Words and images by Jason Mckeown

It is as it was. For all the close season tactical changes, and for all the attempts to improve the squad, right now Mark Hughes’ Bradford City continue to operate on the precipice between marvellous and middling.

At Edgley Park here, the Bantams both impressed and frustrated. Periods of quality passing football and effective attacking intent, held back by spells of caution and defensive fragility. The feeling, that City are not that far away from fully developing into a very good League Two side, hung in the warm August air. But it’s an impression the team have projected for more than a year now. For some reason, that next level remains just out of reach.

It all leaves you with reasons to be upbeat about the future, and yet reasons to be concerned. A display against Stockport that was good in patches, troubling at other periods. You didn’t need to be here to know what this performance was like. This was a cut and paste copy of so many Bradford City showings of the Hughes era. The questions remain the same – is it small, but bridgeable, margins that hold this team back? Or are City ultimately just not quite good enough, ability-wise and tactically?

Collecting a point away at Stockport – many pundits’ tip for the League Two title – is certainly not a bad result. The home side might have had a difficult start to the season, but proved last year that, when they get going, they are difficult force to stop. This was the season’s first genuine yardstick measurement of City’s own promotion prospects, and they stood up pretty well to a robust, physical and powerful Stockport side. The Bantams matched their well-fancied hosts, and a draw was the least they deserved.

But when you lead for such a long period of the game – and in the closing stages spurn two huge chances – the conclusion this was two points lost is difficult to avoid. It was within City’s grasp to win this and make a real statement of intent. Yet equally, they could have lost. It was both a lucky and an unlucky draw.

Let’s start with the positives that were evident. When this City side shake off the shackles – and their inhibitions – they’re a good watch. They had good spells of possession where they took control of the ball – and kept adjusting the tempo. Slow, methodical passing in the middle of the park, suddenly speeding up as they get into the final third and attempt to play through blue shirts. Richie Smallwood had the sort of game that underlines the high faith Hughes instils in his captain. Alex Pattison is full of clever on and off the ball running. A clear purpose to his game.

Hughes is trying to make City more adventurous. The introduction of a higher press this season makes the Bantams more front-foot and quick to get on the attack. And anyone unclear of its benefits need only watch a replay of City’s goal. Stockport played it out from the back, Smallwood pounced and won the ball high up the pitch, setting up Andy Cook who produced a wonderful assist for Pattison to tap home his third goal in three games. What a great signing the midfielder is proving already. Exactly what City needed from midfield.

At that stage early in the second half, after a cagey opening 45 minutes that saw both sides trade soft blows, the game was there for City to seize. A few moments later, Tyler Smith – making his full debut – had a good chance to make it 2-0. The Stockport keeper Ben Hinchliffe saved well. But his side were briefly on the ropes.

It’s here that the negatives come in for City. They sat back, as they so often do under Hughes, after taking the lead. They collectively retreated down the pitch, attempting to hold a compact shape that is difficult to play through. They stopped being tidy with the ball when they had it. And they no longer pressed as a unit.

Having started the game with a 3-4-3, Hughes had already switched things up to a 3-4-1-2 with Clarke Oduor playing as a number 10. Operating in a more congested part of the pitch did not really suit Oduor and he drifted out of the game. The 3-4-1-2 had curbed some of Stockport’s counter attacking success in the first half, but had reduced some of City’s own attacking intent. Now in a position of defending a lead, the 3-4-1-2 just didn’t give City the chance to have a greater foothold. Throughout his time in the Bantams dugout, Hughes has clearly been trying to get his team to control matches through shape and possession. But successfully achieving it continues to allude him.  

City’s cautious retreat handed Stockport the ascendancy, just when they were in a really tough spot. Two league defeats from two, and now 1-0 down. This could have been the moment a bustling Edgley Park crowd turned on their team and manager. Where doubt gave way to implosion. But City let them off the hook. They failed to grasp the momentum. And invited wave after wave of Stockport attack.

For some 30 minutes, Stockport knocked and knocked on the door. The Cheadle End got louder and louder. Some great chances were spurned, several corners were racked up. The pressure didn’t go away, and a side in a difficult place ultimately came together on the field and in the stands to recover. Isaac Olaofe got the equaliser from a rebound, after Harry Lewis made a very good initial save.

Between Pattison’s goal in the 47th minute, and Olaofe’s leveller, Stockport had 72% of possession, forced six corners to City’s zero, and had seven shots to the visitors’ two. Before opening the scoring, City had enjoyed more possession, more shots on goal and more corners. They were shading the stats at least, only to stop doing some of the things that were working and retreat into a defensive shell. We do not learn our lessons.

It’s a funny one, because City actually defended reasonably well as a collective. As Stockport repeatedly flung the ball into the box, City bodies made crucial blocks and last ditch headers that for a time preserved their lead. But it is a backline that looks shaky. Individual players’ shortcomings exposed during the high press at 0-0 especially, as Stockport counter attacked with menace, getting in behind a back three and wing backs that painfully lack pace.

Left wing back remains a clear issue. In the last two games, Alex Gilliead has filled in. But here, the 27-year-old showed that he is not the long-term answer to such a key position in this new-look formation. Gilliead is good in possession and bringing the ball forward, but continually was caught out defensively by long passes aimed behind him, and Stockport wide players running with the ball. He got a yellow card for an early lunge and was taken off at half time. Whilst Liam Ridehalgh – who replaced Gilliead – is also not the ultimate solution, City were better for having someone with greater defensive awareness.

