League Two Bradford v Rovers

[Rockford's Love Child]

Another huge game for Rovers as we travel to promotion chasing Bradford.

The hosts spent heavily in the summer and were one of the pre-season favourites and impressively ended Stevenage's unbeaten home record on Saturday. However, their recent form is as patchy as ours and they are actually below us in the ten game form table. If we are at our best there is no reason why we can't take something from this game.

Their top scorer and biggest threat is our old friend Andy Cook, who scored yesterday but was actually benched for a short period recently. One of the other goalscorers against Stevenage was the veteran Matt Derbyshire, while Liam Ridehalgh also featured at left back.

I think we will be unchanged subject to injuries and there should be a decent Tranmere following for this one. A return of four points from the next two games would be very good and should keep us in touch with the play off places.

 

[Boz]

I would expect an unchanged line-up unless Walker is fully recovered from his knock, even then Micky may opt to leave him on the bench initially.

Rovers old boy Andy Cook frequently seems to score against us, no surprise if that happens again.

Barring unexpected work issues, I'm going to this one, so you know what to expect...

 

[Sparky]

The clean sheet we got v Salford was very good but the defence will be tested even more by the experience of Derbyshire and goalscoring ability of cookie. As RLC says cookie was bizarrely dropped recently for around 5 games.
He came back in v Mansfield at home and scored, and did the same on Saturday, along with two assists. He’s a man in form and we’ll do well to keep him quiet.

Barring any injuries I think we’ll be unchanged. I guess Micky might have been tempted with a sort of 4-5-1 to give us another body in the middle, but I’m expecting the same set up as the Salford win.

The hosts home form hasn’t been great. The fans expectations might mean if we could score first then you never know. However I fear another clean sheet is unlikely and we still don’t score enough.

I’d take a point but I’m not confident. The hosts will be buoyant after Saturday and we’ll attack from the off

 

[bigmart]

We really could do with getting something out of this game but I think we will lose 2 1.

 

[ONIGP]

From a fan's emotional perspective this has defeat written all over it; they are big club, they are above us in the League, we haven't won away this year, ex-favourites coming back to haunt us etc. etc. Rovers win 0-1.

 

[Ian]

We never seem to do well here but I do think with the new players coming in, getting fitter and gelling into the side, we have a really good chance of taking something from this match. Bradford are only 4 points ahead of us, it we can take at least a point here, that would be a good week. If we can keep Cook quiet, not allow him any headers in the box, roigh him up a bit, we can do the business the other end. 2-0 Rovers to make a real statement to the teams around us and push us well into the mix.

 

[Ian]

Barring unexpected work issues, I'm going to this one, so you know what to expect...

I would highly recommend watching it on iFollow Boz

 

[ONIGP]

From a fan's emotional perspective this has defeat written all over it; they are big club, they are above us in the League, we haven't won away this year, ex-favourites coming back to haunt us etc. etc. Rovers win 0-1.

Replace one of the "etc." with "@Boz going to the match"!

 

[Sparky]

I remember the home game v Bradford. Everyone saying we need to keep cook quiet and an early corner for them was headed in by the big fella. So frustrating but once he attacks the ball he’s tough to stop

 

[Keith Hill (Bolton)]

Love a win, take a draw, but suspect another away day loss!

 

[keep the faith]

will it be the Tranmere of Saturday or the Tranmere of Doncaster? time will tell

 

[Am on mobile]

We will win 1-0

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Just out of interest, was Sparky on the Trip to the Moon podcast this week ?

