v Bradford City (h) - 12/8/25 - Carabao Cup

[Bohinen1983]

Wharton and Miller looked good

Tavares and Henrikson were absolutely dreadful. I'll make allowances for Henrikson, young lad, clearly very nervous.. 

However, I don't see how either is an upgrade on Buckley. We had absolutely no control of the game.

Trondstadt was poor.

De Neve- poor

Kargbo is a box of fireworks- really poor decision making and final ball tonight..

Didn't really give Gueye much to work with- looked like he cared though.

Felt really sorry for Michalski - I remember a certain Mr Raya having a dreadful debut for us in the a cup game..  Made a few good saves.  

 

Cantwell, Ohashi, Buckley all did Okay 

 

If Ismael has watched that and sanctions the exits of Travis, Bucko, Trondstadt he's mad!

Piss poor!

[Polky]

29 minutes ago, Ianrally said:

Can he actually jump? 

1/7 aerial duels won!

[Bronzed A Donis]

The simply looked a better team, set up better,  looked stronger , looked confident.

We looked every inch a League 1 side aside from Wharton and some flashes from Cantwell but he's really quite a petulant liability at times and at the moment does more wrong than right. 

Not going to dig out the kids, they are going to be made to play whether they are ready or not and that's a recipe for disaster for us and them.

#Pathways

[Gamst]

That was pretty concerning. By the end we had a strong team (for us) out there and really didn’t create much or appear superior in any department to our newly promoted L1 opponents. I’m not bothered about losing and can forgive the young keeper making a bad mistake, my concern is how little we created against supposedly inferior opponents at home. Where are the goals going to come from if we are only adding an unknown European RW to our ranks? I would be seriously shocked if we don’t get soundly beaten on Saturday. 

[Rover down South]

Few comments earlier about Tavares can step in to Trav's boots if/when he goes, but what happens when he or Tronstad are injured or suspended? In comes Montgomery/Forshaw/Buckley.

We are absolutely in trouble. We have nothing prolific up front, like an Armstrong or Graham to get regular goals.

Team just looked all over the place tonight. Sloppy mistakes and misplaced passes.

I feel that team selection was a message from VI to Gestede. Here's your academy players against a side playing in League Two last year. Play that side against Birmingham on Saturday and its a cricket score.

Edited 3 hours ago by Rover down South

[cesus]

An evening that shows how a lack of additions will kill us this season. Absolutely everybody who played tonight is 100% in the core match squad, we didn't "play the kids".

I'm still waiting for us to replace Adam Armstrong.

[SIMON GARNERS 194]

16 minutes ago, London blue said:

The good news? Our captain will very likely be sold this week and we get to welcome Big Club and 7000 cocky Brummies to Ewood this weekend. Fuck off.

Like I say...cant fookin wait for it.

I have an awful feeling there is a lot of discontent within our squad,doesn't bode well.

[barry_]

16 minutes ago, CambridgeRover said:

Pile of crap

New signings huge question marks

Just what was Ismael doing over summer

he's a manager used to failure 

[Torgeir]

3 minutes ago, corb691 said:

I can't believe how difficult it is to get a player who is a number 10 to play further forward. He always plays so deep and he did it under Eustace. I'd suspect it's a case of him not listening/following the instructions he is given, can't be a coincidence that he's doing the same under VI, yet back end of last season he did seem to be further forward. 

Loves to cuddle with the ball and look pretty, but he can’t be effective in two places on the pitch at the same time. 
 

Has to be that he doesn’t listen to instructions because he wants to drive the team to win and thinks he has to do it all himself. Underwhelmed by him in the whole tbh. 

[davulsukur]

6 minutes ago, Bohinen1983 said:

Wharton and Miller looked good

Tavares and Henrikson were absolutely dreadful. I'll make allowances for Henrikson, young lad, clearly very nervous.. 

However, I don't see how either is an upgrade on Buckley. We had absolutely no control of the game.

Trondstadt was poor.

De Neve- poor

Kargbo is a box of fireworks- really poor decision making and final ball tonight..

Didn't really give Gueye much to work with- looked like he cared though.

Felt really sorry for Michalski - I remember a certain Mr Raya having a dreadful debut for us in the a cup game..  Made a few good saves.  

 

Cantwell, Ohashi, Buckley all did Okay 

 

If Ismael has watched that and sanctions the exits of Travis, Bucko, Trondstadt he's mad!

Piss poor!

Kargbo can't skin a league one fullback, I've no idea why people think he's good. 

[London blue]

3 minutes ago, SIMON GARNERS 194 said:

Like I say...cant fookin wait for it.

I have an awful feeling there is a lot of discontent within our squad,doesn't bode well.

Glenn and a few others have mentioned how poor morale is at the club at the moment, I'm not surprised.

[pick32]

Surely Vi left Montgomery on as a statement same with De Neve, Gestede looked annoyed in the stands 

[pick32]

1 minute ago, davulsukur said:

Kargbo can't skin a league one fullback, I've no idea why people think he's good. 

Put in the best two crosses of the game and got into dangerous positions, head and shoulders above every other wide player not that it’s hard

[LDRover]

13 minutes ago, Herbie6590 said:

Vote for your BRFCS POTM in our elegant Match Centre right now…⚪️🔵

https://www.brfcs.com/football/match/1393261/blackburn-bradford

Getting a server error off that link??

[cesus]

Trav has told Rovers he wants to leave for Derby. 

Elliott Jackson says so on X. Jeez.

