Tag Archives: Jack Compton

The table never lies – or does it?

23 Aug

By Phil Abbott

Many a lively debate between fans of the same, or even different clubs, has included the old cliché ‘the table never lies’. Statistically speaking I guess, it can only be true of the final league standings, but it can be deployed with increasing effectiveness as a useful weapon, the longer the season progresses, in stifling even the most ardently passionate argument in support of a team’s success or failure.

In respect of Bradford City, it is a cliché used so frequently by so many in recent years.  Years of underperformance and lack of realistic hope in a remarkable mid-season upturn render this one of the more widely referenced clichés in the BCAFC phrasebook. What concerns me is that this old chestnut may well rear its ugly head sooner than we might hope and think this season – and it’s not because I suspect we are in for a disappointing campaign. Let me explain.

There cannot be many other clubs with a tougher start to the season than City have been dealt this season. After five games, I suspect we will have played some of our toughest matches of the season already.  With the disappointment of an opening day defeat at well-fancied Gillingham (having dominated possession for large parts of the game) soon extinguished by a well-fought victory at home to Fleetwood, that’s already two ‘big-guns’ out of the way.

But it doesn’t end there! In the next few weeks, we will have visited title favourites Rotherham at their new stadium, and Accrington Stanley who are currently on a 100% record. Throw into the equation the visit of AFC Wimbledon who will be hurting badly from their 6-2 demolition by Burton Albion and it looks like an epic opening stanza for the Bantams. With away trips to Oxford and Rochdale soon to follow, there is no sign of things easing up.

So what is the message? After five games, will the table be established enough to show the potential City have to get the promotion the fans so desperately crave? It may well give an indication if things have gone particularly well (if we are anywhere near the top six or seven, I really think there is a lot to get excited about), but I wouldn’t take too much from it if we are out of touch with the leading pack, languishing in the bottom half of the table

Another well aired footballing cliché is the ‘win all your home games and get a point away’ school of mathematics. Of course, an 80+ point season will most likely lead to promotion, but throughout a season, it is swings and roundabouts as to where those wins and draws occur. If you look at the results so far, and those to come, it might put context on the job in hand. In truth, we should beat AFC Wimbledon on Saturday, but I don’t expect to get anything away at Rotherham (and it will be painful to see Steve Evans doing his usual thing), whilst I suspect a point at Accrington Stanley will be a good one given their fine start.

The fact is, after five games, on those scores, seven points from five games will leave us around 16th-18th, but the reality is that at least two of those away games will probably be against promoted sides come May 2013.

My hope is that if things do get off to a slow start, fans are wise enough to link the lack of league points to the difficult opening fixtures. For my money, I think we are considerably better than last year already and there is a lot more to come.

Pontificating over the Fleetwood game on Tuesday, it was clear to myself and many around me just why we are now a better team. Put into context, City’s team for their opening home game last year which saw the likes of Martin Hansen, Robbie Threlfall, Guy Branston, Chris Mitchell, Michael Flynn, Lee Bullock, Jack Compton, Mark Stewart and Nialle Rodney filling the team sheet.

On Tuesday night, the unfit Nathan Doyle ran the show in midfield with some excellent wide-eyed distribution, eclipsing even the masterful Gary Jones in work rate and success.  With Zavon Hines still finding his speed, his lightening wing partnership with Kyel Reid began to show the fledgling success that will surely render even the most ardent Jack Compton-lover into submission very soon.  The back four look solid enough, with James Meredith growing into his role with every game, Luke Oliver and Andrew Davies commanding at the back and an out and out battle ensuing between Rory McArdle and Stephen Darby for the right-back position.

Just look at the bench and you will see how much better this team is that Phil Parkinson has put together. Alan Connell (2011-12 Champions Swindon’s top scorer), Ross Hannah, Darby, Will Atkinson, Jon McLaughlin , Garry Thompson and Carl McHugh.

So in answer to the original question – Does the league table lie? No it doesn’t, so long as you look at the context around it – and come May 2013, it will be telling us that City had their most successful season in a number of years. Just how successful that season has been, only time will tell.

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Mark Stewart leaves Bradford City

18 Jun

By Jason McKeown

Mark Stewart has today had his contract terminated by Bradford City following an unsuccessful spell at Valley Parade.

The 23-year-old striker – signed from Falkirk last summer alongside Chris Mitchell and Jack Compton – made 15 appearances for the Bantams but failed to find the net. He had scored 17 goals for the Scottish Division One club the year before – and even allowing for a difficult 2011/12 campaign, he has netted 30 career goals from 127 appearances (one in four).

Stewart arrived with big expectations and talk from then-manager Peter Jackson of him being one of the division’s top scorers, but despite plenty of effort and endeavour, during the early season matches he rarely looked like troubling the opposition goalkeeper. By the time Phil Parkinson was installed as manager, new arrivals pushed Stewart onto the fringes and he never got back into contention.

Last September I had the pleasure of speaking with Parkinson for 15 minutes on the training ground, and asked him specifically about Stewart’s prospects. The City manager, who spoke very highly of Ross Hannah that day, said he liked Stewart and admired his workrate, but so far his best work came outside the box and he needed to be more of a goal threat.

That was a very fair summary, and has echoes of Danny Cadamarteri and Jake Speight (but Stewart produced far greater effort). No one could fault how hard Stewart tried in claret and amber; but for a team that was struggling for goals, more was needed from the centre forwards. In the end Stewart was lined up more as a wide player, before injury disrupted his first team chances and he ended up finishing the campaign back in Scotland, at Hamilton.

In the fast revolving door at Valley Parade that increased in speed last season, Stewart probably won’t live long in the memory beyond his outstanding solo run and assist that helped Compton give City the lead at Leeds in the Carling Cup. However, when he was on the field there was little doubting how much we supporters appreciated his efforts. “Stewart, Stewart” was a regular chant during the first three months of the season; more prolific forwards than Stewart have received no such positive backing.

It will be interesting to see where he ends up and what sort of career he goes on to enjoy. He can leave with his head held high as a victim of circumstances, with the question over how good he really is still to be answered.

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A change of approach to loan players?

14 Jun

By Jason McKeown

“We don’t want to come to the end of August saying we’ve got to go into the emergency (loan) market. If we do, we’ve done something wrong.”

The above quote from Julian Rhodes, which appeared in the Telegraph & Argus at the weekend, is worth preserving and digging out come the end of the first month of next season, in order to act as an early measure of how well City have started the campaign. It is reflective of a close season in which the club has had a lot to say about careful, professional planning for the next League Two battle. This time, unlike all the others, we are going to get it right. Apparently.

The subject of loan players always throws up a wide range of contrasting views – with a majority consensus that they are probably a bad thing. A player rocks up to play three or four matches in order to fill a hole or give the team a boost, and are judged very quickly and often very harshly. They are joining a completely new working environment, have to get familiarised with a different group of players and need to respond to a manager they’ve usually never met before. And they have to hit the ground running in terms of performance levels, because a slow-starting loanee will rarely keep their place for long and be very prematurely branded a failure.

Perhaps the best example of recent years was the striker Chris O’Grady, who joined Stuart McCall’s promotion chasing Bantams side in January 2009 and – due to the weather postponing matches – made just two substitute appearances that aggregated 39 minutes. An Oldham player at the time, O’Grady did not appear match fit and made little impact. He headed back over the Pennines with a flurry of criticism ringing in his ears; and McCall’s judgement was questioned too, as the man who signed him. O’Grady eventually moved to Rochdale, netting 34 goals from 98 appearances and helping Dale to promotion. Last summer, he earned a move to Sheffield Wednesday. Next season he will be a Championship player.

