BFTG - Bradford

[Royal Ginger]

Think we should do them easy back at our place. We looked a step up when we got the ball down and attempted to played. On a grass pitch as opposed to the unplayable allotment from today think we'll be fine.

Err, have you seen our pitch recently? If not, let me enlighten you - it's just as bad as theirs.

It's really not that bad. The Mad Stad's pitch is currently in considerably better condition than Valley Parade's


Pre-Forest


Pre-Reading

[Rea Ding]

Like many who went today, really enjoyed it even if it lacked a little quality
All our players put in a decent shift, very good performances by mackie and hector
Really looking forward to the replay now, added bonus that Wigan and millwall both lost
Overall great day

[Jagermesiter1871]

Think we should do them easy back at our place. We looked a step up when we got the ball down and attempted to played. On a grass pitch as opposed to the unplayable allotment from today think we'll be fine.

Err, have you seen our pitch recently? If not, let me enlighten you - it's just as bad as theirs.

Madejski pitch isn't great but it's better than today's! Don't think I've seen a pitch like it. Not a chance of anything resembling a game of football being played on that. Feel sorry for the Bradford fans - having to watch head volleys all season can't be great.

[Nameless]

Anyone thinking the pitch didn't have a huge part in the game is simply not been honest. Twenty years ago it wouldn't have raised comment, but these days surfaces tend to be pretty consistent and players just aren't used to a pitch where passes don't run true, dribbling is a lottery and bounces are so unpredictable.
The argument that is the same for both teams doesn't hold true either. Obviously on the day you both have to cope with the conditions but if you play on it often you adjust more easily, and Bradford clearly have a style at least partly designed to take the pitch out of it as a factor.
Our pitch hasn't been good but it's apparantly going to get much better now the weather has warmed up and we can get some regrowth of grass. I think we'll see a big improvement by the time the replay comes round.
In terms of the game, I agree that it was a good old cup game, loads of blood and thunder, not much quality but thoroughly entertaining. We coped pretty well with a style of football we don't encounter often. The ref was ok, although he reffed in a way that was very sympathetic to Bradford's robust approach and they may not get that for the replay. Much of their play was very borderline in terms of legality. Almost every challenge by their forwards and central defenders could have been penalised but wasn't. A different ref might have decided not to let play flow when Stead led with his arm or their centre back climbed on Pog's shoulders.
We're in the hat for the semi draw, and in with every chance of making it but it will take a huge effort, the same amount of heart and a little more quality. I'd think the key would be getting players running at their central defenders , don't think they would look as strong then....

[Norfolk Royal]

That song about Bradford being a sh*thole made us sound like a bunch of muppets on the telly.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

Was it Reading fans being escorted in with just minutes to ko, looked impressive coming down the hill.

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

That song about Bradford being a sh*thole made us sound like a bunch of muppets on the telly.

To be fair the area was a shithole, think Wisbech ten years ago, but with nicer locals.

[WAZZOCK]

Anyone thinking the pitch didn't have a huge part in the game is simply not been honest. Twenty years ago it wouldn't have raised comment, but these days surfaces tend to be pretty consistent and players just aren't used to a pitch where passes don't run true, dribbling is a lottery and bounces are so unpredictable.
The argument that is the same for both teams doesn't hold true either. Obviously on the day you both have to cope with the conditions but if you play on it often you adjust more easily, and Bradford clearly have a style at least partly designed to take the pitch out of it as a factor.
Our pitch hasn't been good but it's apparantly going to get much better now the weather has warmed up and we can get some regrowth of grass. I think we'll see a big improvement by the time the replay comes round.
In terms of the game, I agree that it was a good old cup game, loads of blood and thunder, not much quality but thoroughly entertaining. We coped pretty well with a style of football we don't encounter often. The ref was ok, although he reffed in a way that was very sympathetic to Bradford's robust approach and they may not get that for the replay. Much of their play was very borderline in terms of legality. Almost every challenge by their forwards and central defenders could have been penalised but wasn't. A different ref might have decided not to let play flow when Stead led with his arm or their centre back climbed on Pog's shoulders.
We're in the hat for the semi draw, and in with every chance of making it but it will take a huge effort, the same amount of heart and a little more quality. I'd think the key would be getting players running at their central defenders , don't think they would look as strong then....

This is absolutely spot on. I'm not saying we'll win the replay, but the style of football will suit us more compared to yesterday. The match was a game that both teams were desperate not to lose, hence a nervy game with little attacking intent. Bradford just shaded it, but we held are own and picked up a good result in the end.

A nervy week ahead again, but let's see who we could potentially be playing and hope for the best!

[bradfordbantam]

That song about Bradford being a sh*thole made us sound like a bunch of muppets on the telly.

