What an odd couple of weeks it’s been.
There’s a huge thundercloud hanging over Valley Parade at the moment but is this cloud one that shouldn’t even be there, one that has derived solely via Social Media?
I’d go with the latter, without social media the bickering wouldn’t escalate, basic conversations would just exist in pubs and the post-match frustrations would only getting angry in your own head whilst deciding if you secretly fancied one of the Take Me Out Girls.
Beating Oldham at home 1-0 was frowned upon by so many because it wasn’t 6-0 after the sending off after 35 minutes. What do City fans want from the team? Are some fans going into the ground praying for a loss so it’s some fuel to ignite their posts on social media? What happened to supporting the team when the chips were down, I can’t remember any unrest prior to the promotion push a couple of years ago, so what’s happened?
The first half against Burton was one that was instantly wiped from the memory. It was like Men In Black had flashed their magic wand in my eyes (by that I mean a fictional device and not a sexual one made from human skin), apart from Hanson’s clear chance and a lucky deflected goal by former City flop Mason Bennett it was as much of a write of as the first 45 Minutes of James Bond : SkyFall.
However, what I love about Bradford City fans is that as soon as they get into the stadium it’s a clean slate, no matter what happened throughout the week - take Saturdays following at Burton as a prime example – the away end was packed with the addition of two blocks of seated fans also and sung from the 1st to the final whistle – this is what supporting Bradford City encapsulates.
I LOVE people proving doubters wrong, I LOVE IT and one man who did that was James Hanson after his goal against Fleetwood, it was one of those moments that erects the big middle finger to every single person that has doubted him as a person as well as his work rate – I don’t mind admitting that Hanson works his b******s off every single game, something he shouldn’t be doing – Hanson is there to stick in the box for the wingers’ crosses – just like last Tuesday!
I’ve enjoyed the highs and endured a few lows recently. Every time I’ve seen Mark Marshall play he glides down the wings, it’s a fantastic sight albeit a rare one in modern football, witnessing a winger pick up the ball and run with it, unfortunately direct, pacey wingers are becoming a dying breed.
Another player that has shone in recent weeks is Rory McArdle and crikey he still plays like a man possessed, making blocks left, right and centre as he goes sliding in like a teenager at a Water Park.
I’m forever questioned about comparing football to girls and relationships but the pair go hand in hand. You stick by your partner if they make a mistakes, continually support them and make them feel appreciated to keep the stability. Parky hasn’t done wrong in my eyes, fans calling for the axe because he’s played a formation in a few games that hasn’t worked – COME ON!
Standards have been set far too high with the entire coaching staff and it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if Phil Parkinson was heavily linked with a move away at the end of the season and it would be an absolute disaster.
I’ve only ever seen two PP performances where I’ve gone away thinking “Crikey, what was that” – those were Reading Away in the FA Cup replay and Yeovil away pre-Chelsea, two performances that were lethargic and reserved.
These are the views of writer Daniel Crann and may not necessarily be 100% shared by Bantams Banter.
