Written by Jason McKeown (images by John Dewhirst)

This was always going to happen at some point. Late on in the first half, after one too many sideways passes, groans turned to boos, and frustration boiled over into vocal dissent, with the Valley Parade faithful registering its dissatisfaction at Bradford City’s ponderous play.

It’s always dangerous to generalise a crowd reaction by attributing the boos to one single, unifying reason. Some say they booed because of the slow nature of City’s performance, others at the low level of risk on show from a team near the top of the league playing at home to a team near the bottom. But the fact the discontent spilled out during a moment of playing it out from the back was significant. For it showed that some fans are becoming disenchanted with Mark Hughes’ approach.

Up until this game, the murmurs of disapproval about City’s slow, patient passing style had been just that – murmurs. Internet white noise that forever exists in the background, put forward by those who are rarely satisfied. Most of us accept the ideals behind playing out from the back, do our best to support the philosophy, and perhaps bite our tongue on the odd occasion where it becomes slightly tedious. But it’s always been an issue hiding beneath the surface, waiting to come out on days like this.

Hughes for his own part was keen to defend his approach and address the crowd reaction after the match. “There was a little bit of anxiety but that’s understandable. Everyone should understand that’s how we play. Don’t get too panicked. We know what we’re doing. On occasions we will get it wrong. But there’s thoughts and processes behind it.” That’s true, and the manager is right to stick with a plan he and his coaching staff have spent months instilling, but it won’t win him any popularity contests this week. Especially as the playing out from the back approach contributed to a Crawley second half equaliser and two more dropped points.

And it puts his players in-between a rock and a hard place too. They must have also known this moment was coming. A few weeks back Harry Lewis talked about the challenge of playing the way the manager wanted whilst knowing that some supporters found it exasperating. “I can hear them shouting, ‘just kick it’, but that’s how the gaffer wants us to play – and I do as I’m told,” he said. And that’s the dilemma. The balance of doing the right thing by Hughes, and ignoring the grumbles in the crowd.

The boos posed a mental strength test for every player in claret and amber. Do you keep rolling the ball sideways, looking behind as much as in front for passing options, knowing that you’ll attract the ire of the crowd? These are the times where you truly find out what these players are made of, and whether they can handle the unique challenges of playing for a League Two club attracting Championship level attendances.

Not that Hughes would have been offering pats on the back at half time. The crowd reaction was the result of a first half performance where City were slow in tempo, too passive in taking control of a game against weaker opposition, and tentative in getting forwards. They created problems for themselves by looking pedestrian in the opposition half. They tapped gently – rather than knocked loudly – on the door of a Crawley side set up with two banks of four, who squeezed the space and found joy on the counter attack.

City lacked that usual solidity. There were gaps caused by Crawley goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe knocking the ball long to strikers Tom Nichols and Ashley Nadesan, who were given too much room by City centre backs Romoney Crichlow and Matty Platt. The backline sat too deep compared to central midfielders Richie Smallwood and Alex Gilliead. It gave Crawley a base camp to get players forward and launch attacks, whilst City took longer than usual to regain the ball.

And of course, in contrast to Balcombe, Lewis played it short to his defenders to start attacks. An approach that invites Crawley to press. City’s aim is to play through it and exploit the gaps left by Crawley as they come forward. But players like Tyreik Wright, Dion Pereira and especially Andy Cook were left too isolated. The fact the backline was so deep meant Smallwood and Gilliead dropped too far back to link up. They all just needed to operate a few yards higher up the pitch, a point that Hughes delivered to the team at the interval.

Maybe the match would have proved completely different had Cook not missed a sitter just two minutes in, when he was played through on goal by Harry Chapman. But at 0-0 and with the onus on City to come forward, their laboured approach made for a tough watch. “We will persevere with it, we know it works,” argued Hughes. But it’s clear that not everyone in the stands is convinced.   

Indeed, this was a game – and, for that matter, a week – where City were meant to kick on. The lure of back-to-back home games always invites the promise of six points that can catapult the Bantams up the league. It rarely works out that way, and Swindon’s late equaliser on Tuesday increased the pressure to beat Crawley, in what was on paper City’s easiest home game of the season so far.  

Instead, this tepid display only invites questions about City’s approach. The 4-2-3-1 set up is clearly effective on the road – the Bantams have the sixth best away record so far. But at home, it’s not working as well. The draw here means City’s Valley Parade record, after nine games, reads W3 D5 L1. The 11th best record in League Two. And if you want to invite an unfortunate comparison, this is the exact same home record that City had under Derek Adams after nine games last season.

Hughes rightly pointed out that City did improve significantly after half time. But even then, what are becoming familiar failings were on evidence. They started the half strongly and were rewarded on 55 minutes when Wright sent Pereira away and he lifted the ball over the onrushing Balcombe and into the back of the net for his first goal since returning on loan. It was a great moment for Pereira and follows his assist midweek, suggesting he’s getting back to his old self. Still, there is a way to go.

With that platform, you wanted to see City kick on but they didn’t. Once again, scoring a goal seemed to be followed by a switch off. Lewis made a terrific save to keep it at 1-0 and Crawley forced a few corners. Then came the equaliser, caused by playing it out from the back. Gilliead had possession and was being closed down, he turned and played the ball back, not realising that Nichols was behind him and was now through on goal. Gilliead had little choice but to bring him down on the edge of the box for a free kick. And James Tilley delivered a brilliant curling effort that flew past Lewis.

