BRADFORD CITY’S FA Cup hero Mark Yeates says Premier League opponents won’t relish coming to play them at Valley Parade.
The League One club recorded one of the biggest shocks in the competition’s history by defeating Jose Mourinho’s men 4-2 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday — with Dubliner Yeates coming off the bench to net in the 90th minute.
The 30-year-old, who began his career in England with Tottenham, was full of praise for the Chelsea boss after he visited the Bradford dressing room to congratulate the players and staff.
“It was a nice touch,” Yeates said during an interview on Off The Ball last night. “It shows the class of the man. He came in and right from the kit man to the last member of the squad, he shook everyone’s hands and wished us all the best.”
Currently seventh in England’s third tier, the Bantams have been handed a home draw in the fifth round against the winner Sunderland and Fulham.
And Yeates is in no doubt that neither club will be looking forward to a meeting with a team who have become known for their giant-killing in recent times.
“It’s a home draw for us,” Yeates added. “A lot of clubs in the draw were probably thinking they didn’t want to come up against us as over the last few years the club has done really well in the cups. So we will fancy our chances.
“To be honest, the pitch isn’t great so I don’t think a Premier League club coming down here will be too happy when they see what they will have to play on.”
Good article, thanks Garry. Besides the strength in depth and consistently good results, the pleasing thing for me is the style of play. They get the ball out wide quickly and into the hands of Balaucoune, Stockdale and Lowry etc. Burns is underrated outside Ulster, he plays a massive role in launching the attacks. As for the Ireland call ups, I’ll say nothing.
@Sustainable Hedgehog: I’m happy seeing Burns stay at Kingspan. Every player we send to an extended squad session in Dublin seems to come back injured. Bobby B is the latest.
@Trevor Johnston: the 2017 game in which Zebre beat Ulster was a strange game. Ulster played almost the whole game with 14 players and had a couple of tries disallowed.
@Trevor Johnston: The downside of Ulster players being overlooked by Ireland is that the likes of Cooney might be tempted by a payday in France. McCloskey would be in demand over there too.
@Sustainable Hedgehog: That’s the danger. If JC goes to France I would fully support him. He has been a great servant of the Ulster Rugby and certainly owes nothing to the IRFU.
@Trevor Johnston: 100% agree regarding Cooney. Anyway lads pretty certain that our big name signing for after the WC is PSDT, now that is an exciting addition.
@Kingshu: on top of Kitshoff?
@Patrick Breen: yeah Kitshoff wasnt the big name signing another one in lock/backrow was rumoured to be it.
@Patrick Breen: Vermuen and Carter’s replacements apparently.
@Trevor Johnston: in squad strength terms DV replaced by PSDT, Carter replaced by Roux, and Kitschoff a bonus.
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@Niall Daly: two points well made.