That’s not to say that we City fans were wrong to write O’Grady off from the fleeting evidence we saw of his ability in a claret and amber shirt, but it goes to prove how futile and badly judged the signing of a loan player can often prove to be. When we sign players on permanent transfers, we give them chance to find their feet and stick with them if the first impressions are not great. There’s a need for a club to invest time and development into their own asset, which they are much more prepared to do. A short-term loan signing fufills a very different need, and you sometimes wonder what the manager is thinking when they look for a quick-fix from signing an under-prepared loanee – or how much thought they actually paid over whether he would make a good addition.

Phil Parkinson, last season, was as guilty as any City manager of taking this route. Charlie Taylor, Andy Haworth and Will Atkinson all stood out as poor loan signings; not because they are bad players – I think all three have good potential – but because they did not have the experience to slip into the side and make the instant impact which they were recruited for.

City spent half a season investing time in the medium-term loan signing of Jack Compton and were eventually rewarded by a growing understanding with team mates that resulted in some influential performances from the Falkirk player. But when Compton chose to turn down another loan offer in January and Kyel Reid was sidelined for six weeks, we saw a couple of games from Leeds’ Taylor, then a couple involving Bury’s Haworth before Hull’s Atkinson was signed. No one could fill the Compton/Reid hole, but any of them might have been capable of growing into their role if City had have had the luxury of being able to give them a few games.

While Rhodes has not criticised Parkinson for this, you can understand if he did feel frustrated. Loan signings might seem cheap, but they are not free and City spent a considerable amount last season on temporary players such as Taylor, Haworth and Atkinson. They did not represent good value, and you have to wonder why Parkinson was so reluctant to try out Dominic Rowe, for example, over that same period compared to the three young loanees he turned to instead. Only last October City had been sufficiently encouraged by Rowe’s development – ironically aided by a loan spell of his own at Barrow – to award him a two year contract, but when his time appeared to have come round three months later he was overlooked and now has been told to find another club. This has happened too often at City over the years.

Despite Rhodes’ comments about not going down the emergency loan route again next season, it frankly seems implausible to expect anything but. We hope that the squad Parkinson builds this summer will prove good enough to live up to raised expectations, but realistically there will be some signings who do not work out, compared to others, and periods in the season where bringing someone in on loan could provide a short-term boost. Just like previous years, that will be something of a frustration and we will scratch our heads and wonder why other available squad players are being overlooked; but it is the way of the lower league football world that players who will probably have only the briefest of associations with the club will be looked upon to play an important part.

Certainly football has changed from a time where you could easily name the team for a particular season. City’s last successful promotion of 1999 was probably the last time we can realistically argue that the Bantams went through a campaign where the majority of the players involved in the latter stages were at the club the August before (and even then we had the loan signing of Lee Sharpe). The introduction of the transfer windows in 2005 heralded a shift in emphasis, from making mid-season permanent signings to dipping into the loan market (City were doing this already due to the administration problems, so the change was barely noticeable at Valley Parade).

We should not expect City to be quiet on the loan front next season, or believe that temporary signings are necessarily a sign of panic or desperation. Parkinson did not get all of the loan signings right last season, but no City manager I have seen has been any different on that front and we can look back over years and years of forgettable loan signings and be critical of the gaffer of the time.

A necessary evil, because for all the irritation some loan signings create, the rewards of getting it right are plentiful. For example, signing a player on loan often means we can recruit someone of a standard of ability we wouldn’t have been able to afford (Andrew Davies last season), or someone who proves themselves worthy of a permanent deal (Davies again, and also Ricky Ravenhill). Even having a loan signing who does not work out is better than signing the same player permanently and then finding out they are not good enough. In 2006, City signed Eddie Johnson permanently and David Graham on loan, to support Dean Windass in scoring goals. Neither were much use on that front, but at least we were able to send Graham back when his loan deal came to an end.

With some inevitability, we can expect a similar mixed bag next season. Parkinson will hopefully get some of them right, but he will also probably get some of them wrong. Yet despite the high ratio of failure that the loan market has been proven to provide, it is an important weapon that City would be foolish to ignore. Especially when every other team in the league will be going through their own mixed bag of outstanding and dismal loanees, looking for that short-term boost.

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2011/12 review: Highlight/lowlight – part one

8 May

The Width of a Post writing team provide their personal highlights and lowlights of this season.

Mark Scully

Highlight – There haven’t been many high points throughout the course of the season but the few memorable moments came in the Johnstones Paint Trophy. I’d have to say the highlight was beating Sheffield United, a great night at Bramall Lane. Jonny Mac proved to be the hero with an excellent stop from Billy Clarke with the last kick of the game, before becoming the penalty saving king again. It looked like the run was coming to an end when Matty Phillips scored a superb first half goal for the Blades. However, just like at Leeds earlier in the season, Michael Flynn scored a stunner from outside the area which sent the away end barmy! In the second half both sides had decent chances before penalties decided it….McLaughlin saved three spot kicks in the shoot out, before Chris Mitchell calmly slotted home to send the Bantams into the next round.

Lowlight – It’s not a game, but more a situation that developed and became a problem – which stemmed from the departure of Jack Compton. I wasn’t personally a big fan of Compton, but he gave us good balance with him on one flank and Reid on the other. Following his departure he was never adequately replaced. Young Charlie Taylor from Leeds wasn’t up to much, neither were the likes of Deane Smalley and Will Atkinson – whilst Fagan was playing out of position. With all that in mind the pressure on Reid to create was too much. Teams got wise to our only threat and would nullify him. Hopefully the penny has dropped with Parkinson that we do need two out and out wingers, something which has been missing for a long time at Valley Parade.

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Luke Lockwood

Highlight – the Huddersfield Town cup win. In all my visits to the Galpharm Stadium I have never seen us win, but all that changed with the dramatic penalty shoot out victory in the Johnstones Paint Trophy this season. After twice experiencing the heartbreak of a Town equaliser, a City side, which had been labelled the worst in League Two by our joint chairman, knocked out one of the finest sides from the division above! Liam Moore, Robbie Threlfall, Luke O’Brien, Chris Mitchell, Jack Compton, Mark Stewart, Nialle Rodney and even Guy Branston, Matt Duke and Ross Hannah wouldn’t feature much more over the course of the season, but they provided one memorable night for the travelling 2,500 Bantams. Thank you Rodney and co.!

Lowlight – the David Syers injury. Another memorable evening – Leeds away – which was 20 minutes away from being my personal high of the year. But then Syers was left in a heap by the touchline just yards away from me and would not play again until Boxing Day. The 2010/11 player of the season had put in his finest performance to date and in front of the Sky Cameras; how would we keep the vultures at bay now? But his night ended prematurely and with it so did City’s fight. I had dragged along a friend of mine who was a Huddersfield Town fan and a number of my other friends were in the opposite end supporting the Dark Forces. For the rest of the evening they would debate among themselves whether it would be Leeds or Huddersfield signing our superstar in January. Ten months on we are now playing hard ball over his contract – how fickle football can be.

