Sunday 10th August, 20082 years ago, mid-August
One down…
Bradford City 2 Notts County 1 At Valley Parade in League Two, 2008/2009
It sits with a deceptive confidence this crown of would be kings on the head for Bradford City. It shifts with unease for all.
City’s 2-1 win over Notts County could be the template for the season. The Bantams were worthy winners but by a yard and not a mile and at times nerves were evident in the stands and the players fell out of a rhythm they had used to control much of the game.
When in control too City looked ebullient and passed the ball around from player to player with a calm ease personified by new number four Paul McLaren who had the touch to take a second more on the ball than many other on the field and looked unhurried as he and Lee Bullock won the midfield battle for their first afternoon as a league partnership.
Last season we talked much about Stuart McCall’s attempts to find someone to play in the position and the style he still casts a long shadow over and in McLaren he has someone who can set the pace for the team and create the passing flow that the manager did ten and twenty years ago.
Yet McLaren and Bullock’s control in the game faded and City were left with a scoreline and an afternoon that was closer than the build up to the game would have suggested. On the walk to Valley Parade the atmosphere suggested that City would only need to turn up to win. This is never the case.
Every win has to be earned and this one was. The Bantams put pressure on once the game had settled into a patten and when Lee Bullock was freed past the defence by some excellent work on the right and unceremoniously bundled to the floor it was clear that City possessed the abilities that pre-season suggested and that the quality of Refereeing was not going to have increased in line with City.
As the FA start their “Respect (The Ref)” campaign they send to Valley Parade Mr Darren Drysdale of the five game ban for Dean Windass two seasons ago when the City striker shouted at him in the car park highlighting the problems of the campaign that tries to have respect given in reply to unreachableness, highhandedness and arrogance that marked today’s display and Drysdale’s interaction with Bradford City.
City’s pressure told when Paul Arnison – who enjoyed a great debut coming forward to support Omar Daley superbly – whipped a cross in for Peter Thorne to head in while running onto from inside the box leaving keeper Kevin Pilkinton flat footed and continuing his policy of filling his boots against the club he got a hat-trick against last time they were at Valley Parade.
However for all City’s slick passing County were not snuffed out with Delroy Facey – a late signing who had interested City – troublesome and Jamie Forester looking able. Quick reactions from Rhys Evans saw him sprinting off his line and clearing a ball out at the corner of the box. Evans spends most of his time as a goalkeeper shouting at his defenders and in that way he will do for me.
Also doing for me is Omar Daley who put in one of his best performances in a City shirt. He tried – and for all but a four minute sulking spell when someone had tugged his shorts succeeded in – integrating himself in the side McCall had built tracking back to match the pace of lively winger Myles Weston and unplayable when going forward.
In the first half his mazy dribbles had end points with short passes or – ten minutes from the whistle – cutting onto his left on the edge of the box and lashed a low drive which Pilkington pushed wide. Barry Conlon put the scramble from the resultant corner into the side netting and City could have had two before the break.
After the break Conlon was in his own box playing away the danger of a visiting corner to Omar Daley some thirty five yards from his own goal. Daley went forward with his ranging stride used directly to take him past player and player. A defender lashed out a tackle that Daley skipped and Peter Thorne begged for a pass when the two City players faced only one defender whom Daley took the ball around leaving him one on one and a second later flat on his back when his shot had been saved by Pilkington’s foot from point blank range.
At that point I noticed I had not taken a breath since Conlon played the ball. Exhale and watch Daley rise to his feet and I do too. To applaud. Breathless football. Brilliant football.
The corner that comes from Daley’s short is cleared by Adam Nowland high, high and bizarrely backwards to Peter Thorne in the six yard box who executes an overhead kick into the far corner of Pilkington’s goal leaving red faces for the Magpies and defender Michael Johnson screaming for the offside that would have been the case had the return not been a piece of Steve Hodge style silliness.
All of which seemed to wake up the visitors – losing is one thing but beating yourself another – and gave them the zest to attack City’s flanks having had no joy going through McLaren and Bullock and while Kyle Nix had a quieter second half than his tricksy first he and Paul Heckingbottom stood strong. The right flank was unlocked though when Arnison left too much of a gap between him and Daley and Weston beat him delivering a pass to Richard Butcher in the box who finished well.
From then an even contest. City brought on the pace of TJ Moncur for Arnison to plug the right hand side and with ten minutes to go took Conlon off – Barry’s name was sung and he was applauded by all – and brought Michael Boulding on for his debut. Boulding got free. He took the ball into the box and lashed it across goal in a way that suggested talent and hinted at tunnel vision.
The contest though was won by the solid abilities of Matthew Clarke and the ultra-impressive Graeme Lee. Clarke’s play was reminiscent of Stuart McCall’s team mate Darren Moore who City had tried to sign in the summer instead opting for the new skipper Lee who commanded the box, cleared everything out, tackled superbly and kept the back four in line. Of all the new signings it is Lee who most impressive and he who could be the foundation of a promotion bid.
It sits with a deceptive confidence this crown of would be kings on the head for Bradford City but there – for the first time is some time – is where it sits.
There was much to admire yesterday – we look a team with some strength in depth – bearing in mind who was on the bench plus the recovering Brandon and suspended Colbeck – no one can be 100% sure of their place which is good for the months ahead when form dips and inevitable injuries occur.
We’ll have to fight for a top 3 place I agree but at long last we really do look capable of achieving automatic promotion – the crowd at VP can be a big asset this season.
County were similar to last seasons opponents Macclesfield on day one, full of running and energy but lacking a finisher like Thorne – but we got 3 points this time round rather than 1.
The referee could have awarded us 3 penalties and County 1, but for reasons unknown preferred to only penalise 50/50 challenges in open play – his vigorous hand movements showing rubbing of thighs and seemingly a tree trunk were of pantomine season – maybe he thought Windass was watching?
There were a number of very notable performances on Saturday, non-more so than that of Graeme Lee – I thought he was excellent and added that little bit of composure Weatherall seemed to of lacked on the ball.
People from Rotherham tell me Paul McLaren is like a rugby player, he can only pass sideways or backwards. I always ask, is that a bad thing? I saw him on number of occasions pass the ball back to the defence in order to keep possession and to build a stage for our next attacking move. His cool, calm and collective approach will make a huge difference in the standard of City’s football this season.
Omar Daley was magnificent, but I feel Barry Conlon deserves credit; he shoulders the weight of our front line and his defensive capabilities always seem to be overlooked. Boulding looked sharp and will be pushing for a place tomorrow. Furthermore, with Brandon and Colbeck returning over the next couple of weeks, selection dilemmas seem to be popping up throughout the starting Xi. A great position to be in, but I would not like to say who to drop… so over to you Mr McCall!
I don’t know if anyone else noticed it but the referee clearly came over to Stuart and admitted that he had “made a mistake” with the Conlon foul. (He used different words but you get the drift…)
Frankly, the best way for referees to get “respect” is for them to do their jobs properly.