Saturday 21st November, 2009last year, mid-November
Too many bad days
Bradford City 1 Accrington Stanley 1 At Valley Parade in League Two, 2009/2010
The rain tipped down at Valley Parade, it never stopped. It was always going to be a hard game, not a pretty game and a series of bad days saw to it that it was not a good game.
Stuart McCall’s selection of a 442 pulling Scott Neilson into a right wing role opposite Chris Brandon on the left was the City manager’s bad day. All formations have a tendency to veer back to a 442 given time and it seemed that the City boss thought that he could plug the odd hole at the back with two lines of two rather than the 433 he moved back to after Accrington Stanley equalised in this game.
Accrington’s equaliser came from Michael Symes, a former City player who had more than his share of bad days while a Bantams and his goal aside looked not at all impressive. Symes will have empathy with Gareth Evans who missed a penalty in the dying minutes smacking a child behind the goal with the ball rather than ending the game in glory. Symes had done the same thing at the opening of his City career.
Not that that should have been an end to the glory for Evans who lashed a ball chested – or one assumes the officials must have judged handled – down by Michael Boulding. Evans and is strike partner James Hanson struggled on a blustery day but both kept going giving the Bantams a plethora of late chances to win the game. The last half hour should convince McCall to stick with his 433 formation if only because the game was far more entertaining after that point.
The Bantams had taken the lead when Michael Flynn – who had what was for him a poor game – had centred the ball and Phil Edwards put in his own net. Nothing else Flynn did seemed to come off but the mark of the man – and the City team – was that even when playing poorly the players kept playing.
Flynn, Luke O’Brien, Neilson, Evans, Brandon and James Hanson. None of them enjoyed great games but all of them played hard and ensured that personal negatives would not be carried over and contributed to a positive team performance. There are dozens of City players in the ten years since the slide from the Premiership who could not say the same and when they put in poor performances they let the team suffer.
The subject of the fall from the Premiership was recalled by the visiting Accrington fans in a song “Premier League, you fucked it up” or at least I assume that was what it was because it might have been the sound of the Stanley fans with buckets trying to raise money to keep their club going. I would rather than the sang the word “thank you” over and over as credit to people who came to their aid when they needed it so recently rather than behaved so gracelessly. Accrington Stanley had bad days, everyone rallied round, but those supporters made you wonder why?
Hanson toiled unsuccessfully although he would point to a head at goal which was pushed away by Andrew Proctor – a player who had already been booked – to give a penalty. Proctor seemed to hide in the box but he seemed to be no danger of a red card. Indeed he had got into a pushing match with Chris Brandon that could have resulted in a second yellow card but probably the fact that Referee had booked before probably saved him a card.
It did not – however – do his team any harm. Brandon had held onto the ball to complain about an obvious yet not given penalty when Steve Williams’s shirt was pulled a yard or so away from him in the box. Within seconds of Proctor not being booked Lee Bullock was, for something he said to the referee, following Symes’s goal.
It seemed to be a common tactic for a Referee to struggled all game. He dodged decisions – the penalty was given by his linesman – and ducked his responsibilities fudging calls so he was not required to use his red card but of the seven bookings that he issued five of them were to players for “dissent” – for which read “questioning the Referee’s decisions.”
No one has an idea as to why the goal Evans struck which was ruled out was ruled out but some mentioned handball by Boulding. A question of handball by a player who set up a goal? Really? This week in which a Referee was “100% certain” that Thierry Henry did not do the same.
I am tired of high handed Referees who cannot control a football match dealing with any questions with yellow cards. Stuart McCall, Michael Flynn, Gareth Evans and others had bad days but they did not have cards to silence critics. They applied themselves and deal with the results.
As Referee Steve Cook pointed to his watch a minute into injury time to tell new signing Simon Whaley that the three minutes to be added were under a stopped watch and then blew the whistle some fifteen seconds after the restart one could not say the same about the official. No control over the game save the threat of sending off, more bothered about telling off the players for talking out of turn like naughty school boys that trying to be a part of the game.
It was a poor game in poor conditions in a poor league with some players putting in poor performances but it deserved a better referee than that and it is hard to imagine it having a worse one.
Yes, the 4-4-2 set-up is a bit of a mystery especially when you stick with that Tactic/formation using a loan signing who was brought in to play as an ‘attacker’ but is played in what is really a wide-midfield role -with the option to attack.This is basically the type of midfield role Flynn plays except he is more central. The sooner we get back to and stick with 4-3-3 the better. the forward 3 can then concentrate on attacking. Ten out of 10 for effort again today from the lads, but we are looking poor when it comes to keeping possession when we have the ball at the back by resorting to long hits of 50 yds plus hoping one of our two forwards can get on the end of them. Yes,again, the ref was poor. How Williams never got a penalty each time he was held at corners I will never know it was so clear for the Ref/Assistants to see.