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Gareth Walker

Highlight – My highlight of this season takes me back to a fixture that I look forward to every year – Morecambe away. The fact that it was Parkinson’s first match in charge added a little bit extra to a fixture that was already bubbling nicely. When thinking back to the game, I don’t think that I have celebrated a goal like that of Ross Hannah’s for quite some time. I was grasped round the neck by the complete stranger stood next to me, while jumping up and down with my hands in the air. It was one of the mad celebratory moments that we all hope for when we attend a football match.

It is easy to remember why. City had bossed the second half, yet had still fallen behind to a 57th minute Morecambe goal. Jamie Devitt had come on to make his debut alongside Kyel Reid and Matt Duke and looked a real threat. Morecambe had brought everybody back as they desperately tried to keep City at bay and hold onto the three points. However, despite the avalanche of pressure, it just didn’t seem like it was going to be our day. The referee gave a goal kick in the 92nd minute when the whole ground knew it should have been a corner, and it seemed like City’s chance had passed.

As I slumped over the crash barrier in front of me, aghast at the referee failing to give the aforementioned corner, I just couldn’t help thinking that we were leaving the Globe Arena empty handed. That all changed in the blink of an eye as desperation turned to joy. We were stood right behind the goal and suddenly I looked up to see the ball being crossed in and falling at Hannah’s feet. He swivelled and he scored. Unbelievable! The feeling as we walked away from the ground in the pouring rain just moments later was definitely my season highlight.

Lowlight – Defeat away at AFC Wimbledon in March. When City began to fall foul of the winter weather, as well as having had a run to the 3rd round of the FA Cup, it became apparent that March was looking like a “make or break month” due to the backlog of rearranged fixtures. One of these postponed games was away at AFC Wimbledon. It was a match that many City fans, myself included, had been looking forward to for most of the season due to the links between the two clubs from the year 2000 and of course the romantic tale of Wimbledon’s climb back up the non-league. Having bought our tickets well in advance of the original fixture, my friends and I decided to attend the rearranged game.

We booked to stay over down in London and made a long day of it. When we got to the game, it seemed that we weren’t the only ones who had done the same thing and the turn out for a long Tuesday night trip from the City faithful was quite impressive. Throughout the early exchanges, City were well in the contest and it was only an extremely dubious penalty, given by Referee Mr Darren Deadman, that saw us fall behind. We all know what happened next. Craig Fagan who was captain on the evening kicked the ball into the crowd for a second booking and saw red, not long after we had equalised.

His actions on that night at Wimbledon were inexcusable and they cost us dear. It wasn’t entirely his fault, as we all know that the performance of Deadman was extremely questionable, not least in giving Wimbledon a second controversial penalty. The comments made by Parkinson afterwards showed that it wasn’t just the supporters who questioned the referee’s performance in what was ultimately a 3-1 defeat. Unfortunately, this did little to help lift my spirits that night as we walked back to our Travelodge. City were edging towards a relegation battle and it felt like we had lost not only to AFC Wimbledon, but also to Mr Craig Fagan and Mr Darren Deadman.

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Ian Sheard

Highlight – Toss up between Huddersfield Town away or Southend away and home. In fact the Christmas period was excellent and I would have all those if I could.  However, I will go for Southend at home on Good Friday.

Lowlight – Away to Wimbledon: horrendous ref again, Mr Deadman. And then away to Plymouth, when relegation was a definite fear!

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Tim Roche

Highlight – The back-to-back home wins vs Crewe and Shrewsbury over the Christmas period. Thanks to a shock win away at Southend, City entered the final stretch of 2011 brimming with confidence. The Boxing Day 3-0 drubbing of Crewe Alexandra was swiftly followed up on New Year’s Eve by a comprehensive 3-1 victory over Shrewsbury Town, which was especially memorable for a fine goal from Nahki Wells. Two of the finest Bradford City performances in many years were tinged with frustration that such excellent football hadn’t been displayed earlier in the campaign. ‘Normal’ service was resumed two days later as City crashed to a 3-0 defeat at Rotherham.

Lowlight – Hearing that Andrew Davies, Jon McLaughlin and Luke Oliver had all been red-carded for their part in the ‘Battle of Valley Parade’. To witness those scenes was shocking enough, however confirmation of the inevitable punishment left me seriously believing we were heading for non-league football. The antics of Crawley Town were disgusting that night; however, I was so disappointed and angry that our players had allowed themselves to be dragged down to their level at such a crucial time in the season. I honestly believed that losing our centre back pairing and goalkeeper for at least three games would be the final nail in our coffin. Thankfully the performances of their replacements, particularly Guy Branston, were generally fantastic and played a huge role in ensuring our survival.

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Ron Beaumont

Highlight – The away win at Northampton. It secured our League status and listening to it on the radio made clearing out the garage bearable.

Lowlight – The brawl against Crawley; I always stay to the very end of games, but wish I hadn’t seen this.

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Damien Wilkinson

Highlight – City 1 Torquay 0. For my money this was one of the best matches of the season. It had controversy with a straight red card in the first half for Andrew Davies for an alleged two-footed challenge, Craig Fagan’s first City goal, and a heroic and dogged determination from all of the City players, especially substitute Guy Branston, who showed immense leadership and the form that tempted City to acquire his services pre-season. City were simply not going to surrender the lead, and the atmosphere within the ground was electric. The crowd also fired up by the abject performance of referee Carl Boyeson, who made many questionable decisions throughout. So Parkinson’s first league win for City at the 7th time of asking led to genuine belief, at the time, that we could go on and climb the league.

Lowlight – Rotherham 3 City 0. The season’s lowest point for me is probably the away fixture at the Don Valley stadium. A truly wretched venue, freezing cold conditions and City managed to undo all the momentum from a season-best three match winning run established over the festive fixtures. Somehow it all felt too predictable for the large City following that made the trip, in a season marked by all too familiar disappointments. Jon McLaughlin particularly had an afternoon to forget, but no one came away with any credit, and despite some improvements in performances afterwards, including the subsequent FA Cup tie at Watford, it wasn’t until 18 February when City finally managed to win again, with an unexpected away win at Torquay. Perhaps this Millers defeat was the start of the spell that set the tone for the fruitless second half of the season, and our almost magnetic attraction to 18th place in the table.

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Rob Craven

Highlight – Progress. There has been a general feeling for me this season that we have started to move in the right direction. Sure, if you look at the table we haven’t done marvellously this season and the turnover of players and managers is nowhere near desirable, but it has been a step forward from recent years.

We have looked better all over the park and have had players which have sparked more joy than they have frustration, which is a first for many seasons. That feeling of looking forward to the game and knowing we are a capable team, instead of watching through my fingers, is definitely the highlight of my season, and I can’t wait for the next. The spine of the team is there, they have the best part of a season under their belts and a full summer of stability and regeneration ahead before the next season. Fingers crossed we can continue to progress.

Lowlight – I could have chosen the high turnover of players and the changing of management. But in all honesty this is something we have become used to in recent years at City. I could have chosen our own fans flippancy and ability to jump from the feeling of joy about being “play off contenders” to instantly being doomed for relegation after a few bad results, but again we all know and feel frustrated by this.

The lowest point of my season came away from the pitch and I have to say that, although I am chuffed to bits that Jason has started TWoaP since, and long may it continue, losing Boy from Brazil was a terrible moment. The BfB website kept us fans in touch with the real going on at the club with honesty and integrity. We can all read the BBC and the T&A websites knowing what is going to be said before we have even clicked the link. It is a standardised format. BfB was an amazing website that served City fans worldwide with a real football fans passion and opinion of what was actually happening at our club from 60, 100, 1,000, or 10,000 miles away.

