Just Back

Quoted from golfer

Thought Andrews was as shite as usual

I've been his biggest critic, but I thought he had a good game today. He was dogged and hardworking, fair play to him for having a go.

Thought the lads gave their absolute all today and just ran out of steam for the last 10 mins, which Bradford sensed and managed to apply enough pressure to force an equaliser, as gutting as it was.

We had one decent effort all afternoon, which ended up in the net, and Thompson was double man of the match for me as he was at least twice as good as any other payer in a Town shirt, apart from maybe Rose, who ran himself to a standstill without ever looking like scoring.

If we are going to save ourselves, it will be with battling performances like today, because we have absolutely no skill or guile to create chances.

Easter is often a defining weekend in football, and we have had the worst one of the bottom four, so got it all to do now. Still hopeful but not optimistic given our inability to create anything of note most games.

Effort from all the players but can't agree about Andrews - thought he and Holohan were weak, leaving us with only one effective midfielder. Time and again Andrews was static (first half in particular), offering nothing to the man on the ball. He didn't play one decisive pass in the entire game. A bit of battling just isn't good enough to keep us up.

Thompson was good, but if that was Andrews at his best then we are gone because we were so urine poor in the middle today. No runners beyond the ball, no creative edge, no speed of thought.

Also thought Obikwu was poor today. He was weak in the press/challenge, failed to hold up the ball and horrifically fluffed his one sight on goal. Should have been off earlier.

As others have said, we really needed fresh legs earlier and an intent to take the game to Bradford once one up. Vernam would have given them something different to think about and may have relieved the late pressure a bit.

Despite the general effort we were absolute dross today against a really crap team. I've been hopeful up until today but I just can't see how we are going to score enough goals to keep us up playing with this set up.

Quoted from cardiffmariner

Effort from all the players but can't agree about Andrews - thought he and Holohan were weak, leaving us with only one effective midfielder. Time and again Andrews was static (first half in particular), offering nothing to the man on the ball. He didn't play one decisive pass in the entire game. A bit of battling just isn't good enough to keep us up.

Thompson was good, but if that was Andrews at his best then we are gone because we were so urine poor in the middle today. No runners beyond the ball, no creative edge, no speed of thought.

Also thought Obikwu was poor today. He was weak in the press/challenge, failed to hold up the ball and horrifically fluffed his one sight on goal. Should have been off earlier.

As others have said, we really needed fresh legs earlier and an intent to take the game to Bradford once one up. Vernam would have given them something different to think about and may have relieved the late pressure a bit.
Despite the general effort we were absolute dross today against a really crap team. I've been hopeful up until today but I just can't see how we are going to score enough goals to keep us up playing with this set up.

This. After witnessing Vernam's cameo at Barrow I can't understand why he was not a starter. Also can't believe that Obikwu stayed on so long. Shaun felt that they had no defensive options on the bench. How naive. Fresh legs running at Bradford would have given more opportunities for corners, throw ins, free kicks etc. Out managed in the last 30 mins and guilty of blinkered out of date tactics.
Hume was knackered and should not have been expected to get up and down the line in the second half when he was on a booking. Hope Shaun was only loyally covering for his boss and does not actually believe they had no other cards to play.

Quoted from grimps

Yeah it makes you think that it’s you that’s the jinx , mind you they’re not exactly winning every week without me to be fair .

I went to Brentford a couple of times in the 90s and we seemed to pretty much fill their small away end , I think one time was a cup game and we won 3-1

Yes, we won 3 1 there in January 1993 in the cup having won 2 0 at GP in the league a few months before. The away end, known as the Wendy House, reverted to home fans years later. Brilliant for acoustics.

I thought I was the jinx at home games this season but the real issue is that our home record is pitiful.

The week after that FA Cup win we went to Brentford and won!

Quoted from RonMariner

I have two contrasting memories of going to Brentford. One was in 1987 when we were getting relegated from the third division. I think we lost. Very depressing, but that summer we appointed one Mr A Buckley esquire!

The next memory I have of there is when Dave Beasant was in goal and we were a Championship side on a good unbeaten run. I think we drew 1-1. .  

We won 2 0 at Brentford in 1992-93. We also won 2 0 there in 1987-88, the season we were relegated. I remember it because I could get to very few Town games at the time as I managed a bookies and Saturdays off were a rarity so I could make this with it being a midweek game.

I think we went unbeaten for eight league games but only won two of them in that run.

I've seen Town win on five of the six occasions I've been at GP. Only one other club has won more times than Grimsby at Brentford.

Quoted from Croxton

This. After witnessing Vernam's cameo at Barrow I can't understand why he was not a starter. Also can't believe that Obikwu stayed on so long. Shaun felt that they had no defensive options on the bench. How naive. Fresh legs running at Bradford would have given more opportunities for corners, throw ins, free kicks etc. Out managed in the last 30 mins and guilty of blinkered out of date tactics.
Hume was knackered and should not have been expected to get up and down the line in the second half when he was on a booking. Hope Shaun was only loyally covering for his boss and does not actually believe they had no other cards to play.

To be fair we had sufficient corners and free kicks to create at least one goal scoring opportunity without any changes, but Hume’s delivery was absolutely awful with 90% of them getting nowhere near the danger area. Long throws a plenty but we rarely win one header in the opposition’s box so there pretty much a waste of time as well.

Think our players gave their all but to win matches you need to score goals or at least not concede any. We were slightly unfortunate to concede today given Bradford hardly ever looked like a goal threat but we never looked like scoring either other than the great strike from Thompson. I know why some believe Andrews had his best game and in the second half in particular he got through a lot of graft. However, he hardly ever wins a challenge and is too slow in possession and has never looked like he may contribute a goal or even an assist in open play. Gav was so far off the pace it left very short in midfield.

Would bringing on Vernam and Eisa have won us the game? We will never know but had they come on and Bradford equalised DA would have been pilloried for changing things and not hanging on. I thought we needed fresh legs but would probably have looked at Ainley for Andrews, he should have been up to playing the last fifteen minutes and his experience would, I believe, have been a great benefit to holding on.

I still think we have just enough to stay up but we do need the rub of the green occasionally like we had under Jolley. appears penalties kept us up that season and the two penalties awarded against us in the last three weeks May send us down.

Times like these where I wish I went fishing and hated football instead. I hate how it ruins so many weekends, Tuesday nights and countless nights sleep so like many others I will not be renewing my season ticket, even if we stay up, and if in non league will just not bother and be an armchair supporter getting my football fix from watching Lincoln United, no pressure, no stress and save a few quid as well.

I told my wife on the way back to the car today that if we go down again I will not be returning to BP as I cannot do non-league once more. Her reply; yes you will.

FFS

Could not read this thread until now.  Too depressing.  

Thompson excellent and great goal. Rose is so quick and chases down everything.  We did not concede until added time.  But, we made 4 very bad passes in front of our own goal.  Usually without looking,  we would have conceded against a better team.

Subs!!  Criminal not to freshen things up.  Plenty of effort, and some players completely knackered.  
Obikwi also poor.  

If we cannot defend successfully with a defensive formation, then survival might depend on a more attacking outlook.  Using Vernam and Wilson with Rose.  The midfield is weak anyway (bar Thompson).  We need wins,  

Some very unexpected results from our rivals in recent weeks.  We might get unexpected wins.

I suppose to add, we were a little unlucky with how the cross deflected and spun the ball up but Hume not sharp enough to get in front of his man.