Chesterfield vs Bradford City preview

@Proact Stadium on Saturday 13 April, 2013

By Joe Cockburn

The play off picture could really take shape this weekend, as Bradford City travel to fellow late contenders Chesterfield.

Both clubs also sit joint top of the form table, taking 13 points from a maximum of 18. City can take heart, however, as another of the four teams on 13 from 18 is Bristol Rovers – demonstrating that the Bantams are capable of beating anyone.

Staying with form, and City look the most likely winner. Three wins on the bounce and just one loss since Wembley is impressive. Chesterfield, on the other hand, have lost two of their last six at home, so are prone to a slip up.

Everything points towards an away win, or at least a draw. But, obviously, us City fans know it is never that simple.

However, we clearly live in hope and expectation. Three batches of away tickets have been snapped up, and 3,200 Bantams are expected to make the trip into Derbyshire. They could be instrumental in driving the visitors to what would be a crucial three points.

A result would likely see Chesterfield out of the equation. Should Rotherham also triumph over Fleetwood 25 miles up the M1, that would see the Millers out of reach of the Spireites, leaving just Exeter in contention. The Devon club face a tough trip to Wimbledon, and should they fail to win there, City would have a chance to put a real foothold on a play off spot, Exeter having played a game more than City.

As a result, wins against Chesterfield and Rotherham could secure the Bantams’ play off position, making Saturday even more important than it is on the face of it.

In terms of the team line up, it seems Phil Parkinson has found his best XI, and with just four games remaining, I don’t think fatigue and rest come into it. You play for the last four games, you get your break soon enough.

It was good to see Parkinson able to use his substitutes to that effect on Tuesday. Gary Jones and Garry Thompson, who both can be forgiven for looking leggy in the latter stages of the recent games, were both taken off with 15 minutes to go, simply to give them the rest that they truly deserve.

Perhaps one change he might consider making would be in the centre of defence. Rory McArdle, while being undoubtedly excellent throughout the season, has struggled slightly lately, making an increasing amount of mistakes. While being small, at least two have been costly on Tuesday, and Jon McLaughlin bailed him out twice. I think they can be forgiven, but maybe a bit of a break may do him good. At this stage of the season, we cannot afford to be making those mistakes.

Michael Nelson has impressed me since joining. While I criticised the signing, I think it has been clear that it was the correct decision. With injuries and such meaning defenders have been at a premium, so to have such an experienced campaigner at hand has been a luxury other teams just don’t have. I think it would be a good idea to play him from the start at Chesterfield.

As I noted not so long back, in an article on my own blog, keeper Jon McLaughlin has proved that when given a string of starts, he will pay dividends. He made one outstanding save against Northampton, and he pulled off two more against Bristol Rovers. He looks really solid, and at this moment, one who you would want behind your main line of defence.

As has been noted numerous times, I think it is important not to forget the impact James Meredith’s return has had on not just the team, but especially Kyel Reid. It has been a breath of fresh air seeing those two back on form on the left wing, and Reid looks back in full flow after his recent excellent home performances.

In terms of the attack, it would be a surprise if anything changed. They have been performing well going forward and, on Tuesday, we finally managed to turn some of those chances into goals.

One I think has gone slightly unnoticed is Ricky Ravenhill. He has been excellent since coming in for Nathan Doyle last month, and that has also had a positive effect on the team. Ravenhill sitting deep and comfortably holding the midfield together allows not only Thompson and Reid to get forward, but Gary Jones, who as we know from his time at Rochdale is at his best when on the attack. Ravenhill has ultimately made us a much better team, both on the attack and in defence.

Having said that, just a quick note to say that, although it was obviously an easy game to come into, Nathan Doyle looked near his best in his 20-minute cameo against Rovers on Tuesday.

Going back to my early point about form, we haven’t lost in our last five games. The four teams above us, all of whom we can realistically catch, have lost at least two of their last five.

Is third place too much to ask?

Categories: Match Previews

Tags: 2012/13, Chestefield, Jon McLaughlin, Kyel Reid, League Two, Michael Nelson, Nathan Doyle, Ricky Ravenhill, Rory McArdle