By Luke Lockwood

With the season and hope of the play offs all but mathematically over, Graham Alexander has spoken about using these games as auditions for players ahead of next season.

With that in mind it was particularly interesting to see the continued selection of loan players Daniel Oyegoke and Tyreik Wright. It makes you assume that parent clubs and players have indicated there will be a strong opportunity they could return next season, either on loan once again, or permanently.

With the rest of the team also unchanged this was the first of four castings for the players not guaranteed to be a part of the plans next year vs those contracted. It may also suggest that continuing with the existing formation is very much part of Alexander’s plans next season.

Sam Walker, after a very impressive half season, is almost guaranteed to be number 1. The extension on Brad Halliday’s contract as minimum will be exercised, likewise Bobby Pointon. Ciaran Kelly is under contract and has impressed enough as part of a solid defence to remain next term.

The two forwards are also under contract, although were auditioning to be the starting pairing ahead of the return of Jake Young. But everyone else selected were by no means guaranteed to be here next season, either by choice or non-voluntarily.

Salford were without Elliot Watt after his red card and are having a poor season despite Matt Smith only trailing Macauley Langstaff in the goal scoring charts. To accommodate Smith, and surprisingly for the class of 92, they’ve have become a very direct and physical team. Perhaps as they continue to fail in League Two they’ve succumbed to the perception that you have to bully your way out of the division. Whatever the reason, I can’t imagine a player like Watt is enjoying his football there much anymore.

There has been criticism of Alexander, including from myself, for persisting with such a defensive minded team. With more expansive players and tactics we could be in the play offs now. It’s also probably fair to suggest if we hadn’t had an injury crisis in defence – resulting in Liam Ridehalgh playing multiple games at centre back – we’d still be talking about the play offs. Is Alexander also auditioning?

While his old club, MK Dons have shown they made the right decision to change management and that they are the best side outside of the top 3, the play offs are a lottery. We can only hope they join David Sharpe’s previous club, Mansfield, and today’s promoted sides Stockport and Wrexham to make the division much weaker next season.

A more forward thinking team was evident from the off. Within four minutes, Matt Platt released Wright with a long diagonal pass. Wright found Calum Kavanagh in the box, but his effort was blocked and went wide for a corner. I think it’s fair to say at this point Ridehalgh would still have been in his own half.

Wright’s athleticism was once again on show just a couple of minutes later. Jamie Walker, in a more advanced position than Alex Gilliead, picked up the ball which was worked to Wright who has flown up the pitch from a left back position to get up with play and win a corner.

Within 10 minutes, Wright was away again with another searching ball from Platt. Some neat play involving Walker, but some poor final execution from Wright, resulted in a scramble and a blocked Pointon shot.

One of the big questions for this more expansive approach is whether Walker can be trusted to take on more of the midfield positional responsibility rather than just picking up space in the number 10. His influence over this game continue to grow, and it wasn’t long before he was played into a position with space by Oyegoke and another clever pass put Kavanagh into a very dangerous position. A cut back to Pointon well defended with a thunderous tackle.

City had looked threatening in the opening 15 minutes, without really creating any clear, big chances, but they were getting more bodies into advanced positions and causing Salford problems without much coming back the other way.

However, it wasn’t long before some of the frailties of going more gung-ho were exposed. The ball was lost in their own half out on the touchline leaving Salford three on three. The City defence was all over the place, with the rest of the side ahead of the ball and the simplest of finishes presented itself to Callum Hendry, left alone in the box.

They were almost caught short again soon after, a Platt booking the result of a challenge he had to make with Salford numbers overloading again. Within minutes Oyegoke had to be on hand. He showcased his valuable pace, for the right centre back role, to snuff out danger and stop a one on one with Walker. On this occasion, Platt could have been sent off here if he’d have made a tackle as the attacker burst past him but fortunately he appeared to realise he was on a booking and pulled out.

There was a final chance where Kelly was caught out of position and failed to follow his man, which resulted in a chance Smith miscued when he probably should have scored. This was the end of any real Salford threat, and the rest of the first half was one way traffic.

Firstly Andy Cook simply had to score from a wonderful pass from Richie Smallwood. A heavy touch towards defensive bodies and his shot was blocked wide. Diagonal passes were consistently finding Wright, who was playing as much left winger as wing back.

One particular pass saw him beat his man with a great touch only to be pulled back as he ran into the box. I think it’s fair to say Lewis Richards wouldn’t have had this quality of touch to get away from his man.

Unfortunately this set-piece, and the following free-kick, summed up Smallwood’s time at Bradford City. He criminally looped the first ball harmlessly out for a goal kick. The very next, even worse free kick, he tried to play Wright in-behind the wall but overhit his pass out of play. Cue the half-time bashing.

I do wonder, if Smallwood had never taken a set-piece for City, how would he be viewed. Today showed the best and worst of himself. He did a great job defensively at the base of the midfield. Shortly after this free-kick he showcased his best attributes. After winning a ball that wasn’t in his favour, he set Walker away. Walker had the quality to pick out Cook but, with the goal at his mercy, he put it wide.

