They need to win at ours to have a chance of play offs.

This could potentially mean (obviously other results going a certain way), we could be playing them three games in a row. 

They're proper in form too.

3-2 to us 

5 minutes ago, Traf said:

We're not going anywhere, home or away, this season without Sheehan starting unless he's injured or suspended.

ineffective most away games...Tidy enough on a good pitch but when if any did you see him play a ball like RR did yesterday.

Fully expect Sheehan to play Saturday and Wembley if we get there but Bradford away would be Erhahon, Simons and RR

No left winger but a three of Kenny,Dalby and ACD

We cannot keep playing the same old ways no matter where or what opposition

33 minutes ago, masi 51 said:

Expect nothing to change Saturday....If we win by three then take the game to Bradford second leg by all means but if we are one up i would go to Bradford without Sheehan in the midfield but include both Simons and Erahahon....A defence which would be more rigid and go direct with ACD. Dalby and Kenny.....

Who in the right mind changes nothing when it does not work........Not calling for major changes but for players to their jobs in their position.....I dont want to see my left back in Bradfords half for eighty mins when Bradford keep hitting it behind the space he keeps leaving by being out of position......Black and white i want my defenders to be facing the ball not chasing the ball

You learn that at primary school

You said he needs to come up with another way to play or set up??? And then described a way we have played many times. 

Swapping Johnston for Conway is a change SS has done loads of times. If GJ is fit he's back in. It's hardly a radical change. Your making out like he's never done this before. Ethan and Simons have both been injured and haven't played for a month, you really think they are thrown straight back in for the playoffs? 

We can't play scared. We have to go at them the first leg and try and get a lead.

We didn't get overrun by Bradford in midfield last week. We were fine. They are a hoofball team. It's how we defend set pieces and balls in the box that will be the deciding factor. 

 

 

Edited May 3May 3 by Arrested development

Clean sheet score a couple of goals then Bradford will have to attack in the second leg which would help us to pick them off . Football is so easy !

14 minutes ago, Arrested development said:

You said he needs to come up with another way to play or set up??? And then described a way we have played many times. 

Swapping Johnston for Conway is a change SS has done loads of times. If GJ is fit he's back in. It's hardly a radical change. Your making out like he's never done this before. Ethan and Simons have both been injured and haven't played for a month, you really think they are thrown straight back in for the playoffs? 

We can't play scared. We have to go at them the first leg and try and get a lead.

We didn't get overrun by Bradford in midfield last week. We were fine. They are a hoofball team. It's how we defend set pieces and balls in the box that will be the deciding factor. 

 

 

Agree concerning the first leg we have to get at them and be more clinical but we know we are going to be targeted on our left side. Erhahon and Simons are playing everyday in training they will be fresh.....Tough calls for SS

Open to seeing Conway playing left side of misfield if GJ goes left back. Would take a bit of our attacking away but we certainly would be more solid.........Bradford do mainly attack down their right through Neufville and Jackson 

No need to be afraid of Bradford but we all know where we need to improve

1 hour ago, masi 51 said:

Expect nothing to change Saturday....If we win by three then take the game to Bradford second leg by all means but if we are one up i would go to Bradford without Sheehan in the midfield but include both Simons and Erahahon....A defence which would be more rigid and go direct with ACD. Dalby and Kenny.....

Who in the right mind changes nothing when it does not work........Not calling for major changes but for players to their jobs in their position.....I dont want to see my left back in Bradfords half for eighty mins when Bradford keep hitting it behind the space he keeps leaving by being out of position......Black and white i want my defenders to be facing the ball not chasing the ball

You learn that at primary school

Not sure why we'd go to Bradford and leave out our best midfielder?  One way to quieten a crowd and take the sting out of a game is to maintain possession.  Nobody does that as well as Sheehan, I don't want to encourage the opposition by coughing up possession easily which Simons, EE and RR are all prone to do (and I know they all have qualities, happy for one of them to play with Sheehan).

16 minutes ago, Rizlar said:

Clean sheet score a couple of goals then Bradford will have to attack in the second leg which would help us to pick them off . Football is so easy !

