League Two Bradford (2) v Rovers (0)

[Keith Hill (Bolton)]

Not a happy Easter bunny!
A couple of missing players and it's not good enough. Lack of squad depth, quality and as I've said many times reliant on a few.
I wish I had gone on holiday instead!
Awful, all round!

 

[Am on mobile]

Well the waves are lashing the shaw its been 27degrees today and same over the next 9 days i am more than happy chill time

 

[Ian]

 

[Ian]

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Norris had a poor game but I still don't think he's 100% yet.

Exactly this. He has been out for months with serious injury and his lack of match fitness is clearly catching up with him now. He was clearly exhausted in the second half and I think Adkins just left him on to get more minutes.

I thought his link play in the first half was actually fine, with little or no service, and it is worth remembering he did score our only goal in the previous two matches. He is still the best centre forward we have at the club by some distance.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I thought it was thoroughly mediocre fayre which again highlighted the lack of depth in the squad. We seriously missed Walker, Turnbull and Wood and their replacements are simply not good enough. Pike, Yarney and Merrie were all very poor and several others were well below par, with Hendry and Apter in particular having poor games.

I agree with Ian that the midfield was the problem area. The combination of Jennings and Hendry did not work, with no protection for the defence, and it says it all that Adkins preferred playing Jennings out of position to using McAlear, Merrie or Lewis. There needs to be a cull of the players outside the first eleven this summer.

I thought the game was fairly even for sixty minutes, but given Bradford's recent record we should have been far more positive and aggressive, whereas we allowed them to slowly grow in confidence and get control. After conceding the first goal we became very ragged and got what we deserved. I did not think the tactical switch to a 433 in the second half did anything to help us either.

I thought only Jennings and Davies had consistently good games as individuals, although Saunders worked hard and Norris was ok in the first half.

At least the last two results have emphasised the frailties in the squad which need to be addressed in the coming weeks.

 

[Sparky]

Bradford’s previous 4 games:

Wins - 0
Draws - 0
Defeats - 4

Goals Scored - 1
Goals Conceded - 13
Clean Sheets - 0

And then up stepped Tranmere….

 

[Sparky]

Exactly this. He has been out for months with serious injury and his lack of match fitness is clearly catching up with him now. He was clearly exhausted in the second half and I think Adkins just left him on to get more minutes.

I thought his link play in the first half was actually fine, with little or no service, and it is worth remembering he did score our only goal in the previous two matches. He is still the best centre forward we have at the club by some distance.

Yes in hindsight perhaps a bit harsh on big Luke and he wasn’t helped by poor performances from those who are supposed to supply him. Apter having one of his poorest TRFC displays to date.
Would have been better arguably pushing Connor up top and giving Merrie or McAlear a go in midfield but plenty of deadwood to clear out

 

[ADD]

Two final thoughts from me.
I rate Taylor but he is never going to make it with us or anyone playing wide right. He had clearly been told to hug the touch line by Adkins but he simply isn't cut out for that role. Play him up front off of Norris or whoever or transfer list him. Wasting his time and ours.
Secondly, Apter was miles off today. He clearly is struggling with either expectation or else fatigue mental or physical. Best perhaps to leave him on the bench and play our own players for the last 5 games.

 

[Ian]

Bradford’s previous 4 games:

Wins - 0
Draws - 0
Defeats - 4

Goals Scored - 1
Goals Conceded - 13
Clean Sheets - 0

And then up stepped Tranmere….

Yes, typical and whether they raised their game for today or just clicked on the day their commentator did say this is the best he'd seen them play for weeks.

 

[Ian]

 

[Boz]

A refreshingly honest interview from Tom Davies. While it was expected he'd be a bit rusty and personally thought he was being a bit harsh on himself taking responsibility for the first goal, both the Bradford goals and a lot of their attacking play came down our right, where on paper we were defensively stronger. O'Connor seemed below par too in this game.

Apter was double or triple marked at time and the conditions didn't suit him. When he did get the ball O'Connor wasn't overlapping as much as usual and Jennings the only one regularly offering an out ball for him. It's a shame the rest of the team couldn't take advantage of the added attention paid to Robbie.

Luke Norris should have been taken off sooner, he was tiring badly. It's going to be a gradual process of getting himself fully fit and don't think it benefitted him or Rovers playing the full ninety+. I agree with ADD that it's daft asking Sam Taylor to play as a right-winger. Think it would have been better putting Sam central bringing Hawkes on and and moving Morris to the right.

 

[Sparky]

Also agree with ADD about Taylor. I know Nigel likes Apter on the right cutting inside but Taylor is a centre forward best suited to playing up top alongside a big man. It won’t do a youngsters confidence any good playing out of position.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I agree that it is still not his best position, but Taylor was not on the wing when he came on yesterday, he was wide in a front three which is subtly different. More of an inside forward.

Apter is always heavily marked but his decision making was poor yesterday. He has been below par for a few games now, which was probably to be expected at some stage given his inexperience.

 

[dollar'sbloke]

All the ball players struggled on that surface yesterday, Morris let a ball roll and it skidded through making him look a chump. Whole affair is best forgotten. Apter is starting to look a possible signing for us, if Blackpool hold serious promotion hopes, he probably wouldn't cut it in the Championship.
Taylor continues to baffle me even though he now plays. Maybe a start? Jennings is our most important player but really drops off when not playing behind the sole striker, ever was thus if we are honest.
It would be informative all round to not play Jennings for every 90. I presume Jolley is done, I fear Dennis will be used as cover for Norris which is a mistake and Taylor remains a question mark?
Question in open play Norris headed one in and Jennings lost his man to do so, otherwise despite quality wide players have we scored from another cross with a header all season?

 

[mellow submarine]

really missed walker , and if we focus our attacks through norris he needs to have a better game than that. pike/merrie struggled at lb today , but most of the team were sub par. will be a test on monday

 

[Boz]

I agree that it is still not his best position, but Taylor was not on the wing when he came on yesterday, he was wide in a front three which is subtly different. More of an inside forward.

Apter is always heavily marked but his decision making was poor yesterday. He has been below par for a few games now, which was probably to be expected at some stage given his inexperience.

It's a fair point re Taylor, but Nigel's post match interview suggested he was to stay on the right flank. There were a couple of good things from Sam, nice track-back to win us a throw in and one good passing interchange, but would rather he'd been deployed more centrally.

 

[Higgy 2]

I thought that was a good honest interview, and comes across as a bright and honest lad.