By Jason McKeown

It could be a nosedive, it could be a slump, or it could be a mere blip – but it’s definitely something, and a something that wasn’t expected. Fair to say that the season’s first back-to-back League Two defeats was not on the agenda when Bradford City were setting new club records and earning themselves an eight-point cushion inside the automatic promotion places, just 11 days ago. But that’s exactly what has just happened.

The Bantams were looking so formidable, so well-drilled and so relentless, closing in on Walsall’s position at the top of the tree. But it’s now two defeats against two of the division’s most out-of-form sides. Zero points away to a team 19th in the table, and now zero points at home to a team languishing 22nd, who had not won on the road since the middle of October. It’s no goals, and only seven shots on target, over 180 minutes. It’s an erosion of their top three margin for error, which is now down to only three points. It’s missed opportunities to win winnable games that they may come to rue.

This is not a time to panic. Absolutely it isn’t. City are still in a really good position. A position that means they can afford to go through a few setbacks. But as Josh Hawkes fired home from the spot to give Tranmere Rovers a shock victory, nerves are jangling and bums are squeaking. Turns out if City are going to do it, they’re going to do it the hard way.

It’s certainly not a good time to follow up their worst performance in months with an even worse performance. Here, the qualities that have shot them up the table – the fast tempo in transforming defence to attack, the high press to pin opponents back, the clever link up play from front to back – was all below its usual standard. This performance was a throwback to earlier this season, where City look laboured and sluggish, and it’s no coincidence they’re regressing whilst once again missing the influential services of Antoni Sarcevic and Alex Pattison. They’re also struggling without the in-form Bobby Pointon.

Given Graham Alexander was able to go with the same front three who had played so wonderfully together in the last home game – the 3-0 win over Cheltenham – it was discouraging just how much they missed those who are injured on the sidelines. But as well as Jamie Walker, George Lapslie and Michael Mellon had worked that night against the Robins, they couldn’t function cohesively here.

Part of the problem was they were so isolated from each other. Lapslie had such a brilliant game against Cheltenham, but the last two performances appear to confirm the warnings from fans of his former clubs that he is a superb player one week, and anonymous the next. Mellon found space hard to find and was kicked repeatedly by Tranmere Rovers players who were clearly instructed to curb his off the ball running.

Walker was the most effective of the front three, and yet perhaps the biggest representation of the problem the whole team suffered. Lacking a regular supply of possession in areas he was tasked to operate, Walker roamed in search of the ball, in search of purpose. His work-rate and desire is admirable, but in coming back to try and get involved, he took up space where Brad Halliday and Brandon Khela were supposed to operate. And that left City having plenty of the ball in deeper areas, but struggling to stretch the play. As Walker came deep, collected possession and sent the ball forwards, you were longing for Walker to be up there to get on the end of his own work.

If we have the Cheltenham victory as a high water mark of what this front three can give this team, the contrast in possession is revealing when assessing why it didn’t work again. Against Cheltenham, the Bantams had 43% possession, produced 246 short passes, and had a 62% pass success rate. In other words, they weren’t especially dominant on the ball or tidy in keeping it. This ties in with their hugely successful quick transition, get it up the pitch approach.

Here against Tranmere, the Bantams had a considerably higher 67% possession, produced 392 short passes and had a 75% pass success rate. So a lot more of the ball, a lot more success passing it around, but a lot less purpose. Walker, Lapslie and Mellon collectively had 145 touches against Cheltenham, but only 118 here. So even though City had more of the ball, their forward line saw much less of it.

Those numbers confirm what we saw. City had plenty of possession but lacked their usual clear plan in how they were going to put the ball into the back of the net. And for that, you have to give Tranmere Rovers credit. Interim manager Andy Crosby had switched formation from 4-3-2-1 to matching the Bantams’ 3-4-3. Two of the three former Bantams in their line up took unfamiliar roles, with Connor Wood switching to wide centre half and Omari Patrick operating as a left wing back. Both acquitted themselves really well. But then, the whole Rovers team did.

Rovers have stank out League Two this season. Largely rubbish. Barely scoring. But since Nigel Adkins was sacked, they’ve improved and now have eight points from a possible 12. This wasn’t a great time to be facing Tranmere and they were stood up well to City’s press, backed by a small but brilliantly loud away following who put home fans to shame with their non-stop chanting.

