Game 43 - The Bantams (A)

Team: Bradford City

Date: 18/04/2025

Where: Valley Parade

What line-up should Stuart Maynard opt for? What will be the key areas for the Magpies to get a victory? What do you think the final score will be?

Have your say below, join in with the Pride of Nottingham match discussion.

Big game!!

I’m probably the same as everyone else and expecting nothing other than an emphatic Bradford win but I’m hoping that the players have had a kick up the proverbial and come out all guns blazing and give us an unexpected win.

I’ll be watching on the telly with everything crossed.

Reasons to be optimistic:

Notts under Stuart Maynard have two 3-0 wins over Bradford.
Richard Smallwood, their captain, is suspended.
We are seemingly better away from home.

Reasons to be pessimistic:

Bradford have the best home form in the division, they’ve only failed to win 5 times (D3 L2) at Valley Parade.
From the current top 10 we have only beaten Grimsby away from home.
Our current form against anyone decent is bad.

I do think we need a win to make up for the back-to-back losses, but it’s a tough game so I'd take a point (assuming we can then win on Easter Monday). I don't think they'll be massive changes to the first 11 but I do wonder if Jodi will start this one, he looked well of the pace against Salford though.

3 hours ago, Robbie said:

Big game!!

Are we going on Sufari????

Bantam-weight...will the #Notts be up for the fight?🤔

6 minutes ago, Piethagoram said:

Bantam-weight...will the #Notts be up for the fight?🤔

Hopefully Bradford will chicken out. 

Bradford have been struck by a sickness bug. They could be missing a few tomorrow night. You'd be expecting a response from our lads tomorrow night. The last 180 minutes of football have fallen well below the standard required. If it continues, we may not even make the playoffs. 

Every single Notts player has to stand up and be counted on Thursday evening. Every game is important, however this game is the biggest game of the season so far.

At there very best, Notts can beat anyone in this league & they have to bring their absolute best against Bradford.

2 hours ago, Robbie said:

Every single Notts player has to stand up and be counted on Wednesday evening. Every game is important, however this game is the biggest game of the season so far.

At there very best, Notts can beat anyone in this league & they have to bring their absolute best against Bradford.

And let's hope they carry it through to THURSDAY night as well!!!

I am made nervous by the amount of times this game should have been played, but has been changed for various reasons outside of our control. These events usually come at a cost to Notts, and with Bradford now being in much better form than they were at the start of the season, I do think the game will be harder. I believe the tickets for our end sold out very quickly the first time they went on sale, as my friend was disappointed to miss out.

Again, another thing which makes me nervous, as does the amount of remaining games and closeness to us Colchester United and Grimsby Town are.

Usually, I feel confident or at least quietly optimistic, but I think Notts will struggle. Colchester's pitch was awful, but Bradford's is almost a beach. I am also not convinced that Bradford missing a few players would mean all that much, as the pressure is on us to maintain our playoff spot. Whilst I think Bradford do have pressure and their form has dipped, I just feel they will be naturally more up for the game.

We need a good team performance, which is focused and robust at persisting with creating chances. If we haven't had many shots on goal before half time, then I would worry more. I guess we have to hope Bradford aren't able to counter our tactics and that we can hold onto the ball in a useful way. As I say, we need a team performance with the likes of Jacob Bedeau, Matty Platt, Matt Palmer, Alassana Jatta but especially David McGoldrick who tends to always be the biggest difference. I'm unsure if George Abbott is back, but he would also be a key player if included.

Also, I am dreaming of Nick Tsaroulla and Jodi Jones starting the game together.

Stuart met the media this morning.

 

It's Match day.

 

On 15/04/2025 at 17:01, Fan of Big Tone said:

I’m probably the same as everyone else and expecting nothing other than an emphatic Bradford win but I’m hoping that the players have had a kick up the proverbial and come out all guns blazing and give us an unexpected win.

I’ll be watching on the telly with everything crossed.

Me too........surely we will improve big time from that performance!!!!! last Friday 

My team for tonight.

Miller, McDonald, Platt, Bedeau, Tsaroulla, Abbott, Hinchy, Jarvis, Jones, McGoldrick, Jatta.

Subs.

Slocombe, Whittaker, Traore, Macari, Gordon, Grant, Palmer.

Stuart Maynard's side to face Bradford.

 

Luke Williams is a pundit on Sky Sports.

13 minutes ago, Fan of Big Tone said:

Luke Williams is a pundit on Sky Sports.

Doesn't seem his usual self...not very talkative!!!!....is it because he's on the dole?????

1 minute ago, gtownjohnno said:

Doesn't seem his usual self...not very talkative!!!!....is it because he's on the dole?????

I think he seems a bit nervous, I agree he’s not his usual eloquent self.

A big crowd...i hope Sam Slocombe doesn't get the jitters like he did at Wembley!!!!

Stuart has named his strongest team and bench. It's up to those players to work their socks off for up to 100 minutes & demonstrate that they are his best eleven.

CMON U PIES!!!

We aree underway.

 

Update.

Not any chances of note so far. Just a half chance for McGoldrick.

 

Update.

Update.

 

No goals at the break.

Mark Stallard: 'It is being played at a high tempo but the strikers have not got the better of the defenders on many occasions.'

This could be anyone’s game, Notts are giving as good as they get. We need a bit of magic.

Why didn’t we appeal when Jatta was brought down in the box, definitely worth a shout in my opinion.