last year, at the end of October
Stuart goes in without his wingers - Bradford City vs Barnet - League Two Preview
Stuart McCall never got to the by-line.
He never skinned a full back and he never cut inside.
Little legs and a low centre of gravity Stuart McCall would have been a rubbish winger but his City team is all about the men on the flanks.
Omar Daley’s random darts have confused enough defences this year to make him one of City’s most dangerous players and the route of lots of chances but while no one else can understand a word he says Referees can and have booked him enough to suspend him.
Joe Colbeck offers something different but still important for City beating men with accurate crosses but injury at Grimsby has him sidelined and Stuart is left looking for new wingers.
Nicky Law did a reasonable job on Tuesday night but did not give the supply line that Colbeck or Daley does and Kyle Nix might be able to do what Joe does but movie left but only on a good day and the Rothstrailian hasn’t had one of those in a while.
So options like Leon Osbourn and Billy Topp in a wide role are getting talked about. Expect one to sit on the bench but Nix and Law to be the guys next to Paul McLaren and the brilliant Dean Furman.
Similarly up front Barry’s heroic header on Tuesday will bring him a place on the bench behind Peter Thorne and Michael Boulding.
At the back Matt Clarke is back and could replace Tom Clarke which would be harsh on the loan player from Udders who did well alongside Graeme Hammer Boot Lee. Tom Moncur and Luke O’Brien are full backs with Rhys Evans in net.
Barnet are without Jason Puncheon since last year after if wowed then transferred but they do have Luke Medley now which says a lot about where the club seems to be going.
They messed about in the top half of the table for a bit but are bottom half now. Expect a battle but one City can win if the squad can keep in mind the fact that the flying wingers are not replicated.
Not so much Plan B as Style B.
October 31st, 2008 at 9:23
Is Clarke not out for 3 matches? Straight red, I think.
October 31st, 2008 at 11:51
After drawing 2-2 at Shrewsbury in the week, I think we can assume Barnet are no mugs at the moment, even with Luke Medley, who is bound to have a blinder if he’s playing..!! I’d like to think that Tom Clarke will keep his place, as we certainly looked the most solid we have at the back for some weeks now on Tuesday - for a young lad, he seems very assured and has more composure on the ball than Matt Clarke.
It’ll be interesting to see if Nix starts tomorrow - when he started against Accrington, he looked busy as he always does, but he just lacks pace to take a man on, even though he seems to be pretty skillful.
Who knows, maybe even Boulding on the left and Billy Topp starting up-front, with Baz on later when he tires?
Here’s to a better result than last season against this lot - come on you Bantams!
October 31st, 2008 at 13:51
Matt Clarke is eligible to play because he got a straight red for denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity. The punishment for this is a one match ban - FA disciplinary procedures, section 6(c). A straight red for offensive/abusive words or behaviour carries a two match ban (6(d)). Only violent conduct, serious foul play and spitting carry a three match ban (6(e)). But watch out for next season, when it will change again after the FA has looked at sliding scales rather than fixed periods after the Danny Guthrie incident.