Just like City’s other home defeat this season – Doncaster – the opposition had done their homework and executed a gameplan successfully, and that should trouble Alexander. It wasn’t pretty, it pushed the boundaries of decency, and a better referee than the woeful Thomas Parsons would not have allowed them such leniency, but Tranmere were good value for a win that goes some way to keeping them up whilst all but relegating Mark Hughes’ Carlisle United.

Even so, it could have been a different story. City started well enough, and in the first half had chances. Richie Smallwood produced a beautiful piece of skill that took out two defenders, before charging towards goal and unleashing a thunderous drive that flew just wide. Moments later, Lapslie headed just wide after an excellent Halliday cross. And then Khela had a chance and narrowly missed the target with a shot from distance.

Perhaps the best chance of the lot fell at Lapslie’s feet. Khela produced a lovely flick that sent Halliday rampaging through. He hit a cross shot that was begging to be tapped in, but the onrushing Lapslie fired it well over. Walker also embarked on a clever run into the box that left him with a shooting chance at Luke McGee. Walker’s effort was on target but lacked power, enabling the other of the three former Bantams to save.

Tranmere offered little attacking threat in the first half, but were successful in disrupting City’s momentum. They made sure the game was stop-start, and cut off the wide supply lines. Tayo Adramola’s one-on-one battle Cameron Norman was great to watch, but the on-loan Crystal Palace wing back ultimately struggled to find space to go on his characteristic rampages. And when City did angle crosses into the box, Mellon was swarmed on and so unable to get on the end of anything.

At half time Crosby took off Kristian Dennis, who had struggled to hold up the ball and give Tranmere much of an outlet. It made a difference. As the minutes ticked by Tranmere began to find some territorial advantage. Began to smell blood. Began to spot holes in City’s backline. And sure enough, some dozy defending in the box allowed Harvey Sanders to nip in. Jack Shepherd tried to put the ball out for a corner and as he did the Tranmere substitute went down in a heap. Penalty given. A debatable one? Most definitely.

Hawkins converted from the spot, and City had conceded at home for the first time since Grimsby netted in early January. They were behind at Valley Parade for the first time since Chesterfield took the lead in late December. It was all so unfamiliar. And City didn’t handle the unusual home challenge well at all.

They just never really got going. They couldn’t run up a head of steam. Shots on goal sporadic. A few corners won. A few dangerous free kick opportunities. But the game remained stop-start. No rhythm. It all suited Tranmere. It all hindered City.

Of course, midway through the second half everything was put into perspective. A supporter in the Kop needed medical assistance. The game was stopped for 12 minutes. We can only hope the fan is okay. Our thoughts with them, and also their friends and family who have suffered such unexpected and unwelcome anxiety. The limitations of City’s attacking efforts pale into insignificance compared to someone’s health. Hopefully, they will quickly recover.

When the game resumed, the same patterns continued. Tyreik Wright, Calum Kavanagh and Tommy Leigh came on in an attempt to change City’s destiny, and Kavanagh did come close with one chance. But even with 15 minutes of stoppage time added on, the Bantams just didn’t look like scoring. And though the home crowd largely stayed behind the players, frustration at the slowness in getting the ball up the pitch in the closing stages led to loud groans and some booing at full time.

So City’s home winning run is over. It’s been fun, it’s been transformative, and this wasn’t the fixture where you’d expect it to have ended. But there isn’t time to dwell and there is little to gain from talking ourselves into crisis. City are still second in the table, still in a position that a few weeks ago we’d have bitten hands off to have. Before Gillingham, it seemed City needed to win five of their last 11 games to just about seal automatic promotion. Now, it’s five wins from the last nine games. A tougher ask for sure. But prior to losing in Kent, the Bantams had won 12 out of 15 games. They’ve already proven they’re more than capable of doing what now needs to be done.

Still, there are reasons to feel less confident that before. The fixtures get tougher from here, starting with a flying Colchester United side who are unbeaten in 13 games, including winning five in a row, and who now sit inside the play off positions. And not long after that are promotion six-pointers against Port Vale, Crewe, Notts County and Doncaster. The tension has been racked up in the way we didn’t want it to. The countdown to kick off next week will be accompanied by a heighted sense of nervousness.

The hope has to be that when the City players walk out against Colchester, at least one, two if not all three of the sorely missed Sarcevic, Pattison and Pointon are amongst them. Or, if next Saturday comes too soon, the Saturday after that is a possibility. Because whatever the something is that’s hindering Bradford City right now, the return of their inspirational trio will go a long way to fixing it.

Categories: Match Reviews

Tags: 2024/25, BCAFC, League Two, Tranmere Rovers