I was gutted the day it went down and would like to personally thank both Michael Wood and Jason McKeown for all of their hard work and dedication over BfB’s 12 year history, for keeping me and the many BfB followers closer to our club than the club itself could.

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David Lawrence

The low point of the season for me came not on the field, but on the internet; though watching City lose again at Hereford came close.

As a City exile, the web is vital for feeding my enthusiasm for my hometown club. This was dealt a real blow when Boy from Brazil had a disagreement with the club and thought it best to close down. All parties lost out. In the void that was left following the closure of the widely read website I was staring at the very real possibility of having to rely on either the party-line website or several injudicious forums. To paraphrase JFK, too often those sites enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. However, there was a resurrection of thoughtful opinion out of the ashes of the Boys from Brazil in the form of the WoTP. This has been my high point. Thank you to all that have contributed, especially Jason for his efforts.

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Jason McKeown

Highlight – A sunny afternoon in September, where myself and former writing partner Michael Wood were fortunate to be invited to spend a day behind the scenes at Bradford City by Archie Christie. Getting to experience first hand what happens on the training ground and in meetings was something I will never forget, as was getting to meet and chat openly to several players, Parkinson, chief scout Nigel Brown, Peter Horne and of course the larger-than-life Archie. As a writer, being able to produce articles on what we experienced – which were very well received by City fans, other football fans and even national newspaper football journalists – was a dream come true. We helped to change people’s minds on what the club was trying to do, and that felt good.

Lowlight – I saw 40 of City’s 54 matches this season, but only one of the four away league wins (Northampton, probably my highlight on the pitch this season). So I endured a lot of fruitless away trips, where occasionally you questioned your sanity in making such an effort. The nadir of this was the midweek defeat at Crewe in March, where an accident on the M6 lead to a very stressful journey down to Gresty Road and missing kick off; only to witness a tame display from City that was hindered by Parkinson picking an unbalanced midfield. A night where patience was in very short supply.

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Bantams hit the road in search of their ruthless streak

27 Jan

Bristol Rovers vs Bradford City match preview

@The Memorial Stadium on Saturday 28 January, 2012

By Luke Lockwood

Bradford City’s visit to the Memorial Stadium follows a couple of decent performances at home without the deserved rewards; but knowing that victory will take them above their opponents may help the Bantams find their merciless side.

Following two games in succession where Bradford have dominated the match, only to see three points become one in the final moments, it is their ability to kill sides off which has been the topic of the week. There have been many conflicting opinions for Bradford’s failings in this department. Whether it is nerves, injuries to key players, lack of decent service to the forwards, the forwards’ inability to convert the good service from midfield or lapses in concentration at the back, Phil Parkinson will be looking for all his players to provide the answer this weekend.

Certainly injuries looked to be responsible for surrendering winning positions twice in the closing stages of the Morecambe match as Bradford defended with a makeshift backline. First Luke Oliver had to leave the field with a hamstring strain which didn’t cause too many problems. Charlie Taylor came on in his natural position of left back allowing Mercel Seip to move to his more natural centre half spot. However, when Rob Kozluk left the field with severe cramp Ricky Ravenhill had to fill in at right back. Kozluk had already been having a difficult afternoon against an impressive Morecambe left hand side that they obviously targeted, but following a shaky start he began to impressively thwart any attacks that came his way and Bradford looked comfortable.

Unfortunately Ravenhill – who by this point had already done enough to deserve man of the match following an outstanding 80 minutes in the middle of the midfield – was subject to a torrid final ten minutes. It is important to point out that Ravenhill’s task was made even more difficult by the fact his presence had been lost from the middle of midfield, where he is very effective at stopping opposition attacks before they even get going. However, he obviously struggled to get to grips with his new position and both goals were conceded via opportunities created down his flank.

Fortunately Kozluk was able to recover from his cramp in time for the Burton game where he put in a very impressive and solid display. He is certain to continue at right back as Simon Ramsden remains unavailable with a broken toe and it looks as though Parkinson may have another pleasant selection headache when Ramsden eventually returns.

It is less certain who will partner the conscientious Andrew Davies at centre half. Lee Bullock replaced Oliver for the visit of Burton and, although the midfielder put in a impressive professional display against Burton, I felt his lack of defensive experience was evident. If you watch a seasoned centre back such as Oliver or Davies defend they will look to clear the danger at the earliest opportunity and, rather than let the ball bounce, they will come meet the ball and nullify the threat.

On a few occasions I noticed Bullock would take a step back and either give the opposition opportunity to get the ball under control or leaving himself deal with a difficult and unpredictable bounce. Should Oliver be fit I am sure we will see him return to re-form what has looked – at times – an unbeatable partnership with Davies. However, I have no further concerns with Bullock’s otherwise solid display and, should Oliver not be ready for the Bristol game, he has done more than enough to keep his place.

This week Luke O’Brien’s stalled City career looks to have come to a halt following a proposed move to Exeter. It is a great shame that the local lad has not reached the heights recently that his early promise showed, but hopefully a move to a side currently a division higher than ourselves will kick start a career that still has chance to flourish. Parkinson does not seem confident in his other out and out left back, Robbie Threlfall, so Seip will complete the back four hoping to protect John McLaughlin for a full 90 minutes plus injury time.

In midfield Parkinson faces possibly his toughest selection of the season. Although club captain Michael Flynn has returned to the training ground following his illness, he is unlikely to be fit for selection and it would be difficult to see him force his way in over the impressive duo of Ritchie Jones and Ravenhill. One man who may be able to disrupt that partnership is last year’s Player of the Season, David Syers. He will hope to see his stop start season accelerate to top speed by starting this weekend, but even he is unlikely to walk straight back in considering the form of the two central midfielders.

Syers’ presence will put added pressure on the classy Jones and ‘Iron Man’ Ravenhill because, as Parkinson has claimed, he needs the rest of his side to start chipping in with goals that will kill off games. Following Syers’ impressive goals return last season, Parkinson may see him as the answer in his goal shy midfield and give City that all important ruthlessness. For this week however, Syers will have to be content watching Jones and Ravenhill from his place on the bench.

That is of course unless Parkinson tries to accommodate him by either changing formation or using him out wide. Following the recent improvement in performances and results I can’t see Parkinson wanting to shake things up too much and change formation, but could Syers be used out wide? He has played from the right before and could offer the same balance that Parkinson seems to use Craig Fagan for. However, it is unlikely that the manager will drop his current captain.

Fagan has split opinion amongst City fans this season and has probably been unfortunate in the fact so much was expected of him when he joined. It may be that, despite his past success as a Premier League player, Fagan – who suffered a serious injury – may now just be a decent or even good lower league player. Fagan has not let anyone down in his time at Bradford, and he has put in some good workmanlike performances, shown great experience and on occasions glimpses of why he has attracted £1 million transfer fees. I have criticised his delivery both from open play and also set pieces. The latter is certainly an area City need to improve and utilise the assets of James Hanson, Davies, Oliver and Seip, but Fagan shouldn’t be to blame for the fact that nine other outfielders must be just as bad at set pieces, or he wouldn’t be the man stood over them.