[den]

Just now, pick32 said:

Put in the best two crosses of the game and got into dangerous positions, head and shoulders above every other wide player not that it’s hard

All wind and piss in my opinion.

[Andy]

Just back now, initial thoughts:

* Felt for Michalski in the first 5 minutes, but he did recover and did ok for the rest of the game.
* Montgomery was honestly the worst single player performance I've seen in person for...well, as long as I can remember.
* Tavares grew into the game
* Really like Miller, I think he'll actually be a good signing for us
* Pickering was solid, as was Wharton
* Tyjon has talent, but too lightweight / Gueye has the physique, but little talent
* Cantwell is levels above the rest of the squad, even in a brief cameo

Good finish from De Neve, but we just didn't do enough tonight.

Edited 3 hours ago by Andy

[alexanders]

Ipswich out against Bromley! 

[ObiWhan8t7]

Manager can not hide from this. It’s clear to see what we need. Utilised his squad today to see what they were about, They failed him. Kristi has played himself to a loan, De Neve is not a winger, Taveres showed what he’s about, Axel shown glimpses of quality and should have had two assists, but needs to be sharper which will come with training. Gueye not clinical enough and shown another striker is needed. RW is a priority and preferably need two. Tyjon picked up some lovely positions but game too physical for him.Buckley is waste of time. 2 bad performances to start the season and we are lucky the window is still open to try get some quality in. Our squad looks athletic but they don’t look like footballers and they have a long way to go to start looking like one

[London blue]

Yeah I thought Kargbo was the only one who didn't stink.

The entire front line played awfully, apart from him imo.

[Dolly blue]

No leadership from the touch line….what, just what does VI bring ?
As for his assistant..no words. We look bereft of leaders, drive …not to mention skill, pace or touch..I gave up on those years ago .

i get the feeling there’s a very miserable, unhappy, unmotivated group of players who will jump at the first opportunity….trouble in the dressing room and the boardroom….

and look who’s leading us out of this…Gedtede and Ismael …

[rovers11]

I thought the academy players really struggled tonight and none of them are ready to be part of the first team squad this season, but they will be and that symbolises the problem. Montgomery, in particular, is nowhere near ready.

I actually thought the new signings looked decent. Miller was excellent and my MOTM. He'll be one picked up by a more ambitious championship club in 12 months. Tavares also very good, and you can see Henriksson has talent but not used to the pace of English football yet. He'll be a more impactful player than Cantwell imo. McLaughlin we already know is a good championship performer. Alebiousu was one of the better performers at the weekend. De Neve is a big no and a poor signing.

The problem is up top. Gueye is never a footballer; Kargbo, Tyjon, and Henriksson are a work in progress; Hedges and De Neve are plodders; Leonard an injury write off. Cantwell and Ohashi are the only two who are "ready" to perform consistently. 

I simply don't see where goals are coming from this season. I would hazard a strong guess that we'll be one of the lowest scores in the entire 4 leagues this season.

[roverandout]

15 minutes ago, Bohinen1983 said:

Wharton and Miller looked good

Tavares and Henrikson were absolutely dreadful. I'll make allowances for Henrikson, young lad, clearly very nervous.. 

However, I don't see how either is an upgrade on Buckley. We had absolutely no control of the game.

Trondstadt was poor.

De Neve- poor

Kargbo is a box of fireworks- really poor decision making and final ball tonight..

Didn't really give Gueye much to work with- looked like he cared though.

Felt really sorry for Michalski - I remember a certain Mr Raya having a dreadful debut for us in the a cup game..  Made a few good saves.  

 

Cantwell, Ohashi, Buckley all did Okay 

 

If Ismael has watched that and sanctions the exits of Travis, Bucko, Trondstadt he's mad!

Piss poor!

Tavares was our best player by a mile

[Mercer]

That was an excruciating watch.

Context - we were playing a team just promoted from League 2 and they themselves made 6 changes !!!

Without doubt, City were the better team and arguably had the best player on the field in Metcalfe - a young lad signed from down the road at Everton.  Just wtf do our scouts do?

Michalski doesn't look ready to be our number 2.  His development would be best served by playing a full season in either League 1 or 2.  Signing an experienced back-up to Toth is essential.

Montgomery is not a full back, in fact he is not even a player.  Way out of his depth and it really looks like Marine and Chorley are his level.

Miller steady and throw a real asset but only marginally quicker than Hyam and McLaughlin - we have a real lack of pace defensively.

In midfield - Tavares looked decent, Axel a couple of flashes but other than that innocuous and Tronstad, doesn't look interested.

Wings / upfront - Tyjon, not ready to start, De Neve scored but nothing else - not a footballer, Gueye, a nuisance value but will never ever be prolific as not a natural finisher.  Creativity - virtually nil.

Subs - Kargbo, little end product and is he a one trick pony? - Bradford handled him well.  Alebiosu, technically poor and clumsy, completely missing his kick at one point.

Alarm bells are getting louder and louder.  Brum will eat us alive.  You reap what you sow.  So depressing.

Edited 2 hours ago by Mercer

[alcd]

22 minutes ago, pick32 said:

Montgomery was by far the worst player on the pitch including Bradfords team, Cantwell looked a class above when he came on, need some decent forwards and to keep players like Trav who can get stuck in, positives Tavares and Miller looked like good additions

Montgomery looks like a non-league player - sooo far out of his depth. Absolutely terrible. Says everything that he's in the 25 man squad.