I didn’t think it would be possible to have a worse referee this season, given that we have already suffered the infamous Mr Attwell, but I was wrong – that was without doubt one of the poorest performances I have ever seen. The only thing in his favour was that he was lousy for both teams and spoiled their attempts to play football in atrocious conditions. Apparently, he has dished out over 50 yellow cards already this season – one imagines most are for dissent, because he keeps getting the major decisions wrong!
Bullock was pushed a country mile on the edge of the area in the build up to their goal – if I can see it from the Kop end of the Sunwin, then why couldn’t he from about 5 yards?
However, we shouldn’t have needed to worry about the referee – the problem is we’re not clinical enough in front of goal and although the luck didn’t go our way today, with some good saves from their goalie and clearances off the line, the penalty should have been the icing on the cake, rather than determining whether we got 3 points or not.
Hanson should have buried his chance shortly before they scored and although we hit the post and had a goal disallowed, we definitely need the old poacher Thorne back sooner rather than later or we’ll be left with too much to do in the second half of the season.
Whaley looked very lively when he came on and I expect him to start in place of Neilson on Tuesday (or maybe Brandon?)
Roll on Blundell Park – come on you Bantams!
I agree with Phil – the ref today was worse than Attwell and that really is saying something.
Stuart McCall’s post-match comments were interesting. He said that, at half time in the changing room area, the Accrington coaching staff had an almighty go at the referee for his first half performance. Stuart reckoned the ref’s second half performance was influenced heavily by this.
The officials were at least consistently poor. In the build up to our goal Eastwood slid the ball out of touch by about a foot and was fortunate that the officials didn’t award Accy a corner.
City had plenty of chances to kill the game but missed them, Accy also missed chances which we handed to them on a plate. I have lost all faith in Zesh Rehman’s ability as captain and defender, I don’t think he’s good enough.
Whaley looked useful when he came on and I was pleased that Stuart gave him a decent run out.
We are now badly in need of a result. What odds for a Conlon hattrick at Grimsby?!?!
I thought we had enough chances to win the game comfortably. On the day we were just not quite on the money although we had to cope with one of the most dishonest teams I can remember watching, ably aided and abetted by an inept referee.
That is interesting, at half time I said that I’d thought the ref was doing ok. 2nd half he went bonkers. I was on the verge of a complete breakdown when he let their injured player walk all the way to the half way line in the last minute. It was beyond poor, it was weak, bizarre and shameful. But, as we ‘minnows’ are all too aware none of this will be seen or picked up on by the people that matter, because all that will be shown on TV this week is that poor kid getting boomed off his feet by Evans wayward penalty. Fair play to the team who kept grafting, and particularly Williams who made little fuss every time he was pulled down in the box.
I’m surprised no one has picked up on another inspid display from Brandon – seemingly giving less than 100% for me he was carried again to the teams detriment – there were better options on the bench – that for me is a pointer that McCall still does not know his best team or formation.
Yesterdays game was a must win and we failed despite the late onslaught and the abysmal penalty miss – I hope Michael Boulding gets more than 20 minutes at Grimsby as he transformed us when he came on and was denied a goal by the post.
Too many draws again is keeping us in mid table – we look too good to be struggling at the bottom but not ruthless enough to be with the promotion chasers – that is the challenge ahead for the players.
Me and our kid said before the game that it was a big match for Brandon who needs to prove that he can do “the business” on wet afternoons especially now we have the option of putting Whaley in his position and with Omar fit soon employing him in Brandon’s other position in the forward line. He failed to convince and I would agree his performance was insipid and pallid although I’d often say similar things about Michael Boulding who I do not think transformed us as much as the switch to a 433 did.
Brandon – and for that matter Boulding – are senior members of the squad but they are put to shame in terms of performance and attitude by players like Steve Williams. It is right for the manager to give Brandon a chance to show what he can do and one can only guess at the disappointment at another weak display.
It is interesting that McCall is switching between tactics and approaches this season and also that that brings criticism for not knowing his best formation. I personally do not agree that there is a “best formation” for any club and that what might be the best way to play one week against one opposition might not be the best the following game. Yesterday I think he got it wrong, but he put it right and on balance we should have won the game from the penalty which while inaccurate seemed hard enough to knock a poor lad spark out on the Kop.