Just as Fagan has been a constant figure on the right hand side, we are yet to find one on the opposite flank and once again it is difficult to predict who will be selected. Before his injury Kyel Reid was Parkinson’s preferred choice. He appears a slight improvement on Omar Daley and offers a far superior end product than the Jamaican, but he is also similar in the way he threatens to be lethal but at the same time can be frustratingly inconsistent.

In Reid’s absence Jack Compton, Charlie Taylor and Andy Haworth have all tried to convince Parkinson they are the answer. As much as I was a fan of Compton he has now gone, as a stop-gap replacement Taylor seemed neither to upset anyone nor wow them sufficiently and that includes Parkinson. Haworth has shown glimpses of ability in his two and half hours at Valley Parade but on the whole failed to impress and for that reason Parkinson has brought in another winger, Will Atkinson from Hull, who can also play on the left.

Parkinson has received some criticism for bringing in another winger on loan especially as Reid’s return is imminent. The manager though is still looking for long term answers and has already stated that Atkinson has come here with the view to a permanent deal, just as Ravenhill came on loan before signing his two and a half year deal.

Of course in his search for the ‘ruthless’ City, Parkinson may surprise us all by playing 2 out and out wingers. Haworth and Atkinson can play on either flank and one of these could replace Fagan on the right; but this is unlikely – especially away from home. If Reid is deemed fit enough it would be expected that he will operate from the left and Fagan will again offer the ‘balance’ on the right, with either Atkinson or Haworth looking to make an impact from the bench. But should Reid need another week to recuperate then one of the other two will have a chance to prove their worth.

Deane Smalley made his debut from the bench on Saturday replacing Nakhi Wells and, despite an impressive start, it is doubtful that he will replace Wells in the starting line-up because he and Hanson must be given the opportunity to continue their fruitful partnership.

The pair have at times showed they may possess the necessary killer instinct. Nakhi knows that when City are in possession and if he stays close to Hanson – who will win the majority of balls directed at him – then the chances will come. The Burton defence couldn’t live with Nakhi’s threat at the start of the match on Saturday, with two players picking up a booking for fouls on the Bermudan early doors. However, City failed to capitalise on this when they should have targeted the right hand side.

Perhaps Wells didn’t like such physical defending, because he appeared to lose a bit of confidence in his touch and things seemed to stop happening for him in the second half. He will soon have to learn to deal with this if he is to provide the Bantam’s clinical edge because the big bruising defenders in League Two will become more wary of his threat and he is only going to get kicked up in the air even more.

With Wells and Hanson cementing their place as first choice strikers and Smalley appearing to be their replacement, it has left a lot of questions over the futures of Ross Hannah and Mark Stewart. Both have impressed when given the opportunity and Hannah looks as though he will continue to be used as a ‘super sub’, thrown on to try and get us a goal when needed, but Stewart failed to make the bench on Saturday. Despite being a goal scorer for the reserves this week it is unlikely he will feature at Bristol.

Even though Stewart has managed to acquire a number of fans from his displays, you wonder if Parkinson – searching for a ruthless streak in his starting XI – will be ruthless himself as he looks to trim the fringe players from his wage bill for next season.

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Injuries mount as Parkinson looks externally for answers

20 Jan

Bradford City v Burton Albion match preview

@Valley Parade on Saturday 21 January, 2012

There will be a 6 foot 7 inch hole in Bradford City’s defence when they line up against Burton Albion tomorrow.

Luke Oliver was forced off the field early during last week’s draw with Morecambe, after pulling his hamstring. A huge blow for the runaway player of the season contender – who it’s hoped will at least be back in contention for the trip to Bristol Rovers next Saturday – and a big loss to a squad which is beginning to look somewhat depleted.

After Ricky Ravenhill injured himself during the warm up against Morecambe, the team which started the game contained at least three players who weren’t 100% fit. New signings Rob Kozluk and Andy Haworth were awarded full debuts despite both lacking match sharpness, meaning they had to be substituted during the second half. A week on the training ground should help Haworth at least in this regard, but Oliver and Kozluk will find themselves with plenty of company as they watch from the sidelines.

David Syers still has one game of his three match suspension to go; Simon Ramsden has endured another set back after a reckless challenge on him during the Shrewsbury game; Michael Flynn is recovering from spending Christmas in hospital; Guy Branston returned from a loan spell at Rotherham with an injury; Kyel Reid’s presence on the pitch during the pre-match warm ups against Watford and Morecambe suggests he is on the road to recovery, but not there yet.

January was always going to be an interesting test in continuing the upwards results achieved during December – given the changeover of players that the transfer window was likely to trigger – but injuries and suspensions are adding to the selection dilemmas.

The two that have exited the door – Jack Compton and Steve Williams – could arguably have started tomorrow were they still at the club. Instead new loanees Charlie Taylor and Haworth have been thrown straight into the team, while Marcel Seip will probably be moved from left back to his natural centre back position to partner Andrew Davies. It seems likely that Taylor will start tomorrow as left back with Haworth left winger – which adds to the question marks regarding the future of those players who are available but who still can’t get in the team.

Robbie Threlfall was not even on the bench on Saturday, after looking somewhat rusty during the previous two games that followed his return from a bad injury. Luke O’Brien was expected to make the left back slot his own again after Threlfall limped off against Macclesfield in October, but failed to make a strong enough impression and lost his place to Seip.

Then there’s Chris Mitchell, who joined the club during the summer as a midfielder who could play at right back. Despite some promising early season displays, Mitchell has not started a league game since his goalscoring performance against Rotherham in mid-November. The injury to Ramsden might have opened the door for him to have a run at right back, but Kozluk was signed as cover instead. Mark Stewart has struggled to earn a place in the team – a bad injury not helping. Youngsters like Dominic Rowe, Patrick Lacey and Nialle Rodney – now on trial at Walsall – are so far being overlooked.

It would be wrong to assume that these fringe players have no future at the club – the delicate relegation battle that still must be fought led to Parkinson making it clear he needed to bring in a certain level of experience. Yet if and when such anxieties are eased, these players will hope to have an opportunity to show what they can do. Otherwise a summer spent looking for an alternative club seems inevitable.

Parkinson may not have chosen to inherit such a big squad and has already begun to make noises about reducing its size next season. But if he’s going to keep looking outside the club rather than fall back on what’s inside, you can’t help but wonder if the future for some has already been determined. There are a lot of players – in the match squad tomorrow, watching from the sidelines or stuck in the treatment room – for whom the next few months are hugely important.

Jon McLaughlin keeps goal tomorrow in front of a weakened back four. If we can assume that Seip will partner Davies and that Threlfall will return at left back, what about the right side? Is this Mitchell’s big opportunity, or will the promising Andrew Burns play? Alternatively, O’Brien and Lee Bullock were deployed at right back with limited success last season, or the latter could come in at centre back where he has impressed. That particular piece of insight, however, may have departed with Peter Jackson last August.

In midfield Ravenhill and Ritchie Jones are building a formidable central partnership, with the pair wonderfully complimenting each other in terms of the attacking and defensive side of the game. It will be interesting to see if Syers can break this partnership up when he returns from suspension next week. Craig Fagan will continue on the right, with Haworth – who looked promising last week before tiring – on the left.

Up front, the arrival of Deane Smalley from Oxford has sparked a flurry of differing opinions from City fans. Having failed to sign Paul Benson in November and with a six-figure budget to sign a forward apparently still available, Smalley’s modest goalscoring record can be viewed as underwhelming. However, the way James Hanson and Nakhi Wells have struck up such a strong understanding since the Benson transfer fell through suggests a change of transfer priorities. Adding the back up support of Smalley looks a good bit of business, and instead Parkinson can either use the money elsewhere or save it until the summer.

