit wild. I'm sure he'll bag the odd worldy here and there, but I really don't think we will get anything like 20 goals out of him. Probably 6 at best.

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If your strikers are bagging 6 over a 50 game season then you are going to struggle !

That finish by Agyei wow!

Vlad doing his best John Fleck impression giving them pen away!

Thought goal scoring opportunities that were pens weren't reds anymore with regards to the Turnbull red?

Just seen the goals. Great play from BS and DA for our goal. Stupid challenge from Turnbull for their goal - I would question whether it was a sending off with two covering players and RCC pretty much on top of the attacker. Gadzhev should have engaged Marshall for second goal


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I_Saw_Shaw_Score said:

That finish by Agyei wow!

Vlad doing his best John Fleck impression giving them pen away!

Thought goal scoring opportunities that were pens weren't reds anymore with regards to the Turnbull red?

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Thats what i thiught zo looked it up. It only applys to accidental contact apparently

oucho said:

Well SISU sacked Pressley when we hit 21st in League 1, and sacked Thorn after three draws in three games at the start of a League One season, so let's see what happens....

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Pressley was sacked as soon as we entered the bottom 4 as there was a suggestion that was in his contract. Thorn was the worst manager we've ever had so that was coming sometime anyway.

Some Bradford fans opinions:

Coventry first 30 minutes I thought were excellent the 9 the guy making his debut was a real handful snd we were stretched Allover the park and they fully deserved to go in front, tbh I expected to be on the end of a thumping.

Then either they tired or TM told them to play ten yards further back and stop pressing , but glad to go in only 1-0 down

Game of two halves we came out played in behind and Coventry looked cumbersome and clueless- Mowbray took the new lad off God knows why but we all had a chuckle as Tudgay is gash.




First half hour I don't think we could've played any worse, we'd had three goal kicks and not touched the ball in the Cov's half, passing was just abysmal, not even schoolboy standard, add in Coventry's great closing down, far greater play and the 1-0 lead was par score. But for them that was it, two completely different teams second half, we totally dominated, Cov took off their main threat, had a man sent off and in the end it was a comfortable win

Marty said:

Thats what i thiught zo looked it up. It only applys to accidental contact apparently

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If Turnbull makes an attempt to play the ball it's not a red, it looks as if on the replay Turnbull tries to pull him back with an arm on the shoulder and leans into the attacker so a red is probably justified

Loads of you wanting to write the season off already after just 4 games but remember what Barnsley achieved last season from a seemingly hopeless position before Christmas.
There will undoubtedly be good quality loan layers coming in over the next few months and, after gelling in with the existing squad, we'll be rising up the table.

MatthewWallis said:

I hear 'should've been 3 up at HT' & 'Didn't take out chances' a lot. What do we actually work on in training because we never seem to work on that.

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Not sure but apparently from now we are to work on our play. Fr when we have 10 men. Because that's a priority and all that

The Great Eastern said:

Loads of you wanting to write the season off already after just 4 games but remember what Barnsley achieved last season from a seemingly hopeless position before Christmas.
There will undoubtedly be good quality loan layers coming in over the next few months and, after gelling in with the existing squad, we'll be rising up the table.

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That's if we are as good as Barnsley.

Otis said:

Not a lot of work going on?

What does that mean? What's he talking about there, SW?

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Tbh I can't actually remember. Would need to listen back.

Thinking it was around the issue of not everyone yet being in the building and went on to refer to recruitment again but could be wrong

He might not have even said it

penalty aside, it sounded like Turnbull looked decent up unto then, for those who went, would you agree with that?

Earlsdon_Skyblue1 said:

That's if we are as good as Barnsley.

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Barnsley were a crock of shit before Christmas and the best team in the division after. Have faith Earlsdon !

Just watched goals.

Bradford conceded possession in that area a number of times for our goal. Shame we couldn't take advantage more than once

Agree with ref for the red card, and also agree with Mowbray had Turnball tried to take the man with his legs rather than tugging him back he'd have only got a yellow. Poor decision making but get that in that situation it's a split second decision you have to make

Ghadzev conceding another penalty is disappointing.

Good strike by Marshall but perhaps RCC shouldn't be getting beat at that post that low down.

Second pen was a great finish!

clint van damme said:

penalty aside, it sounded like Turnbull looked decent up unto then, for those who went, would you agree with that?

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I don't think he did too much wrong other than the obvious

Seems to be a bulky lad, probably stronge (strength wise not saying he's fat) than Harries is and Martin was, and seems to want to not run with it as Harries seems to, preferring to play it out quickly and keep his own position

sw88 said:

I don't think he did too much wrong other than the obvious

Seems to be a bulky lad, probably stronge (strength wise not saying he's fat) than Harries is and Martin was, and seems to want to not run with it as Harries seems to, preferring to play it out quickly and keep his own position

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Any chance of match ratings SW please?

sw88 said:

Tbh I can't actually remember. Would need to listen back.

Thinking it was around the issue of not everyone yet being in the building and went on to refer to recruitment again but could be wrong

He might not have even said it

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Yes he said, it was about not much work going on at the training pitch so far due to the amount of games being played at the moment with midweek games every week so far.

The Great Eastern said:

Barnsley were a crock of shit before Christmas and the best team in the division after. Have faith Earlsdon !

