Recent momentum comes to an abrupt halt as Bradford City delivers one of their poorest performances of the season laden with disappointment.
They just cannot overcome their self-destructive instincts. Just as a bubble of optimism had began to build around Bradford City, they inflict anguish on themselves – and their long-suffering supporters – with a performance as terrible as anything given up this season. A first league defeat in seven games, and against Forest Green, who began the night second-bottom of the 92. The steady resurgence of promotion aspirations is once again in ruins.
I guess we should have expected this. The big book of Bradford City infamy and all that. If anything, it was overdue updating with a new chapter. Of all the emotions shared between fans on the trudge home out of Valley Parade here, surprise was not among them. Losing home games dismally to teams at the bottom is a tradition that’s become as regular in this city as Billy Pearce doing the Alhambra Panto. To use a topical phrase – it’s a Bantams thing.
And what emotions we, as fans, should be left feeling this morning is probably what’s key to the club’s immediate future. It’s fair to say we should feel angry. And speaking for myself at least, I guess I do. But more worryingly, I’m left with a sense of weary resignation that makes it hard to feel too much of anything at all. This is just the latest knock to absorb over a 10-month period of frustration and disappointment that began on that difficult afternoon at Brunton Park last May, losing the play off semi final. The regression of Bradford City since has thrown up all sorts of talking points and sparked a series of reactions in all of us. Not least – is it time to do something else on winter Tuesday nights like this?
The club is losing supporters who are simply losing interest. The stadium once again looked empty and City avoided announcing an attendance on the night. Even amongst those of us dutifully still turn up, the noise and enthusiasm levels are not what they were. All the recent talk and debate of an atmosphere section – right now, there is an apathy section at Valley Parade, one which runs all the way around the stadium.
We’ll come back to this, but right now we can’t put off talking about this sorry game of football any longer.
So, big sigh, and hold your nose.
Here we go.
This was a truly terrible display from the Bantams, who could not recover from the early blow of conceding in under a minute. Whatever they tried seemed to be bettered by a side who until recently looked down and out, but who now have a genuine chance of returning to this part of the world next season for a League Two fixture.
Going a goal down so early clearly didn’t help City. Forest Green went on the attack from kick off and their players appealed for a penalty. The referee Simon Mather – who got plenty wrong all night – awarded a corner when the ball seemed to go out of play off a visiting player. Whatever indignation City might have felt was undermined by woeful zonal marking that allowed Christian Doidge to head home Dominic Thompson’s delivery. Forest Green a goal up, with the Valley Parade clock showing just 50 seconds.
It put Forest Green in an ideal position for their gameplan to work. And all too quickly it became apparent that City had forgotten they were supposed to have a plan of their own.
So began to a tortuous pattern of the Bantams dominating possession but failing to implement an effective approach in breaking down their opponents. Early doors they tried to get the ball into the final third quickly, before passing around and probing for openings. But composure soon gave way fluster. Shots were attempted from way too far out, either getting blocked by visiting defenders or flying harmlessly through to Rovers’ Vicente Reyes. Before long, it was just aimless punts forwards.
