• Nigel Adkins has been given the Tranmere job on a permanent basis signing until the end of the 25/26 season. Continue the discussion here.

League Two Bantams v Rovers

Match result

  • Bradford

    Votes: 3 37.5%
  • Draw

    Votes: 3 37.5%
  • Tranmere

    Votes: 2 25.0%

  • Total voters
    8
  • Poll closed .
Bantams v Rovers
Posted by Ian
Valley Parade
Tuesday, April 20, 2021 - 07:00 PM
Until: Tuesday, April 20, 2021 - 09:00 PM
(Adjusted for timezone: Europe/London)
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Joined
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Jason Koumas / John Morrissey
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John King
Whatever the eventual diagnosis, responsibility for the decision to bring Vaughan back early has to rest with Hill. If a player is willing to play (perhaps after pressure from above) but the medical staff insist he is not 100%, the manager has ultimate responsibility for the decision to play him.
 
Joined
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Alan King, Barry Dyson
The irony is that bringing back James when we did did no good. The first game after he got injured again, we won!

Looking at our recent bad run, it is obvious we missed James but I think the disappointment at Wembley may have played a part. We have played worse since then and our confidence level has fallen. Let's hope last night's change of fortune will also lead to a boost in confidence.
 
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Too many of them after over 50 years!
We actually finished all three of the recent play off seasons in strong form in the closing months of the season. Finishing the season strongly was one of Mellon's real strengths as a manager.

In 2017-18 and 2018-19 we rested players in the final few regular games, hence poor results; in 2016-17 it was a host of injuries that did for us in the play off final.

However, our poor recent form does not mean we can't be promoted via the play offs this time around.
https://www.worldfootball.net/teams/tranmere-rovers/2019/3/ The teams for the final 7 games were not particularly under strength. In fact, there was a reasonable squad. Shame Mellon didn't have a way of playing to Mullin's strengths. After a set of good wins the team fell short against Lincoln, FGR, Crawley etc.

But you summed up my point in your last sentence.
 

Gray

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25 Sep 2005
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Ian Goodison... who else!
Let's not kid ourselves. We won last night with a bit of much overdue luck but we still had zero shots on target. If we do not find a formula to score goals, we will struggle for the last three and subsequently in the playoffs. I agree, we were better in some areas, but no better when it came to finding the back of the net which has been the cause of all these problems recently. The only hope is Vaughan returning and that is a very faint hope.

It's possible for us to go up via the play-offs with a couple of 0-0s and penalty shoot outs. That's our only hope!
 

Boz

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Iain Hume
It's possible for us to go up via the play-offs with a couple of 0-0s and penalty shoot outs. That's our only hope!
Think that’s how my current home town managed it!
 

Boz

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I am not suggesting that they would be acting inappropriately, more that there would be natural disappointment at missing out on Wembley. The relationship between the manager and the senior players is key at any club.

In any case, I do not think the impact of one extra game at Wembley was that significant. There have been plenty of missed opportunities to pick up points since the Grimsby game.
I agree we’ve underperformed in subsequent games, but Grimsby was were it started to go wrong for me. To re-iterate my earlier comment, 2 extra points there and we’re still well in sight of the automatic spots rather than hoping for an unlikely chain of results to get us there.
 
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https://www.worldfootball.net/teams/tranmere-rovers/2019/3/ The teams for the final 7 games were not particularly under strength. In fact, there was a reasonable squad. Shame Mellon didn't have a way of playing to Mullin's strengths. After a set of good wins the team fell short against Lincoln, FGR, Crawley etc.

But you summed up my point in your last sentence.
We played a reserve side at Crawley in the final game of 2018-19. The draws against Lincoln and Bury were good performances and results considering those two sides went up automatically, and only FGR beat our first eleven in that period. Mullin was not a first choice starter up front, Norwood and Jennings were.

There may have been a relative tailing off towards the end, but our form from February onwards in that season was exceptional, so we went into the play offs in good spirits as the form team that had unexpectedly claimed a play off place, which is the complete reverse of our current situation.

I think the buoyant mood on and off the pitch in 2018-19 was a major reason why we won promotion through the play offs. Good form going into the play offs does not guarantee promotion, but it can certainly help.
 
Last edited:

drwhoman

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I agree we’ve underperformed in subsequent games, but Grimsby was were it started to go wrong for me. To re-iterate my earlier comment, 2 extra points there and we’re still well in sight of the automatic spots rather than hoping for an unlikely chain of results to get us there.
I hear what you say Boz but I cannot see how we could not play our strongest team at Wembley. We were in front of the nation (or some of it!) and a potential battering by a top L1 side would not have been a good look. Our ‘friends’ at the EFL may well have seen it as disrespectful to Mr Pizza and the competition generally.
 

Boz

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Iain Hume
I hear what you say Boz but I cannot see how we could not play our strongest team at Wembley. We were in front of the nation (or some of it!) and a potential battering by a top L1 side would not have been a good look. Our ‘friends’ at the EFL may well have seen it as disrespectful to Mr Pizza and the competition generally.
"I hear what you say" is a phrase which Judges use and usually suggests they're not going to take much notice ;)

My view was that we owed the EFL nothing, the game against Sunderland didn't work to our advantage but I accept that you and others may see it different.
 

bigmart

bigmart
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Ian Muir
Bradford have sold Danny Rowe to Chesterfield undisclosed fee, didn't last long there.
 

Sparky

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Chris Greenacre
Bradford have sold Danny Rowe to Chesterfield undisclosed fee, didn't last long there.

92 days to be precise. At 32 he clearly wants guaranteed first team football and in league 2 with competition like cookie at Bradford he wasn’t getting it.
 

Boz

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Currently, I'm not that up to speed with the NL, are Chesterfield another money-bags club? Bradford didn't seem to be overwhelmed with options up front midweek, so a bit surprised they've let him go so soon and that Rowe didn't stick around for the summer and a move to another FL club, after proving himself capable enough this season at this level.
 
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