By Jason McKeown

Look away now if you’re Mark Hughes, but it seems Graham Alexander might have unlocked a way to get a tune out of these Bradford City players – and he’s succeeding through a return of a familiar idea.

3-5-2. Three. Five. Effing Two. That early season formation which caused so much anger, frustration and scorn. The tactical approach that Hughes was loudly ordered to move away from by an angry Valley Parade crowd. It’s back. It’s regenerated. And it’s….looking pretty good.

Here, in Bradford City’s final Football League Trophy group game, Alexander continued with Saturday’s Meadow Lane half time reshuffle formation, with further encouraging results. This was a scoreline and performance that requires plenty of asterisks – the visitors, Barnsley, were significantly under-strength, and neither team had a great deal to play for – but even allowing for the favourable circumstances, the Bantams greatly impressed.

Alexander has talked about giving every player he inherited a chance, and so logically you expected the new City boss to pick a more experimental line up here, with so little at stake. But instead, he went nearly full strength. This was a team that it doesn’t take a huge leap of imagination to picture starting against Accrington Stanley. More realistically, back up goalkeeper Colin Doyle will resume bench duties, Harry Chapman doesn’t look fully fit to start league games, Clarke Oduor has stiff competition and there are big question marks over Ash Taylor.

Still, the other seven starters here are likely to get the nod again on Saturday.

It meant that this was less of an evening trying out new things, more finessing and practicing an approach that is almost certain to be repeated on Saturday. That is 3-5-2, and a system that meets Alexander’s desires to play two up front – without leaving midfield exposed and too easily outgunned. RIP 4-4-2, and hello again 3-5-2.

Over the last one and a half games of playing this way, City have now scored seven goals and registered 30 attempts at goal. They began this night with the right intent, taking the lead after barely a minute when Chapman sent over a delightful cross from deep that Matty Platt headed home. This was Platt’s 66th appearance for the Bantams and – at last – he has a goal to his name.

It didn’t take long for the home side to double their lead with a goalscorer perhaps even more significant in the grand scheme of City’s prospects this season. Given Andy Cook’s fitness and form concerns, it seemed a strange decision to start him in this dead rubber. But it really did prove an inspired decision. Oduor found space and sent Cook away, and last season’s League Two golden boot winner finished well. This was Cook’s first goal from open play at Valley Parade all season. A big confidence boost for a player struggling mentally as much as physically.

Cook and fellow striker Tyler Smith showed more glimpses of forging an effective partnership, and the latter also got his name on the scoresheet before half time. Smith took advantage of a defensive slip and showed great skill to charge past his marker and finish emphatically from a tight angle.

This was by some distance the best performance I’ve seen so far from Smith. He showed a lot more energy and drive to run the channels. It was noticeable how often Alexander was yelling at Smith to “gamble” by making runs, as high balls were sent up to Cook to flick towards him. It seems the penny is starting to drop after a slow start to life at Valley Parade.

The goals continued to flow in the second half. First Cook was played through and saw his shot well saved, before Lewis Richards smashed home the rebound with a shot through a crowd of bodies. Perhaps the best goal of the night came after, when a lovely pass from Richie Smallwood found the rampaging Brad Halliday in space, and he crossed for Oduor to finish expertly.

City could have had more goals, but Barnsley did end the night’s scoring when Barry Cotter fired home a consolation after a mistake by Ciaran Kelly in the build-up. It was clearly a difficult night for the youthful Tykes, capped off by a red card for Jack Shepherd deep in injury time. The Barnsley manager Neill Collins cut a frustrated figure, and at half time he had a long conflab with his coaching staff in the dugout, before they eventually went to the dressing room to a speak to their players. Collins’ coaching team included former City hero Jon Stead.

As for City, there was much to like. The 3-5-2 suits their strengths, and though it does bare obvious similarities to Hughes’ original plan for this season, there are important differences too. Differences that suggest it could prove more effective.

The first is that City are a lot more forward-minded in their intent. There isn’t that same early season style of playing it around at the back – which drew so much ire under Hughes. When defenders receive the ball, their first thought is clearly to get it up the pitch as quickly as possible. That might mean a long ball to Cook, or a pass outwide to the wing backs.

And that quickly brings us onto difference number two – the attacking intent of those wing backs. Halliday had another terrific game to build on his excellent second half showing at Notts County. He really does enjoy driving forwards and even popped up in the middle of the attack at one point. Richards – who had a torrid time in the first half on Saturday when asked to be a conventual left back – also looks good as an attack-minded wing back.

Halliday and Richards can get forward so well because of the structure of the three in the middle of midfield, with Smallwood instructed to stay back and protect the back three. The skipper’s role is to break up the play. Stop opposition attacks, and then play the ball quickly to someone else. This is so much more playing to his strengths. Ahead of him, Oduor and Chapman could get forward too knowing there is Smallwood the anchor looking after the space behind them.

In contrast, Hughes’ 3-5-2 was paralysed by hesitancy and fear. The wing backs did not bomb forward enough. The midfield was too reserved. The central defenders too focused on keeping the ball rather than getting it forward. All of which left the strikers too isolated. Here, Cook and Smith had so many runners around them offering support. And that all helped to create lots of good interlinking moments.

The risks Alexander wants City to take off the ball are similar to what we saw with the 4-4-2. Alexander favours a zonal marking approach. Not just for set pieces, but during regular play. In the Barrow and Notts County games we saw the players struggle with this shift in defensive approach, with opposition players ploughing past static defenders and taking advantage of City trying to mark space instead of individual opponents. Again, the 3-5-2 seems to help with this idea – if this is how Alexander ultimately wants City to play. There is suddenly less space for the opposition to run into.

It all looks promising, and we can expect a similar set-up on Saturday. The only questions are whether Alexander will bring the struggling Sam Stubbs back into defence, and who from Oduor, Chapman, Jamie Walker, Alex Gilliead and Bobby Pointon will play as attacking midfielders. I’ll whisper it quietly, but Doyle was excellent here. Is it worth looking at a change in regular keeper if Harry Lewis’ struggles continue?

All in all, this was a surprisingly really good night for City. I know the bar is low, but it was one of the best games I’ve seen at Valley Parade all season. The feelgood mood on the night boosted by the long overdue return of Vadaine Oliver from injury.

It goes without saying that a full-strength Accrington side are going to pose a much bigger test to City on Saturday. But at least there is now a clear plan that the players are getting used to. With this emphatic victory, there’s a much-needed hint of momentum. Something to build on.

Rightly or wrongly, City spent much of the close season recruiting players for a 3-5-2 approach. The move away from this formation mid-September – when results weren’t great – was understandable. But the other approaches tried have only highlighted a lack of depth and quality in key areas. Namely, trying to operate with wide players when you haven’t properly recruited any – and have largely relied on last minute loan deals. In the immediate term of needing results quickly, going to 3-5-2 represents a better fit with the resources that Alexander has available.

It’s not quite a return to Plan A, but it might just be the best way to get City’s stuttering season up and running at last.

Categories: Match Reviews

Tags: 2023/24, Barnsley, BCAFC, Football League Trophy