England League 1: Bradford - Rochdale
I see a lot of similarities between this Bradford city team and the one which we were strongly with through their 2012-13 League 2 promotion year, they came with a big run there to win the playoffs and despite getting distracted with cup runs and a poor playing surface in subsequent campaigns, they have improved in each, finishing 11th and 7th , they are a big club and have the level of support to once more become an established Championship side and look to be coming on strong in the second half of the campaign and timing their run well. They have posted back to back wins over direct playoff rivals in Peterborough United and Southend United by a combined 6-0 and meet a Rochdale side who are very hit and miss, recent wins over league leaders Burton Albion and third placed Walsall, were sandwiched between losses to Barnsley and Chesterfield who were both in the drop zone and where they conceded nine goals, just about sums them up ! Visiting boss Keith Hill is a head caoch I have a lot of time for and he will never compromise his principles and his teams are always pleasing on the eye and will look to get forward at every opportunity, witness the two points and two goal lead thrown away at home to Crewe Alexandra last week. Dale are struggling defensively and I was quite shocked to read some of the comments on their forum, which were very much of the "I think we have enough about us to stay up " variety, which is a little telling as they are eight points clear of the drop zone with at game in hand on most teams below them.
The visitors have won only three times on the road all season and have been dealing with lengthy injury problems and lacking a real central defensive pairing and that looks likely to cost them dear today, City striker James Hanson is listed as 1.93m, but looks much taller and is a huge aerial threat and can punish that defensive weakness, he has returned to form with four goals in his last four starts and will be up for this today. He caused Dale a lot of problems last year with a goal and assist agaisnt them and will have been sorry to have started on the bench in the reverse fixture this season , which City won 3-1, creating a lot of chances and with two goals coming from crosses into the box.City are tight defensively and have only conceded 11 at home this season, but goals at the other end have been hard to come by until recently and if they have largely solved those issues, they are going to be tough to kep out of the top six. Home win.
Bradford City -0.5 ball 2.09 asian line/Sportmarket
I see a lot of similarities between this Bradford city team and the one which we were strongly with through their 2012-13 League 2 promotion year, they came with a big run there to win the playoffs and despite getting distracted with cup runs and a poor playing surface in subsequent campaigns, they have improved in each, finishing 11th and 7th , they are a big club and have the level of support to once more become an established Championship side and look to be coming on strong in the second half of the campaign and timing their run well. They have posted back to back wins over direct playoff rivals in Peterborough United and Southend United by a combined 6-0 and meet a Rochdale side who are very hit and miss, recent wins over league leaders Burton Albion and third placed Walsall, were sandwiched between losses to Barnsley and Chesterfield who were both in the drop zone and where they conceded nine goals, just about sums them up ! Visiting boss Keith Hill is a head caoch I have a lot of time for and he will never compromise his principles and his teams are always pleasing on the eye and will look to get forward at every opportunity, witness the two points and two goal lead thrown away at home to Crewe Alexandra last week. Dale are struggling defensively and I was quite shocked to read some of the comments on their forum, which were very much of the "I think we have enough about us to stay up " variety, which is a little telling as they are eight points clear of the drop zone with at game in hand on most teams below them.
The visitors have won only three times on the road all season and have been dealing with lengthy injury problems and lacking a real central defensive pairing and that looks likely to cost them dear today, City striker James Hanson is listed as 1.93m, but looks much taller and is a huge aerial threat and can punish that defensive weakness, he has returned to form with four goals in his last four starts and will be up for this today. He caused Dale a lot of problems last year with a goal and assist agaisnt them and will have been sorry to have started on the bench in the reverse fixture this season , which City won 3-1, creating a lot of chances and with two goals coming from crosses into the box.City are tight defensively and have only conceded 11 at home this season, but goals at the other end have been hard to come by until recently and if they have largely solved those issues, they are going to be tough to kep out of the top six. Home win.
Bradford City -0.5 ball 2.09 asian line/Sportmarket