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I'll raise a glass to that Sir!

very early days.Only 10 points off top and not finished our buying yet, calm down everyone

Just a random question, I assume Turnbull will be a 1 game ban which I'll be the Norwich game so will be available for next sat!?

Nick said:

Of course he has something to work with, it's how football in league one is.

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he has very average players and not enough of them ...,anyone who rises above mediocre is sold off and in the cases of Fleck and Vincelot he had no time or enough funding to replace them before the season started,I guess he knew Fleck was going so planned and built around Vincelot then..Hey Presto he's gone..no manager should have to start a season with Plan C with 7days notice

ccfcway said:

very early days.Only 10 points off top and not finished our buying yet, calm down everyone

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We mirror Arsenal really only real difference is they have £millions they haven't spent and we have about £200

afan4life said:

he has very average players and not enough of them ...,anyone who rises above mediocre is sold off and in the cases of Fleck and Vincelot he had no time or enough funding to replace them before the season started,I guess he knew Fleck was going so planned and built around Vincelot then..Hey Presto he's gone..no manager should have to start a season with Plan C with 7days notice

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so when TM said it was his decision to sell Vincelot you don't believe him?

I'm not too worried based on today. Shite second half but we showed a lot of quality first 30 minutes and we'll have enough to do okay this season. Plus if we can get Jones fit and going, him and Agyei will be a right handful.

Based on some of the contracts we've been handing out my guess is Mowbray and the club have a long term plan, so I'd take an average year if we're aiming to push for it next season


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Stokes, Rose, Jones, Sordell, K. Thomas all injured. That would have made the bench look much stronger today and I did say we'd need this one sewn up by half time before the kick off. I'm not actually too bothered about today as a result - a red card and a pen is always going to be a game changer.

I'm still as concerned about the season though, Mowbray keeps doing stuff I don't see the logic in, odd substitutions, starting the season in September, changing to a formation with wing backs when we don't have them at the same time as actually having 2 decent wingers in Reid and Jones for the first time since...forever, risking a rebuild in January etc. I'd like him to sign a new contract now and commit to next year too if the plan is for next year to be the year and not this one - much happier that way if he's blooding the kids and signing people on longer contracts and I think he'd have a lot less raised eyebrows.

I_Saw_Shaw_Score said:

Any chance of match ratings SW please?

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Here goes;

RCC - 6/7 - whilst perhaps Marshalls he could have done better with on reflection, dealt with most that came his way, some standard stuff, others good reaction saves plus almost got to first pen (nice change that rather than completely wrong way)

Ricketts - 6 - decent first half. Shaky second as with a number of others. Didn't do anything fancy. Nothing blatantly terrible, but nothing out you wouldn't expect him to deal with either. Subbed

Willis - 7 - going to be very dependant on this kid more than others this year. Another solid game. His performance didn't really warrant 3 conceded

Turnbull - 6 - apart from the obvious, had a relatively decent game. Seems stronger than Harries, and plays less 'football' at the back. Tended not to bring the ball out. Caught out massively to let no.10 in for the lead up to the pen and clear foul. Maybe a more experienced head would have made a different decision. Guess we'll never know. Certainly didn't look out of place to me.

DKE - 7 - quieter second half attack wise and more involved defensively. Clear on the line, one a great diving block jointly with Page late on and another a header off the line. Struggles with some aerial battles, but puts on a decent show. Nothing flash from this kid, which I like. No twist / turn attempts etc.

Page - 6 - average at best. Seemed a better game for him than his debut. But do worry that he's not offering us anything Haynes doesn't. Also lacks pace and often gets beaten to the ball too easily. Too early to be too critical though

Vlad - 5 - anonymous for large parts. Maybe they had him figured out as one to mark out the game?

Stevenson - 6 - another decent game for a young lad. Got stuck in, wasn't backing as we'd seen him do early on in previous games. Beginning to try and get the ball from the middle of the park. As with others, tired towards the end

Reid - 6 - ran well but when opportunities put in front of him he was again disappointing in front of goal. Maybe this time it was the occasion. Clearly loved by Bradford fans still. Hopefully that didn't have a bearing but was times where he'd be in great positions, one more noticible one when he could have been 1 v 1 and took a first time shot but didn't an their defender recovered brilliantly. Beginning to see early on why his goal stats are so low, and not sure why we persist with him in an up top position. Stick him on the wing ffs!!

McCann - 7 - looks a very good player and signing. But he himself seems to greys tested a lot around his team mates. Shame they can't be on the same wavelength. No goal scoring threat (had one late on when we had already lost the game and had to go himself as everyone else seemed to have stopped).

Agyei - 8 - best player by far, great debut despite score line. Strong, powerful, pacey, always wanting to go forwards and have a run at goal. But adebyour or Lukaku like (or if goals dry up, a mobile and pacey Adebola )

Grendel said:

Pressley was sacked as soon as we entered the bottom 4 as there was a suggestion that was in his contract. Thorn was the worst manager we've ever had so that was coming sometime anyway.

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Thorn wasn't the worst manager because he never claimed to be a manager and didn't want the post. He was talked into it. He was the worst appointment though....but who was responsible for that?

CCFC_Charlie said:

It would somewhat ok if it was a one off but we literally play well for one half in every single game. That's Swindon, Shrewsbury and now today where we've been the better team by miles in the first half and not come away with three points. Mowbray needs to fix it soon or he should go. It was the same thing during our bad run last season.

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I know I forgot my glasses against Shrewsbury, but which half were we good in. ?