The Promotion Race

[billyblademan]

Plenty of Blades fans said Clough was shit and wouldn't get Burton promoted.

Frankly I think he was lucky to. Fair play to him and them, but securing it with a 0-0 draw at Donny seemed a particularly Nigel Clough way of winning promotion.

 

[Nade]

City Neil's posts to likes ratio is through the roof. Must be the best I've seen.

A solid start. Let's see if you can keep it up though.

 

[BushBlade]

Frankly I think he was lucky to. Fair play to him and them, but securing it with a 0-0 draw at Donny seemed a particularly Nigel Clough way of winning promotion.

As Napoleon once said, I'd rather have a lucky general than a good one.

 

[billyblademan]

As Napoleon once said, I'd rather have a lucky general than a good one.

You are quite right, my fellow W12'er, and that's one of my go to-phrases.

I guess I'm just bitter, because I'd got £50 at 5/1 that they wouldn't finish in the top 2, and Cloughie came tantalisingly close for me.

 

[BushBlade]

You are quite right, my fellow W12'er, and that's one of my go to-phrases.

I guess I'm just bitter, because I'd got £50 at 5/1 that they wouldn't finish in the top 2, and Cloughie came tantalisingly close for me.

Ooh. That must hurt.

 

[billyblademan]

Ooh. That must hurt.

The good news is at least that I'm not bitter, and am completely over it...

 

[Jim Chimmerney]

Plenty of Blades fans said Clough was shit and wouldn't get Burton promoted.

And he almost managed not to.

 

[1danewhitehouse]

Hello guys, Bradford fan here to share a few thoughts so hope you don't mind.

Just wanted to say was really impressed with your boys a couple off weeks ago. It was first team we've had at Valley Parade this season have a proper go at us and you were by a long chalk the best team to visit us this season.
The game could easily have gone either way (i thought a draw was fair) but i was particularly impressed with Sharpe & Fleck who look real quality at this level.

I watched the game on Sunday at Chesterfield and the second half was seriously impressive. You are not just totally reliant on Sharpe for the goals (albeit he makes a big difference) so if he were to get injured it's not going to be the end of the world.

Based on what I've seen so far this season i'd be really surprised if you don't win the league and to be honest i have a feeling Scunthorpe will be second. We were kind enough to give them Josh Morris in the summer (i thought that was a mistake at the time) when we were without a manager and that was certainly a bad miss-judgement from someone at our club.

I think we will be fighting out in the playoffs with the likes of Bolton, Millwall and a few others as i don't think we quite have enough goals in the team to get over the line in terms of automatic. If we can keep James Hanson fit i think we will have more of a chance as he creates so much space for others as he often attracts 2 defenders as he wins so much in the air.

We play Scunthorpe at VP on Boxing day so that will be a real good gauge at to what our ultimate ambitions are!

Here's to an exciting season for our Yorkshire rivals!

Welcome Bradfordian,


It’s interesting to see how Morris has done at Scunthorpe this year. Were there any signs of him doing this during his time with your lot? It seems an explosion of goals from nowhere!


It’s beginning to look like a 4 horse race but still wouldn’t totally discount a charge from someone like Millwall or Peterborough to get into the mix. It’ll be interesting to see if Scunny can keep it going when they visit you lot and Bolton at xmas. And of course, then the fun of the JTW begins which could have a big say!

 

[Stretch]

I don't see Scunny 'dropping off' significantly as some suggest but they will slip up and have a blip at some point. That might just mean a run of losing a couple and drawing one but it will be enough for the chasing teams that stay consistent to reign them back in.
I predict that it's going to be too close to call in the New Year and it could still be a combination from any of 6 or 7 teams that snatch auto.

 

[City Neil]

City Neil's posts to likes ratio is through the roof. Must be the best I've seen.

A solid start. Let's see if you can keep it up though.

That might be a tough ask as i'm from the West side of Yorkshire!

We all like football at the end of the day and also tend to be pretty insular as regard to our own clubs. I always think it's nice if you can debate in a sensible way (i know this is not always possible) and gauge the thoughts of other fans from different clubs.

I'll keep trying!

 

[Nade]

That might be a tough ask as i'm from the West side of Yorkshire!

We all like football at the end of the day and also tend to be pretty insular as regard to our own clubs. I always think it's nice if you can debate in a sensible way (i know this is not always possible) and gauge the thoughts of other fans from different clubs.

I'll keep trying!

I live in Leeds myself (when I'm not training in Scotland) and have a lot of Bradford fans as mates. All decent fans who know what it's like to see their club fall from dizzy heights, so tend to have a sense of perspective and a sense of humour about it all. Hoping you guys finish second behind us .

 

[Boxer Blade]

That might be a tough ask as i'm from the West side of Yorkshire!

We all like football at the end of the day and also tend to be pretty insular as regard to our own clubs. I always think it's nice if you can debate in a sensible way (i know this is not always possible) and gauge the thoughts of other fans from different clubs.

I'll keep trying!