I've spotted a flaw in your cunning plan.

And if the opposition have to attack, we don't "pick them off", we concede a goal.

The way for us not to concede many is the way we played at Bradford in the league - go out to dominate where possible, simply by keeping the ball in their half more than not.  It nearly worked.  Its when we decide we don't need to attack any more that we concede because we don't have a defensive bone in our collective bodies aside from Forino and he can't do it all, especially when hamstrung by SS handing all the initiative to the opposition at corners and set pieces.

The only way to not concede is to have the ball.

21 minutes ago, masi 51 said:

Agree concerning the first leg we have to get at them and be more clinical but we know we are going to be targeted on our left side. Erhahon and Simons are playing everyday in training they will be fresh.....Tough calls for SS

Open to seeing Conway playing left side of misfield if GJ goes left back. Would take a bit of our attacking away but we certainly would be more solid.........Bradford do mainly attack down their right through Neufville and Jackson 

No need to be afraid of Bradford but we all know where we need to improve

If you're happy to blunt our left hand side by playing Conway there, you might as well play Erhahon there

There's more chance of Lofty the lion starting on the left wing than Conway.

2 decent runs foward 8 months ago doesn't warrant him being anything close to a left winger or decent wing back.

He's barely capable of playing as a normal full back.

It is not about Conway/Erhahon playing as a winger.......It is about going to Bradford and protecting a lead.

If we lose or draw the first leg then we need to be on the front foot and i would be all for having two wingers as well as Dalby and Kenny up front but if we are two up......lets just kill the game

Cissoko, Dalby, Kenny, ACD is a front four whatever way you look at it. This is a two match cup game and SS needs to adapt and change as it is being played....No use saying play him or him today just let us have options

We are too rigid

26 minutes ago, Johnnyrotten said:

The only way to not concede is to have the ball.

Correct and also another reason why Sheehan plays every game.

He looks after the ball better than anyone else we have and he "wins" the ball back more than his fair share of times. Maybe not as a tackler, but by reading the game and cutting out the pass or by covering behind the defence when they've attempted to get in behind the full back for the eleventieth time.

17 minutes ago, Traf said:

If you're happy to blunt our left hand side by playing Conway there, you might as well play Erhahon there

Not this Saturday i am not, i want Cissoko starting though SS needs to hold either Conways or GJ attacking  thoughts in check

We need a clean sheet, if we can get that i am confident our forwards can score at least two without the left backs attacking willy nilly

Amazed anybody is disputing this

11 minutes ago, masi 51 said:

Not this Saturday i am not, i want Cissoko starting though SS needs to hold either Conways or GJ attacking  thoughts in check

We need a clean sheet, if we can get that i am confident our forwards can score at least two without the left backs attacking willy nilly

Amazed anybody is disputing this

When Johnston plays LB he doesn't get caught out by balls over the top. Thats the most important thing. Sometimes the winger beats him 1 on 1, but positionally he's much better than Conway. Conway got beat by one ball yesterday, just so poor. 

Neither Gale or Cissokho are good at tracking back. So whichever one plays we need to accept that there is a trade off between attacking and defending. Neufville stays wide and they like that ball to him early. Im sure SS is aware of how Bradford set up. 

1 hour ago, masi 51 said:

We cannot keep playing the same old ways no matter where or what opposition

But that's what he does. Despite the three at the back being most secure, with wing backs, he won't as it comprises what he wants up the pitch. 

He has had a season and a half to get it right and here we are? But it's the same bollocks as Evatt for me, just in a an alternate formation.

We set up uber attacking, yet we are the 6th top scorers in the division and only scored 2 more than bloody Barnsley FFS! So the risk isnt worth the reward, and this was always Evatt's issue.

One thing I would agree with SS about, at least the stats back up his philosophy, i.e. lots of chances which rarely was the case with Evatt. However after 18 months of the same issues and the infuriating monotone 'what needs to improve' rhetoric from SS. We never hear him articulate the 'how' he is going to change it.