Hanson and Wells should continue for now, though it is disappointing for Stewart and Ross Hannah that Smalley will automatically become third choice striker ahead of them.

Injuries present a ready-made excuse for a difficult afternoon against a Burton side currently sat on the edge of the play offs. Though the fact they have lost three consecutive matches and won only once in seven means they are a team which City should be aiming to defeat. A 6 foot 7 inch hole is a problem for sure, but Parkinson will be looking for new faces and/or fringe players to fill it and fill it well.

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The Midweek Player Focus #2: Craig Fagan

10 Jan

Jack Compton was the talk of the half time Gents queue at Vicarage Road on Saturday. 2-1 down and with the rest of the Bradford City team struggling to provide sufficient service to the front two, the decision by Phil Parkinson not to offer the on-loan Falkirk winger the deal he wanted – though Compton has hinted via Twitter he may yet re-sign for the club – is argued by some to be a major mistake. The pre-match plan to test Watford’s rookie goalkeeper Jonathan Bond by launching testing crosses into the box was failing to come to fruition. Questions were being asked of City’s two wide players.

Craig Fagan – playing on the right – has in recent weeks become an increasing source of frustration to us supporters. I include myself in that group: the number of occasions that he’s received possession in a decent area and failed to make the most of it has become irritatingly frequent. Fagan is undoubtedly the club’s best-known player outside of Valley Parade and has a pedigree that commands above average expectations. His first few months have seen him struggle to live up to them.

When he was signed by Parkinson, barely a fortnight after taking over as manager, it looked like a major coup for the club (indeed, at the time the official website described it as a “sensational swoop”). Here was a player who only 18 months earlier was playing Premier League football for Hull City. He had first come to our attention back in 2005 when impressing for Parkinson’s Colchester United. Soon after he moved on and become a well-known Championship player, first with Hull and then Derby. A return to East Yorkshire in 2008 saw him play a sizeable role in Hull’s two-year Premier League adventure.

Only a bad injury curtailed his career in the top two divisions when he was released this summer. But still when he rocked up at Valley Parade the suspicion was that – as soon as he rediscovered his fitness and form – Fagan would shortly return to bigger and better things elsewhere.

The initial signs were certainly promising. Fagan’s full debut at Burton saw him lead the line superbly alongside James Hanson. A week later, the 29-year-old netted his first goal with the winner against Torquay; a match that saw the Bantams reduced to 10 men with 70 minutes to play and Fagan deployed on his own up front. When in the following home game Fagan netted an important penalty to defeat Northampton, the one-year deal seemed an extremely promising arrangement for club and player.

However, instead of further improving from the added sharpness of playing each week, form began to dip. The 1-0 defeat at Macclesfield that followed the Northampton victory was the first time Fagan genuinely disappointed. Rather than making his presence felt, Fagan the striker became increasingly quiet. Perhaps it was because he has never been a great goalscorer – just 48 in 294 career games to date – but it became increasingly apparent that Parkinson needed someone more prolific to spearhead his attack.

So Fagan was moved to the wide right position, and though he wasn’t brilliant against Watford – Championship opposition who we might have expected him to look at home competing against – he has previously performed effectively in this new role. In particular, the two home games over Christmas saw Fagan make a key contribution during the consecutive victories. His quality is evident in his first touch and composure on the ball.

It’s important to note that Fagan does not appear to have been asked to play as an out-and-out-winger. He does not possess the pace or the dribbling ability of Compton or Kyel Reid. Instead, he is performing as a wide central midfielder, with the aim of acting as an extra body in the centre of the park when City don’t have the ball – so that the two central midfielders are not out-gunned. When the Bantams are in possession, Fagan is required to take up good positions and to whip the ball into the box. The success of achieving this comes from finding sufficient space, and also from how effective his team mates prove at finding him.

Chris Mitchell was asked to play this role at the start of the season, while Ritchie Jones was also tried out during October. It is a big change from the traditional tactics of City playing two out-and-out wingers, which over recent years has proven limited in its success – particularly at home. Fagan would appear to be the ideal person to perform this role, but won’t always receive thanks for it.

For this wide midfield position is one which is rarely appreciated in the stands, well-versed in seeing wingers take on their full back and whip the ball into the box quickly. Dean Windass was the first player I personally witnessed in this wide midfield position – back in the early days of the Premier League. Paul Jewell seemed to be trying to ensure City weren’t hammered in the first few games by remaining compact in the middle, but as Windass struggled to impress as a wide right midfielder it appeared his days at the club were numbered.

A struggle to impress Fagan may be able to relate to. He is performing a successful role in the team that – by and large – will be valued by his manager and team-mates. But if his ambition is still to play higher up the divisions than League Two, it is dubious whether he will be able to make enough of an impact to get himself in the shop window when his deal runs out in the summer. If Fagan is happy performing at this club and willing to continue rebuilding his career here, it might not matter. But with Parkinson still searching for another forward to compete with Hanson, Nakhi Wells and Ross Hannah, it appears as though the days of Fagan the Bradford City striker are numbered.

Ultimately, the task for Parkinson in filling the hole vacated by Compton until Reid returns from injury has nothing to do with Fagan and the type of role he plays. But if the supply line from the left winger spot – currently occupied by Charlie Taylor, who is struggling to convince – continues to dry up, the spotlight will remain intense upon Fagan and his relative value to the team.

Wherever Fagan sees his long-term future, Parkinson’s objectives for him at City during the second half of the season should be clear. Fagan’s quality is not in doubt, and on his day there should be few League Two players who can match what he is capable of. So how can Parkinson ensure Fagan brings even more to the role he is performing on the right, for the greater good of the team? And in what way could Fagan be entrusted with greater responsibility to go with the captain’s armband that he’s been wearing recently?

Fagan is too good a player to go about his business quietly, attracting few headlines. As the team hopefully continues to progress over the coming weeks, more will be needed from him in order to take City onto the next stage.

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Compton returns North as City travel South to face Rotherham

2 Jan

Rotherham United v Bradford City

@The Don Valley Stadium on January 2, 2012

Jack Compton has seemingly played his last game for Bradford City after manager Phil Parkinson elected not to offer him a permanent contract; while Liam Moore has returned to Leicester. With Leeds United left back/left winger Charlie Taylor joining the Bantams within hours of the transfer window opening, a month expected to herald plenty of change has begun at a frantic pace.

23-year-old Compton, who has started 15 times and made six substitute appearances since joining on loan from Falkirk in the summer, was according to BBC Radio Leeds’ Derm Tanner unwilling to consider a further loan deal with the club. Given he is not in Bairn manager Steve Pressley’s long-term plans back in Scotland, Compton will be on the look out for a move elsewhere and Sheffield Wednesday were previously linked with him.

His time at Valley Parade will have done him no harm on that front. Initially struggling but in good company during the club’s first few league games, Compton made a quick and lasting impression by scoring for City against Leeds in the Carling Cup. He soon after found some promising form and was unfortunate to lose his place when Parkinson came in as manager, signing Kyel Reid on his first day.