We couldn't understand you at the game anyway, genuinely we couldn't work out your accents so you could have been saying anything. And we wouldn't disagree about it being a shithole!

[Harpers So Solid Crew]

That song about Bradford being a sh*thole made us sound like a bunch of muppets on the telly.

We couldn't understand you at the game anyway, genuinely we couldn't work out your accents so you could have been saying anything. And we wouldn't disagree about it being a shithole!

[1976Bantam]

Think we should do them easy back at our place. We looked a step up when we got the ball down and attempted to played. On a grass pitch as opposed to the unplayable allotment from today think we'll be fine.

That's a rather complacent attitude!

Whilst the pitch obviously had a bearing on proceedings, I didn't see anything from Reading yesterday that screamed you were a cut above, as you're suggesting.

As other posters have suggested, you shaded the 1st half and us the 2nd. Neither keeper had a decent save to make. Both sides had a couple of near misses. Both teams went aerial. A lot.

Whilst yes we play on it more often, we actually feel our pitch is a hindrance and we've won more away league games than home this season so far. We do 'mix it' at times but are capable of some decent football on a good surface and whilst it has little influence on this tie, we have of course gone away to the best side in the country - on a very good pitch - and beaten them this season.

We will also look at your home record of 7 defeats from 17 and think we still have a decent chance, I'd suggest.

Fair enough if you think you're probably now favourites having taken the tie back to the Madejski - I think you are. However, saying it should be easy based on yesterday is stretching it somewhat for me. Even Steve Clarke says it remains 50/50.

Re the other comments being made about our 'physical' approach - I didn't think Reading were shrinking violets either. Tackles were flying in from both teams (see Chalobah's early challenge on Liddle, for example), your centre half regularly climbed all over Hanson, including having him in a headlock during one challenge. Whilst I usually give zero credence to any 'punditry', especially on MOTD, last night they were highlighting the approach from both teams in that respect.

[Sutekh]

Good old fashioned ding dong cup tie neither team deserved to lose, long time since I've seen a proper game like that.

The Pog and Hector were immense

Utter shame on the idiot FA for forcing a replay on Monday week apparently because you can'y have FA Cup replays the same night when there's CL football on! Even if you want to keep to that that utter bellend idea then why not just play the game a week later instead ?

[Norfolk Royal]

That song about Bradford being a sh*thole made us sound like a bunch of muppets on the telly.

We couldn't understand you at the game anyway, genuinely we couldn't work out your accents so you could have been saying anything. And we wouldn't disagree about it being a shithole!

Fair play, but if you gave me a choice of living in Bradford or Reading I'd say Bradford every time. In a nice middle class neighbourhood of course.

[sandman]

That song about Bradford being a sh*thole made us sound like a bunch of muppets on the telly.

We couldn't understand you at the game anyway, genuinely we couldn't work out your accents so you could have been saying anything. And we wouldn't disagree about it being a shithole!

Don't worry, we couldn't understand you either.

What was that dreadful "singer" going on about before the match? Certainly no Ted Sheeran*





*House of fools reference.

[Snowball]

Watching the late Pog/HB/Post/Scramble, anyone think Pearce was fouled?

Looked like a clear pen to me.

[The Bantam Menace]

Watching the late Pog/HB/Post/Scramble, anyone think Pearce was fouled?

Looked like a clear pen to me.

Yep. That's certainly the most obvious infringement in that passage of play.

[Kitsondinho]

Nice to think the only two attempts we had that nearly led to a goal would have been very controversial if converted....Mackie ran it out of play, Pog's handball....imagine the indignation of the media if 'plucky' ( sorry Bantams, apparently that prefix is now required when mentioning you and the Cup) Bradford had lost to either of those.......

[sandman]

On the Mackie one, the linesman gave Bradford two throw ins before that which should have gone to us. So basically, he wasn't very good.

[Snowball]

Watching the late Pog/HB/Post/Scramble, anyone think Pearce was fouled?

Looked like a clear pen to me.

Yep. That's certainly the most obvious infringement in that passage of play.

Not the point, mate. It's not my fault that the ref missed the handball

The fact is that "officially" there wasn't a handball
and subsequently Pearce was hauled down.



Interesting that people have said the ref had a good game.



Two RFC throws given the other way.

Mackie's run clearly out of play (Pog hits post)

The Pearce wrestle on the Bradford striker given our way

The Stead foul overlooked

The Pog handball missed

The penalty foul on Pearce missed

[Jagermesiter1871]

Was it Reading fans being escorted in with just minutes to ko, looked impressive coming down the hill.

Yup. Made us miss the first 5 minutes. Few punches thrown outside and the police led the whole group of reading fans away from the stadium then held them before leading us back in.