Looking at the table this morning we are nine points away from the promotion places – three wins if you will – and as I said t’other week the big gamble this season is that Daley (and perhaps settling Whaley in to a three with Bullock and Flynn) can make up those point. As we found out last season you certainly get nothing for being in the top three at this stage of the season.
Yes, the ref was the worst I’ve seen, but we had enough good chances to win two games. I don’t think we played that badly but we can’t just score one at home and hope to keep a clean sheet.
I don’t think anyone expects to see much from Brandon. He reminds me of Robbie Blake, except Robbie Blake could do stuff. (And would probably have taken a pay cut!)
I just find Brandon a source of frustration, to begin with he looked a different class but the more I see of him the more I think it will be him who loses out on Daley’s return, especially now with the arrival of Whaley.
Forgot to mention before it was great to see Simon Ramsdon back I think he’s top notch.
I agree with you Michael that the change to 433 was what made the difference (credit to Micky B as well, he looked very dangerous when he came on). However, I can’t go along with the suggestion that Whaley might/could be fitted into midfield. As I said in a previous post, Whaley was supposedly brought in as a replacement for our injured attackers, and for me that is where he should be played. If our forwards are now fit to play and are prefered over Whaley then, for me, he sits on the bench until he replaces a tired or underperforming forward. The midfield is producing the goods as far as supplying the forwards with opportunities and it was not mentioned by Stuart as an area in need of loan player to give it a helping hand. If Brandon is deemed to be not producing the goods then we have J O’Brien that can be given a few consecutive games to make an impact. Because there-in, I think, lies the solution. Neither Brandon nor O’Brien have been given a long enough run to progress their game. Have, either of these 2 players had a run of 3 consecutive games over the last 2 months or so? I still believe that the last line of defence is in need of improvement we gave another poor goal away on Saturday due to players not sticking with the man their supposed to be marking. Simon Eastwood is to be praised for at least two superb saves from opponents who were allowed too much time and space in and around our central defensive area.
Surprised that you thought it was a “poor game” Michael, our posse agreed that it was a good, open game, despite the conditions, and that both teams deserved great credit for that. On the other hand, the refs second half performance was a disgrace…
Saturday’s game was a tough game to call. I thought that on the whole a draw was a fair result as Accrington, without dominating were as wasteful with changes as we were. I think if they’d had a decent Centre Forward playing along side Symes (who for the record, I thought had a decent game, winning most of the headers he went for and taking his goal well – I certainly don’t remember him playing like that for us) then they would have won the game.
I agree with most people who write / post on BfB, I don’t get Chris Brandon. He doesn’t do enough with or without the ball to play a central role in Midfield and he doesn’t have the pace / trickery to play out wide either. For me, James O’Brien is a must to start the next game. He’s been very impressive whenever I’ve seen him this season and on top of that, he brings some quality to the table at set-pieces which is something we lacked on Saturday.
At the back I thought Eastwood had a great game with the exception of our goal which he flapped at and then sneakily let out of play but the officials were unsighted so play continued. It was a brilliant goal, from nearly conceding to scoring in 3 passes. If it hadn’t have been for the fact it was an own goal and Hanson had finished it then I think it would have been heralded as a superb move. Rehman again is hit and miss. He’s not commanding enough week in week out as a Centre-Half or as Captain. But then I have to say I’ve seen him be commanding and play well so it’s just a case of consistency there. I have to say Steve Williams got my vote for Man of the Match. I thought he had a great game and is getting better each week. He’s starting to remind me of a young Dean Richards – although there’s still work to be done there.
The midfield 3 struggled on Saturday. It wasn’t a game for clever passes and both teams didn’t control the game from the middle. Up top, Neilson struggled on a heavy surface and whilst Evans and Hanson didn’t enjoy the best of games, as supporters we were happy to applaud them off for giving 100% which they must appreciate and we must continue to do. There were a few negative comments at full time from a couple of moronic followers, booing because we didn’t win. One bloke shouted “that’s what you get when you buy fourth division players McCall – bloody rubbish”. Some fans need to remember where we are.
As for the referee, he was awful – I thought he was a letter of the law ref which to me is fine. He set the tone early on by reversing a throw-in decision because the Accrington lad wouldn’t retreat but then he bottled it for me on too many big decisions. All players, managers and supporters want from an official is to be consistent in their approach to running the game, that’s got to be the biggest criticism of Saturday’s referee.
Moving forward, we do need to turn those 1 points into 3 points but as someone else has pointed out on here, in this division it doesn’t really matter which position of the top half you occupy as it’s a tight league from start to finish. One decent month puts you top of the tree so it’s just about getting your timing right.