Compton was something of a bit part player in September and October, but he always performed well when called upon and enjoyed arguably his best game for the Bantams in the JPT victory over Sheffield United in November. A week later his superb run and cross enabled Chris Mitchell to score against Rotherham – but when he was set to be dropped the following week after fading in that same game, he took it badly and Parkinson elected not to let him travel with the team to Gillingham.

That episode hinted strongly of a fractious relationship between the player and manager, something which Compton has alluded to on a few occasions via his Twitter account. He is clearly not someone who can hide his frustration at been left out of the starting line up or getting substituted. Yet while there is no doubt he has made a tremendous impact at times and proved a valuable player, Compton has struggled to provide consistent 90-minute performances and can often fade out of games.

Rightly or wrongly, Compton does not seem to feature in Parkinson’s long-term plans. So although in the short-term City are undoubtedly worse off and likely to miss him over the coming weeks, it doesn’t justify offering Compton an 18-month contract in order to persuade him to stay. Taylor – who made his Leeds debut against the Bantams in that aforementioned cup tie – comes straight into contention to replace him on the left flank, with the forgotten Luke O’Brien also an option.

This changeover in personnel is the first of what could be several more during the January transfer window. Despite the recent upturn in form, Parkinson has made no secret of his determination to press ahead with bolstering a squad which – overall during the first half of the season – has clearly underperformed. Yet with the City ‘machine’ firmly up and running, signs of disruption to results and performances could quickly see Parkinson come in for criticism. How many times have there been complaints about a City manager changing a winning team? Over the next four weeks, Parkinson looks set to be doing just that; though long-term improvement is, of course, the ultimate aim.

For now the machine continues minus Compton for the trip to Yorkshire rivals Rotherham United – the last League Two side to beat the Bantams, when Michael Flynn gave us that late hope and then triggered utter despair following his two stoppage time penalties. Selection changes beyond just Compton’s position are likely, as Parkinson aims to make the most of a sizeable squad. Jon McLaughlin will keep goal with centre backs Andrew Davies and Luke Oliver certain starters, but the full back positions may be an area where players are rested.

Simon Ramsden is still returning to full speed, though following a series of accomplished displays you wouldn’t know it. Marcel Seip could also make way for Taylor or the fit again Robbie Threlfall, who made a stoppage time cameo from the bench on Saturday. Other than the immensely promising Andrew Burns, Parkinson is without a natural right back to enable Ramsden to have a breather.

In midfield City’s decision to contest David Syers’ red card on Saturday means he is eligible to play again until his appeal is heard. However, it would be fair to assume that two games in three days is too much of an ask following his lengthy lay off, and that Ricky Ravenhill will be reinstated into the team following his one-match suspension. Ritchie Jones has enjoyed two superb displays that played a big part in the club’s back-to-back Christmas home wins, and will continue in the centre next to Craig Fagan on the right.

Up front, the James Hanson/Nahki Wells partnership enjoyed another fruitful afternoon on Saturday; though Ross Hannah could earn a recall over the Bermudan international to keep it fresh. Hannah was desperately unlucky on Saturday that – minutes after coming on a sub – the game was changed by Syers’ red card and he was no longer the most suitable person to toil up front; thus being substituted himself near the end. As it stands, he is third choice striker and needs to make a quick impact in order to avoid being pushed further down the pecking order when the new forward arrives.

This will be the last time City play at the bizarre and always bitterly cold Don Valley Stadium, with Rotherham set to move back into their home town and to a new ground during the summer. From O’Brien’s first ever goal for City back in 2008, Rhys Evans’ Gordon Banks-esqe save during the same game, James Hanson’s stoppage time header in 2011 and last season’s hard-thought 0-0 in the middle of a difficult run of form, the Don Valley and its running track have featured happy memories for City.

At the start of a month of sizable change, completing an unbeaten record at the Don Valley will be a very welcome way of maintaining the status quo.

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City find beauty in the ugly to record third straight win

1 Jan

Bradford City 3

Hanson 24, Wells 30, Fagan 49

Shrewsbury Town 1

Morgan 78

December 31, 2011

This time it feels different. Numerous false dawns – both during the first half of this season and over recent years – have instilled a wariness in getting carried away. But as Bradford City overpowered high-flying Shrewsbury Town to earn a third consecutive victory, it was difficult to avoid concluding that something  seems to have clicked.

The league table suggested this should have been a difficult game. The absence of two key players from the Boxing Day triumph posed questions over the team’s ability to continue in the same manner. Yet by full time such doubts and fears were replaced by optimism about the year ahead. These three straight wins have doubled the number of league victories City have achieved all season. It’s all coming together, finally.

There was so much to admire about the way in which the Bantams maintained their improved form in the defeat of Shrewsbury. Let’s be frank, the style and manner in which City are currently playing is hardly aesthetically elegant. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a City side produce such a level of direct football as has been seen over the last couple of games in particular. It is a high tempo, get-the-ball-up-the-pitch-and-chase-it-down style of play. Opposition players are not allowed time and space to settle on the ball. Challenges to win the possession are strong but fair.

We have become an ugly side, but one which is performing the ugly things beautifully.

It is, surprisingly perhaps, wonderful to watch. Straight from kick off again, City chased and harried – setting the tempo of the game to one that Shrewsbury quickly appeared uncomfortable living at. Your mind flicks back to countless afternoons where the Bantams have begun games slowly and then struggled to exert serious pressure to win the game later on.

Instead the ball is now sent forwards much earlier, with James Hanson once again leading the line in outstanding fashion and Nakhi Wells alongside making intelligent off-the-ball runs. Wingers Jack Compton and Craig Fagan both got forward with urgency, and the drive of David Syers alongside Ritchie Jones quickly proved to be another effective combination in the centre. Fagan and Syers had early chances to put City ahead, as a pattern quickly emerged which would set the tone for most of the game.

It took 24 minutes for City to get in front, after Compton’s corner was met well by Andrew Davies, who’s flick on found Wells to head an effort that was saved by goalkeeper Chris Neal.  However, Hanson was on hand to head home the rebound. Six minutes later, City hit Shrewsbury on the counter attack with Syers’ terrific low through ball proving perfect for Wells to run onto. With just Neal to beat, he gave the keeper the eyes before chipping a delicate shot over his head and into the corner for 2-0. Far from proving a daunting afternoon, it seemed as though the game might already be over.

To the players’ credit, the high workrate and energy did not recede even then. Shrewsbury players continued to be pressured on the ball, prompting numerous personal mistakes or possession to be squandered – this from a side which had been defeated only once in 11 games. City supporters, again in fine voice, lapped it up and roared their encouragement and approval for the style and effort on display. It is a long way removed from the crisp passing football that manager Phil Parkinson seemed to be installing during his first few games in charge, but it is working.

A strong second half response from Shrewsbury seemed inevitable, yet three minutes after the restart Fagan had made it 3-0 after Compton’s clever run into the box and shot resulted in a weak punch away from Neal that sat up nicely for a first time volley. Fagan didn’t catch it brilliantly, but it squirmed underneath Neal and over the line. Having been relatively quiet in recent weeks, this was undoubtedly Fagan’s best game for sometime as he evidenced his higher level pedigree.

It might have been four or five-nil by the end, with Wells finding the side netting with an effort and Syers shooting narrowly wide. But the flow of the game began to change as Shrewsbury came more into it. Then referee Dean Mohareb took centre stage with a series of controversial decisions, which threatened to change the outcome of the match itself.