For me, Smallwood’s audition to protect the defence went well and in this system I think he is a great asset. If, as assumed, he is a top earner, his contract isn’t justified. But if Alexander and Sharpe come to an agreement with him, please let someone else take free kicks!

Ironically just on half time it was fantastic free kick from Smallwood that provided the equaliser. Exactly the free kick he’d tried to execute earlier, but from the other side it was a deep hanging ball to the backpost. Cook possibly could have got to the header which he’d have surely scored himself but Platt rose highest and nodded back across goal with the ever alert Kavanagh, moving in the box, for the simplest of tap ins

This was Kavanagh’s 12th League Two game for City. His seventh start, his fourth goal. He’s averaging a goal less than every 200 mins. He is raw, but he is providing another source of goals.

By contrast at half time, Cook had missed two simple chances that any forward simply has to score. If this had been Tyler Smith he have been hung, drawn and quartered. Smith gets regularly into the positions, but is either low on confidence or just doesn’t have the finishing quality. At least with Cook we know it’s not the latter.

With Jake Young available, Smith shouldn’t be in contention for many minutes with us next season, but a loan deal to Swindon should sort his career out. With Jake Young available, is Cook a guaranteed starter? There were definitely promising signs of a budding partnership in this audition – and the question is more likely who partners Cook – but selecting two from those three is a promising position to be in.

It’s also worth saying that, while Cook left his shooting boots at home today, he replaced them with his running ones. A number of lost causes were chased down and ended up in chances. First, he chased down a back pass and the pressure resulted in the keeper playing it to Kavanagh in a panic. With the goal exposed, a defender stood in Kavanagh’s way which meant he could only really put it to the keeper’s side, giving him chance to get back for the save.

Cook’s work once again won the ball high up the pitch and Kavanagh pounced but a weak effort was again comfortably saved. A third chance came from Cook latching on to a short back pass. To his credit the Salford keeper did very well to shut the chance down, but this time last season – and Cook in full confidence – the stopper would have been a bystander to the Cook show.

After that the game did begin to fizzle out a little, especially as Wright seemed to have been forced back and was having less influence. On the hour Pointon burst into life. Similarly to Tranmere, he started to glide past defenders in the box and one shot forced a save from the keeper and another scramble before Cook once again screwed wide.

Today was a learning day for Pointon. He was quieter, less influential. He was by no means poor, but the experienced Matty Lund was given the task of following him around. As his reputation grows, this will only happen more and it will be interesting to see how he manages it. Pointon is one of the big topics for the summer, clearly a fantastic talent and we have to be understanding when he has quiet games like today. However, is it fair to expect him to have the same influence over 46 games as Elliot Lee at Wrexham or Keillor-Dunn at Mansfield?

Pointon needs a key role and be looked after for the longer term, but maybe as the leading man’s understudy with gametime across multiple positions.

While Pointon was quieter, Jamie Walker really made his influence felt. The other positive of playing with more expansive players is that, when one does have a quiet game, someone else can step up. As the game was nearing its end, he once again started a move, playing in Wright, who cut back to Kavanagh, only to see his shot blocked wide.

The highlight of the game followed soon after. A dreadful misplace pass from Lund gifted the ball to Clarke Oduor – who had replaced Pointon 10 minutes before – on the edge of the box. He jinked to create space for the shot but with bodies in the way the ball ended up with player of the season (yes I’m announcing it) Brad Halliday, with a fine finish for his 4th goal of the season.

There can’t be enough superlatives for Halliday this season. He strangely does still have one or two critics, but if he reproduces his outputs this season then Bradford City will have one of the best right sided defenders in the division again next season. A more offensive threat like Wright on the other side may also provide more balance overall.

Even in the 89th minute Wright was up the pitch once more to support Cook who’d won the ball. He squared across to Clarke Oduor who wasted a good chance. It’s no surprise Wright went down with cramp just after and was replaced by Richards. After a stop start return, Wright showed today he is more than ‘just a PR signing’ and his audition was definitely strong if there is an opportunity to sign him next season.

Other than a minor scare in injury time, City saw out the game comfortably. Platt and Oyegoke did themselves no harm for their parts but they weren’t really threatened.

The Width of a Post team have reiterated the stat around Bradford City not winning when they have more possession. All season we have had an inability to break teams down and they appear happy for us to have the ball. Today City marginally edged possession, although this was probably higher share before the 2nd goal. The XG showed they also had an expected 2.17 vs Salford’s 0.56.

Walker, Pointon, Wright, Kavanagh and Cook all offer different threats. Previously when we’ve dominated the ball we’ve not even forced two shots on target, nevermind two expected goals. If Alexander had been braver sooner, I don’t think our season would be over in three games time.

Next season, with a couple of star signings, he’s hopefully brave enough to make sure we only need 46.

Categories: Match Reviews

Tags: 2023/24, BCAFC, League Two, Salford City