Debate in a sensible way? Quit while you are ahead pal, if we loseand you win tomorrow and you come on here I will guarantee the response will be more, let's say, meaty. ;-)

 

[Pinchy]

Just a passing thought, a bit abstract really, but with the position of centre-half being under discussion, what with EEL's situation being unclear, has anyone considered the re-positioning of Clarke from forward to central defence? I mention this as it's not the first time this type of imaginative move has been made. Dion Dublin began his career at CH but was transformed into a forward. I believe it was at Man Utd that Alex Ferguson turned him into a CH for a short while, and his performances in defence were decent. Just a thought where Clarke is concerned, and knowing Wilder he'll have someone in mind if EEL has to return to Wolves.

He does mate. It's Byron Webster and he may go for him whether we get the slippery one or not....

 

[The_Green_Man]

I think the positive part in all of this is that Bradford City probably wasn't one of our most free flowing games.

I think we played some good football at times and showed great character to turn it round after going behind and stuff but ultimately despite the tasty scoreline, I still think we are capable of much more than what we showed in that particular game.

We have been winning with very decent scorelines therefore it seems a bit bizarre to say it however if we were consistently ruthless for 90 minutes then we would absolutely demolish somebody in this league however I am more than content in the fact that we are picking up three points and scoring goals from all over the pitch and impressively on the 80 minutes mark it is obvious that we do have more in the tank should we need it.

As the OP as been kind enough to comment on us, if feel obliged to so the same about them......

I think we saw a different Bradford the other week. Forgive me but prior to that game I saw you lot as very direct and in the air which was probably down the taller, physical players that you had in the ranks however I think we saw a different outfit most recently.

It is quite obvious that McCall is trying to build more of a "footballing" team and I can see a definite transition from an old school, tall, physical team to one that is much faster and much more skillful, with a real emphasis on getting the ball down and trying to play through teams and they have had some real success in doing so as shown in your league position.

Some of the passing football that you lot showed again us did impress me and likewise not many teams have caused us many problems at the back in the same respects that you lot did, you had a right old go at us....

For this reason I do fancy you lot to battle it out for a play-off position.....I did actually think you lot were better than Bolton and Millwall and on par with Scunthorpe, the major difference being a few stand out players for them.......And for this reason I predict a play-off spot and McCall to take you to Wembley.

Forgive me when I say however that I don't want to see you there........I mean I have no issues with you lot getting to Wembley however I am done with play-offs these days for obvious reasons!

 

[Pinchy]

As Napoleon once said, I'd rather have a lucky general than a good one.

There are no lucky promotions. 46 games is ample to discount 'luck'. The term is hopelessly misused on here in any event.

 

[Pinchy]

I really don't understand why people feel that Scunthorpe will fall away.

There is no evidence they will, invested well like us and will be able to build on that in January.

Agreed. However, some equate "not falling away" with them romping the league. It was even suggested recently on here (no doubt by a young tyro) that everyone else was "playing for second place". There is a middle way. I think they will be comfortably in the top six but I'm quite certain they won't be Champions.

 

[sheffielder]

Agreed. However, some equate "not falling away" with them romping the league. It was even suggested recently on here (no doubt by a young tyro) that everyone else was "playing for second place". There is a middle way. I think they will be comfortably in the top six but I'm quite certain they won't be Champions.

They aren't romping, if we win our game in hand (famous last words) we will only be 3 points behind, and considering their form and our start... that's fecking amazing John

 

[Pinchy]

That might be a tough ask as i'm from the West side of Yorkshire!

We all like football at the end of the day and also tend to be pretty insular as regard to our own clubs. I always think it's nice if you can debate in a sensible way (i know this is not always possible) and gauge the thoughts of other fans from different clubs.

I'll keep trying!

As a matter of interest, do you Hoof?...

 

[blade too long]

there was a young man on

But he played done at wingback later on on Sunday, also is playing basham at centre half keeping O'Connell out of the side, I am not complaing just highlighting that he, like any other manager does play players out of position

was tactical keeping us on the front foot he could see they were hanging back to far so exploited it
doubt if hed start a game that way

 

[SUFC Handsworth]

Clarke centre half we would have to be really short to do that.
Centre backs need to be strong in the
air and that's not Clarke strong point anyway.
Dion Dublin was very strong in the air so it's not surprising he could play at centre back. Wilder will make sure we have cover so no need to worry about that

You are kidding, right?

 

[Pinchy]

You are kidding, right?

Clarke has many and various qualities. Personally I think they are far better used creating and scoring rather than learning a new role in defence.

I very much hope he starts against Shrews. Let's carry on from where we left off...

 

[finlaytheblade]

You are kidding, right?

In one word no !!

 

[Snowman]

Agreed. However, some equate "not falling away" with them romping the league. It was even suggested recently on here (no doubt by a young tyro) that everyone else was "playing for second place". There is a middle way. I think they will be comfortably in the top six but I'm quite certain they won't be Champions.

Oh God Pinchy, don't let it be another Weir quote! They're a solid team and could do it.