First Syers saw his first start since the Leeds Carling Cup defeat in August ended by a dubious red card. With Shrewsbury exerting pressure inside the final third, the young midfielder’s attempt to clear a ball by sliding in was deemed punishable by an early bath. There is no doubt, after seeing TV replays, that Syers won the ball cleanly before his momentum took him into tripping Nicky Wroe. The Shrewsbury midfielder’s reaction in rolling around the floor did Syers no favours, but the quickness that Mohareb pulled out his red ensured it seemed a hasty decision.

There were huge similarities to Davies’ sending off against Torquay earlier in the season: a successful tackle attempt which was deemed illegal, because both feet were off the ground. Perhaps Syers’ challenge was a foul in the current climate, but – given he and Wroe were contesting a 50-50 ball – it did not seem worthy of a sending off.

Lee Bullock – also absent through injury since August – was brought on from the bench to shore up midfield, and for the final 20 minutes City defended deep and showed admirable organisational skills in denying Shrewsbury an opening. The visitors had plenty of possession and tried to find space to manufacture a chance, but were denied time and time again. When they did eventually get through, Luke Oliver was in colossal form and seemed to tackle or block every opposition player who made it into the penalty area with the ball.

With 12 minutes to go, however, Shrewsbury pulled a goal back through Marvin Morgan after Mohareb and his officials failed to spot at least two handballs from the striker, as he attempted to control a high cross before bundling home. More so than Syers’ red card, it was a dismally poor decision to allow the goal to stand and home protests were strong. Tellingly, Morgan’s demeanour during the rest of the game was that of a man embarrassed to have got away with it. Another goal from Shrewsbury at that stage would have triggered a frantic final stages, but despite a poor attempt from Terry Gornell to win a penalty by diving inside the box – triggering yet more fury from City’s players and a yellow card from Mohareb – the game was seen out relatively comfortably.

For the second match in a row, the opposition manager, Graham Turner, commented about his side’s struggle to live with City’s style of play. Midway through the first half, Parkinson was the subject of a home supporters’ chant of support – the first time his name has been sung since the honeymoon period of his first few games – which suggests his tactics are finding favour. Previous comparisons to Peter Taylor’s methods do Parkinson a disservice. Both managers played in a direct way for sure, but Taylor’s tactics prioritised keeping men behind the ball and slowing down the tempo. Parkinson’s City are gung ho in how they get forward and uncompromising to the opposition in the speed at which they want to play.

They are becoming not just a team of footballers, but a machine. That taking out Kyel Reid and Ricky Ravenhill presented few difficulties is evidence of how organised they are becoming. This is the start of a new dawn, and -unlike all those false ones before -I swear the light seems very real this time.

City: McLaughlin, Ramsden, Oliver, Davies, Seip, Fagan, Jones, Syers, Compton (Bullock 74), Hanson, Wells (Hannah 69, Threlfall 90)

Subs not used: Duke, Bryan

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City face Shrewsbury aiming to maintain feel good factor

30 Dec

Bradford City v Shrewsbury Town

@Valley Parade on December 31, 2011

If we are to discount the month of May – where traditionally only one or two matches are ever played – September 2009 was the last calendar month in which Bradford City stayed undefeated in the league. Avoid a loss to Shrewsbury tomorrow, and December will have seen that feat repeated. City are currently undefeated in four league matches, including the Gillingham draw at the end of November, and finally seem to be moving  slowly but surely in an upwards direction.

Monday’s impressive victory over Crewe did more than lift the Bantams to their joint-highest league position of the season, it reinstalled a feel good factor which has been present too infrequently during the first half of the campaign. Within Valley Parade on Boxing Day, there was a huge buzz emanating from everywhere but the corner housing the Crewe fans. The result obviously helped, but it was the manner in which the players went about their business and the high work-rate displayed which generated the outbreak of smiles across the near 11,000 home crowd, many sporting Santa hats given out by the club before kick off in return for a donation to the Burns Unit.

The challenge for the players tomorrow is not just to remain unbeaten, but to ensure the feel good factor is maintained. It could take only the smallest of set backs for doom and gloom to make an unwelcomed return and, having shown just what they are capable of, it would be more apparent and feel more frustrating if players allowed standards to drop again.

The backing that the team received against Crewe was outstanding, and it largely occurred because we reacted so positively to the energy and effort levels they showed. It’s often said that we City supporters will stick by a player who at least gives their all – although recent history is full of examples where that didn’t happen – and the team will hopefully have taken on board the lesson from Monday: that bravery and positivity will be rewarded with roars of encouragement. The players did their bit to ensure that, for once, playing in front of the division’s biggest crowd was the advantage it should be.

Shrewsbury are a different proposition to Crewe. Fourth in the league and very much on the coat-tails of the top three, Graham Turner’s men will be desperate to improve on last May’s play off semi final defeat to Guy Branston’s Torquay. En route to last season’s top seven finish, Shrewsbury’s extra quality was the telling factor when they defeated City 2-1 at Valley Parade in early March. The current league table suggests a gulf in class remains between the two clubs, which could give cause to write off the Bantams tomorrow. However, the recent victory at high-flying Southend offers reasons to remain hopeful.

The way in which City are taking the game to opponents has much to do with it. In keeping with a reoccurring theme of opposition managers failing to admit they deserved to lose at Valley Parade, Crewe boss Steve Davis complained that the referee didn’t provide enough protection to his players from the physicality of the Bantams, during their defeat. When James Hanson swept home the third goal, a swarm of Crewe players rushed to the official to complain about the way Luke Oliver had climbed over his marker. Since Phil Parkinson took over, City have undoubtedly become an uglier team – one not afraid to push certain aspects to the limit. After years of watching teams get promoted from League Two while playing in a similar manner, it’s difficult to feel upset over City’s more hard and physical approach.

With a trip to Rotherham following on Monday, Parkinson might be tempted to rotate his squad over the three-day period – but he is less likely to tinker with his backline. Jon McLaughlin has been flawless since his recall, while Andrew Davies and Oliver are becoming the most important part of the team. Simon Ramsden and Marcel Seip will probably retain full back spots, though three games in two days could prove a big ask of the former.

In midfield the injury to Kyel Reid and suspension for five yellow cards of Ricky Ravenhill presents two holes for Parkinson to fill. Jack Compton will get the nod on the flank, with Craig Fagan on the opposite side, but who partners Ritchie Jones in the middle is open to debate. Michael Flynn spent Christmas in hospital on a drip, so is surely ruled out of action. Is David Syers fit enough to be risked from the start so soon? Chris Mitchell is perhaps the more likely replacement for Ravenhill, with Jones sharing more of the defensive duties, but the door would appear to be slightly open for youngsters Luke Dean and Scott Brown too.

Up front, the blossoming partnership of Hanson and Nahki Wells should be continued for now, with Mark Stewart pushing for a first start since October after recovering from injury. Ross Hannah may also be available again. He and Wells are both showing clear signs of finding their feet at this level and – although it’s understandable Parkinson is set to persist with plans to sign a striker when the January window opens – it does seem a shame that the pair’s opportunities will subsequently become more limited.

Until the start of this month, it felt as though all of the joy we’ve experienced this season had come from the cups rather than the league. Don’t lose to Shrewsbury, and staying unbeaten in December will be a small triumph to celebrate at an important stage of the campaign. Whatever the outcome tomorrow, after Boxing Day the players know exactly what they need to do in order to retain the support of their crowd.

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