With Ciaran Kelly playing as the left sided central defender, City have a problem on this side. Kelly is still finding his feet in English football – this was only his fourth ever start at this level – and has shown signs of his potential to become a good player at this club. But right now, Kelly is making a lot of mistakes and getting caught out. It’s all adding to the problems on the left side of City’s backline.

The rewards for persisting with Kelly are a player growing in stature, who can play a big part. But right now he needs a wise, defensively reliable left wing back alongside him, to provide extra cover. Reluctantly, Ridehalgh is probably going to have to play this role for now – even though he doesn’t offer enough going forward for the team to function effectively as an attacking unit. Perhaps one of Hughes’ biggest mistakes over the last few months was letting Matty Foulds leave. The manager has to bring in a specialist left wing back between now and the closing of the transfer window.

Hughes will also be wrestling with what to do about his striker options. Cook’s brilliant assist aside, this was not a good night for City’s number nine. Barely a minute after Stockport’s equaliser, the Bantams won a penalty giving Cook the opportunity from 12 yards to get off the mark for the season. His penalty effort wasn’t dreadful, but did look easy to read. Hinchcliffe got down well to save it.

Then, deep in stoppage time, sub Emmanuel Osadebe pressed and won possession, and suddenly Cook was completely through on goal with no one near him. Heavy, unconfident touches followed, and Hinchliffe was able to get out and smoother the ball from Cook’s feet. This was a very un-Andy Cook attempt at goal. Suddenly, there are evident signs of a confidence dip.

There’s a lot being said about Cook after this game and some supporter comments leave you shaking your head. In the immediate aftermath of Cook’s second miss, in the Edgley Park away end, two people behind me stood up screaming that Cook should “f**k off” out of the club. Outside, as we trooped home at full time, another fan was yelling how Cook must be dropped because he has done nothing all season. How short memories can be.

More importantly, at full time City fans chanted Cook’s name in support. And that is surely the better route to go down. We know from previous comments from Hughes that Cook is a confidence player. Prone to self doubt and worry. I doubt he slept a wink on Tuesday night, as he replayed the misses in his head. Cook is in a tough spot and genuinely needs the support of City fans. We can destroy his confidence further if you like, or we can rally behind a player who got 31 goals last season.

But here’s the problem for Hughes, City and even for Cook – there’s not a lot else call upon.

If it comes to it, who are you dropping Cook for? Is Matty Derbyshire the answer? I don’t see it myself. Tyler Smith is the only other fit forward at the club. There are elements to like about Smith’s game, but personally I think he needs to work a lot harder out of possession. He’s not reading Cook’s flick ons, or pressing as well as others. Over the years, we’ve seen better players than Smith develop good careers because of their willingness to chase lost causes and play effectively off other forwards. If Smith can unlock that part of his game, he can be a really good player for us. He could do a lot worse than watch old DVDs of how Nahki Wells operated at Valley Parade.

I think this striker situation might be harmful to Cook more than anyone. Go back 12 months to the summer of 2022. Cook had just come off the back of a very average season and lost his starting place. Vadaine Oliver was signed from Gillingham, and the exit door was seemingly open for Cook if he didn’t want to stay and fight for his place.

There’s no doubt the situation fired Cook up. It gave him an edge. Something to prove. And drove him onto produce some remarkable goalscoring feats. That motivation to regain and keep his starting spot got the best out of Cook. In September 2022, Cook reflected on his improved form and his underperformance of the season before. “Last year we didn’t have as good a competition for places…If you’re underperforming and there’s nobody to take your place, then you’re (still) going to play.”

Flash forward to now, and does Cook face that same level of competition for places? I don’t think he does. And that three year contract he signed last May – as richly deserved as it was – perhaps takes away some of his edge. I’m not saying life has got too comfortable for Cook, but perhaps the fight or flight emotions he was harnessing so effectively a year ago are no longer there to fuel him.

Whatever is going on, it’s a situation that needs a positive solution for City’s prospects. Cook clearly needs a goal, quickly, and hopefully it will come at the weekend to get him up and running. But even if Cook gets going again, City are clearly lacking in forward options – especially with Oliver still injured. It’s something that could really hurt them over the campaign. One more injury here, and we are in trouble.

That all leaves City relying greatly on what remaining transfer business can be done before the window closes. It looks like Premier League or Championship loanees will be the answer – can City unearth the diamonds in the rough that can elevate the squad? A left wing back, a striker and – if we’re being greedy – a wide player could make all the difference.

This draw here, after Saturday’s win over Colchester, show it’s been a good response from the surprise opening day defeat to Crawley (who by the way are now seven points from nine). And there was certainly nothing here to suggest City won’t be pushing for promotion again this season. But if they can’t move away from poor in-game management when holding a lead, and an over-reliance on one or two players to score the goals, their limitations will continue to hold them back.

It brings us full circle to that persistent feeling that Hughes’ City are on the brink of getting it right, but still keep coming up short. We’ve spent more than a year waiting for Hughes to get all the pieces into place and for City to fully click. Unfortunately, we’re still waiting.  

Categories: Match Reviews

Tags: 2023/24, BCAFC, League Two, Stockport County