In the post match inquest, Hughes will ponder if the City wall had been set up well enough to prevent Tilley’s effort getting past them. On the Gilliead mistake, and fact it came from playing out from the back, Hughes stated, “We will make mistakes. We play in deeper areas. There are occasions where we will get it wrong. I believe it’s the right way to play. We get more benefit from it than negatives. And when we get it right, we open teams up.”

The goal brought City back to life and there’s no question they were the dominant force from there on. They attacked and attacked at the Kop end. In the first half the Bantams had five shots on goal to Crawley’s nine, and 61% possession. In the second half they produced 18 shots to Crawley’s five, and had 70% of the ball.

There were chances, perhaps the best falling to substitute Scott Banks who was played through but shot early when the ball was still slightly under his feet. But equally it never felt convincing enough to suggest City deserved the three points. Hughes added, “In the most part I was pleased with the performance.” Given his level headed approach since taking charge, these comments are understandable. But I’m not sure that, deep down, he will really feel this way.

This was the week where the positive mood has changed a little. And reading the various Bradford City related social media platforms over the weekend, there’s a new level to the grumbles that might be over the top, but risks sending us down a familiar route. Hughes was never going to be untouchably popular forever and criticisms will always come eventually. In 25 years supporting Bradford City, I’ve never seen any manager avoid it – and that includes those who have been long celebrated for their achievements in the Valley Parade dugout.

But that doesn’t mean the disgruntlement isn’t completely without foundation. Up until this week, all the indicators of Bradford City’s prospects have been positive. Great manager, strong squad, strength in depth, promising results, attractive football. Well now, on the dashboard we can see a yellow flashing light. One that warns us that it’s four home games without a win, one victory in the last seven (league and cup), and just three goals in the last six (league and cup).

Andy Cook has scored in just two of City’s nine home league games this season. His record has been superb this season, but there has to be serious thought given to sharing the workload out, rather than the growing over-reliance on him to score the goals. Teams know Cook is the dangerman and are working out how to stop him, especially visitors to Valley Parade. Cook has scored 10 league goals so far, and the rest squad combined have just 11. That’s a real problem.

Are two holding midfielders needed in every game, especially a home match like this? The idea of 4-2-3-1 is to give you that extra option in the middle of the park against teams playing 4-4-2. But Crawley weren’t the first team to successfully counter it. Smallwood looks a good player but too much is expected of him. Here, many overhit or badly directed long passes from the City skipper showed he is not the playmaker that Hughes is looking on him to be. Alongside him Gilliead looks much more effective compared to playing outwide, but he can play too deep.

Chapman is a player who can hold his head up high here. In that mental test of doing what is asked of you, even when the crowd is wanting you to do something different, Chapman showed bravery and never hides from the ball. The suspicion remains, however, that his best role is out wide rather than as a number 10. Pereira, for all his signs of improvement, has spells where he is too quiet and needs to follow Chapman’s example better.

There is a worry – which WOAP is hoping to explore in more detail this week – that the previously strong-looking squad is starting to look unbalanced, in terms of the opportunities some players continually get, and the lack of chances others are receiving. It’s human nature that, if your best efforts don’t even result in a place on the bench, your enthusiasm levels start to dip.

Are those currently in the team feeling a little too comfortable of their places, because others in the squad are no longer breathing down their necks? And again with Hughes, doesn’t he have options to change formation mid game rather than sticking with a 4-2-3-1 that wasn’t working brilliantly? Even in the closing stages he stuck with just one up front.

But before we talk ourselves into a crisis, we should really pause here. City are sixth in the league. They’ve only lost one of their last 12 League Two matches. They might be struggling to score enough goals, but defensively they have been largely excellent. Lewis had another superb game here. Crichlow and Platt are a strong partnership. Matty Foulds gets better with every game – Liam Ridehalgh surely isn’t getting near the starting XI when he recovers from injury. A special mention to Brad Halliday too, who recovered from his Tuesday struggles to put in an excellent shift here.

I think, more than anything, this has been the week where City have not looked like the automatic promotion contenders we were hoping they would prove to be. That the ability and level of performances shown by this team is more play off finish level. Perhaps not even quite that. And it’s always disappointing to downgrade your expectation levels, even if only for a short time. Especially as it leads to soul searching questions that come out as criticisms of those involved.

And boos.

But, nailing colours to the mast, I’m right behind what Hughes is trying to do. It’s not perfect and I’d like to think he’s seeing that too. There have to be questions about whether the formation and starting XI is growing a little stale. But with 600+ games as a manager, Hughes will know that too. He’s used other recent cup games as a chance to experiment slightly, and you’d like to think he’ll use next weekend’s FA Cup game with Harrogate as a chance to freshen things up.

But I really like the intent to play good football. I like us playing out from the back. We’ve got players who can clearly do it very well, and when they’re on form it’s really good to watch. I’ve grown really tired of negative managers like Gary Bowyer and Derek Adams treat the City job as one where avoiding getting beaten is the priority. I want to turn up at Valley Parade feeling confident of being entertained, watching good players express themselves.

It hasn’t worked as well of late, no question, but that doesn’t mean it’s wrong. I agree that at times we should be more direct and not be afraid to mix it up. But I like the technical approach we’re trying to implement, and it feels like it will in time fully click and make City unstoppable.

So I hope the players carry on playing it out from the back. I hope Lewis continues to display footballing skills you don’t associate with a goalkeeper, especially at this level. I hope every member of the City squad follows the manager’s lead in maintaining a level head. Because however bumpy the road has felt over the last few days, this still looks to be the right path.

Categories: Match Reviews

Tags: 2021/22, BCAFC, Crawley Town, League Two