After a fortnight like this it’s easy to see where footballing cliches come from.
A week really is a long time in football. Last Tuesday afternoon we were looking up at the playoffs having seen our team soundly beaten by teams from the bottom half of the table. Rochdale were riding high after 6 wins in 8 had thrown them right back into automatic promotion contention.
A week is a long time in football.
That Tuesday night the Bantams beat Macclesfield Town, they dominated from the off against the most negative side to visit Valley Parade all season and Dean Furman’s first of the week secured us the points. On Saturday the floodgates opened and the Valley Parade faithful were treated to the most comprehensive performance of recent years – the sight of Mexican waves in a half full stadium a far cry from the atmosphere the last time we were relegated.
Rochdale have been away from home and, like City before them, lost at Barnet and Bury. They’re now level on points with the Bantams over whom they had a 6 point cushion as well as the impressive League Two newboys Exeter who City face on Saturday.
In a topsy turvy season City have closed the gap to the head of the table at the right time. 11 games to go and Stuart McCall has his side perfectly poised.
By next Wednesday after City’s three very difficult away days, that could all have changed. Did I mention that a week is a long time in football?
Vital Quotes:
Stuart McCall, speaking to the Yorkshire Post, on putting past disappointing away days behind us ‘We took 3,800 fans to Huddersfield in the League Cup and then another couple of thousand to Bury in the league but on both occasions we just did not perform.
We lost both games (4-0 to Town and 1-0 at Bury) so there must not be a repeat at Rochdale when we are expecting more than 2,000 of our fans to travel.’
Keith Hill, Rochdale boss, ‘I expected us to possibly have more points on the board than we’ve got, which would have given us an opportunity to drop points over the last 11 games.
But we haven’t, so we will have to do something similar to last season, which was win seven of our last 10 games, and that’s very hard to do, especially when you haven’t got Gary Jones in your side.
It’s going to be a big ask but I don’t think it’ll need a massive points haul to get into the play-offs or even get automatic promotion. We have to get back to winning ways, and if we do then we’ll be competing.’
Rochdale Team News:
Chris Dagnall is sitting out the second game of the three match ban that followed his sending off against Barnet whilst skipper Gary Jones is still struggling with a groin injury and could again miss out which would be of great benefit to the Bantams against whom he has been a menace in the last 18 months.
Player to watch: Adam Le Fondre
Alfy loves to play against us. Can we prevent him breaking hearts like he did last season?
Bradford City Team News:
Stuart McCall is unlikely to make any changes after the Bantams 5-0 demolition of Rochdale
Player to watch: Peter Thorne
3 goals in 4 games, will he be a Thorne in the side of Rochdale?
Next Fixtures:
Exeter on Saturday in Devon, Bournemouth next Tuesday on the south coast. Busy days, big matches.