 

[Am on mobile]

I have only done 1 away game it was Bradford Muir scored in 90th min we won 2-1 there fans where horrible they tried getting us with bricks and scred drivers we got a police escort to and from the train station never done an away game again

 

[keep the faith]

we went a few years ago got beat 2-0 we met dean windass in the car park spent about 15mins chatting to us, he was brilliant said he loved playing at PP as you were close to the supporters and he relished in the stick he used to get,

 

[Goody Two Shoes]

Really irresponsible of the footballing authorities to have a game on Valentine’s Day! Got to keep the wife sweet tonight, which does then gives me license to attend every home game and some select away games (every cloud…..?)….sorry, got to throw in her birthday, Christmas, anniversary; fours days effort per year’s not bad to watch all that footie!
Went to Bradford last season with my son and his friend and we received some verbals walking to the ground from a small group of hoodied and one masked individual, all of who were about thirteen at most; I am more frightened of spiders and I can comfortably pick them up and release them into the great outdoors when the wife gets anxious.
Also remember the FA cup game at Bradford when the free coaches were put on; thirteen coaches lined up outside the ground looked impressive. Took a couple of Liverpool supporters with us who thought Chris Greenacre was the business that day after our 3-0 win and wanted him signed on for the reds! Took my middle son as my eldest was ill on the day; his first and last Tranmere game and how he wasn’t hooked after that I’ll never know….you can’t win them all! We were in the first coach in the convoy leaving the ground and stopped in traffic at the lights opposite a pub, when a group wearing hoodies started bricking the coach. One brick bounced off the window next to my father-in-law’s head, leaving the window a mass of cracks and a shaken man sitting next to it. A real eventful day to say the least!
Anyway, would be good to get something from tonight’s game so we’re not taking a step back after the good win on Saturday as that seems to be the pattern of the season so far; one step forward, two steps back if you count Stockport and Doncaster!

 

[dollar'sbloke]

Really irresponsible of the footballing authorities to have a game on Valentine’s Day! Got to keep the wife sweet tonight, which does then gives me license to attend every home game and some select away games (every cloud…..?)….sorry, got to throw in her birthday, Christmas, anniversary; fours days effort per year’s not bad to watch all that footie!
Went to Bradford last season with my son and his friend and we received some verbals walking to the ground from a small group of hoodied and one masked individual, all of who were about thirteen at most; I am more frightened of spiders and I can comfortably pick them up and release them into the great outdoors when the wife gets anxious.
Also remember the FA cup game at Bradford when the free coaches were put on; thirteen coaches lined up outside the ground looked impressive. Took a couple of Liverpool supporters with us who thought Chris Greenacre was the business that day after our 3-0 win and wanted him signed on for the reds! Took my middle son as my eldest was ill on the day; his first and last Tranmere game and how he wasn’t hooked after that I’ll never know….you can’t win them all! We were in the first coach in the convoy leaving the ground and stopped in traffic at the lights opposite a pub, when a group wearing hoodies started bricking the coach. One brick bounced off the window next to my father-in-law’s head, leaving the window a mass of cracks and a shaken man sitting next to it. A real eventful day to say the least!
Anyway, would be good to get something from tonight’s game so we’re not taking a step back after the good win on Saturday as that seems to be the pattern of the season so far; one step forward, two steps back if you count Stockport and Doncaster!

Middle son may have been influenced by the father in law's experience?
On a tweet today, Bradford was the venue for a rare neutral fixture for TRFC. Who were the hosts for that fixture and others down the years-

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Middle son may have been influenced by the father in law's experience?
On a tweet today, Bradford was the venue for a rare neutral fixture for TRFC. Who were the hosts for that fixture and others down the years-

Halifax I think, shortly before they went bust.

The crowd was 612 as I remember, which must be one of the lowest crowds we have played in front of in a senior fixture.

 

[Ian]

I seem to remember years ago going to Bradford and Jim Beglin was there. He got a lot of erm negative attention should we say. The details are sketchy though as I do not have the greatest memory.

 

[dollar'sbloke]

Halifax I think, shortly before they went bust.

The crowd was 612 as I remember, which must be one of the lowest crowds we have played in front of in a senior fixture.

Correct there was another one earlier very nearby! A second replay and another a third replay, different years but at the same neutral ground