And the media chuckle brothers dont help, never ask any probing post-match questions, i.e. 'So Steven, for the umpteenth time your left back has been caught up the pitch and we've conceded down the left with a basic ball over the top, thoughts??'

Grumpy as, bad week for me to forget to order my meds 🫪

I’d drop Cissoko and stick Erhahon in the middle or Simon’s if not fit.

Cissoko had a good game at Bradford of course, his best game ever by all accounts. Still no end product.

Tighten it up and we’ve got a chance.

3-3-2 (wide players)-2 for me, at least away from home.

3 at back,

Erahon DLM covering left back, Simons DRM covering right back, Rodrigues or Sheehan CM with licence to push on.

Wide players take your pick, ACD/Cissoko at home, wingers, Conway/Tutu away, more defensive wing back.

Dalby/Kenny up front

 

Edited May 3May 3 by JimmyRiddle

1 hour ago, Rizlar said:

Clean sheet score a couple of goals then Bradford will have to attack in the second leg which would help us to pick them off . Football is so easy !

One clean sheet in the last 16 games

4 minutes ago, mickbrown said:

One clean sheet in the last 16 games

So we're due one? 😉 

Might be wrong but just been reading on one of the Bradford forums they’re going unreserved for everyone for the away leg and moving us into the stand on the side so they fill behind both goals. Nice bit of shithousery there

19 minutes ago, JimmyRiddle said:

But that's what he does. Despite the three at the back being most secure, with wing backs, he won't as it comprises what he wants up the pitch. 

He has had a season and a half to get it right and here we are? But it's the same bollocks as Evatt for me, just in a an alternate formation.

We set up uber attacking, yet we are the 6th top scorers in the division and only scored 2 more than bloody Barnsley FFS! So the risk isnt worth the reward, and this was always Evatt's issue.

One thing I would agree with SS about, at least the stats back up his philosophy, i.e. lots of chances which rarely was the case with Evatt. However after 18 months of the same issues and the infuriating monotone 'what needs to improve' rhetoric from SS. We never hear him articulate the 'how' he is going to change it.

And the media chuckle brothers dont help, never ask any probing post-match questions, i.e. 'So Steven, for the umpteenth time your left back has been caught up the pitch and we've conceded down the left with a basic ball over the top, thoughts??'

Grumpy as, bad week for me to forget to order my meds 🫪

I agree with a lot of what you say here, but i have said i will back SS this coming transfer Window because basically we still have Deadwood from the Evatt era to off-load. All of SS/FH signings have not worked but despite what others have said he was not backed to the hilt......SS/FH generated money last Summer but you can see from certain loan players that they are trusted to bring a gem in

Yes we have brought some shockers in and i think not much thought was given in January over goalkeeping recruitment but they will have a massive re-building job this Summer no matter which league we are in

2 minutes ago, masi 51 said:

I agree with a lot of what you say here, but i have said i will back SS this coming transfer Window because basically we still have Deadwood from the Evatt era to off-load. All of SS/FH signings have not worked but despite what others have said he was not backed to the hilt......SS/FH generated money last Summer but you can see from certain loan players that they are trusted to bring a gem in

Yes we have brought some shockers in and i think not much thought was given in January over goalkeeping recruitment but they will have a massive re-building job this Summer no matter which league we are in

A keeper and at least 4 defenders have to be on the shopping list irrespective of what happens over the next 3 weeks.

Just now, Traf said:

A keeper and at least 4 defenders have to be on the shopping list irrespective of what happens over the next 3 weeks.

1000000% we need a complete overhaul of the defence with a new keeper being top of the list 

11 minutes ago, Traf said:

So we're due one? 😉 

I admire your optimism. 
 

 

Bradford seem to have moved the away seats, the thinking most atmosphere comes from a packed end behind the goal

Will be too late now, but thoughts maybe in the future to moving the away following to up in the gods maybe upper west stand tucked away in the corner

Christ, it’s even worse than I thought. I at least thought he had a bloke jumping with him

 

I knew Bonham was out of position but I didn’t realise how far.

And how leaden his feet were.