Wednesday 2nd December, 2009last year, at the start of December
The tweak
“After a 3-0 drubbing at Valley Parade even the most ardent, optimistic Bradford City supporter would have to write off the club’s chances of automatic promotion.” (para)
Losing at home is never a pleasant experience but it becomes more unsettling when it lacks frequency. The 3-0 home defeat to Rochdale is not City’s first reversal at Valley Parade this year but this type of home reversal was more common four or five years ago than it is now.
The opening paragraph – an assessment of the Bantam’s chances following defeat – was ultimately untrue. A paraphrase from about this time of year eleven years ago when City trooped off the field from a game with Queens Park Rangers having been on the wrong end of three goals.
That team – managed by Paul Jewell and featuring current City boss Stuart McCall in midfield – was of course promoted in May the following year and the QPR match remains a curious footnote noted as the final game on the “old kop” at Valley Parade but saw what ultimately became a pivotal change in the Bantams season.
City had gone into that game off the back of an unbelievable 2-1 defeat by Huddersfield in which the Bantams squandered chance after chance and then saw Town switch to a 433 and end the game victorious. For the QPR game the Bantams midfield of Peter Beagrie wide left, McCall and Gareth Whalley in the middle and Robbie Blake on the right wing behind Isaiah Rankin and Lee Mills.
Rankin – who Jim Jefferies described as “Not being able to finish a bowl of cornflakes” – was profligacy personified squandering enough chances to win a month of matches in the two games but at the time no doubt I would have recalled the words of Brain Clough: He got into the positions to miss them.
Jewell did not subscribe to that point of view – or if he did he had gone past a point where he no longer had faith that the chances would find the net – and following that match with QPR the £1.4m striker Rankin’s days were numbered.
City were written off in terms of automatic promotion and there were calls for a revolution in the side just as there is in the wake of the Rochdale defeat – one recalls that one solution was to follow Town into the 433 while another was to add Paul Bolland to the side – but rather than look at drastic solutions Paul Jewell made a tweak.
A tweak to his side that went on to claim promotion. Rankin went out, Blake moved forward and Jamie Lawrence came into midfield. The team held the ball more and spent less time watching a forward’s heels has he sprinted away and the rest truly is history.
Jewell’s choice to resist revolution in the light of defeat turned out to be correct. This was not unique for Jewell – his reaction to a 3-0 defeat in the Premiership to West Ham United was similar – nor is he alone. When Sir Alex Ferguson watched his Manchester United team beaten 4-1 by Liverpool last season – kamikaze defending which links Vidic to Williams and all – his reaction was to do very little in the face of calls to change and sure enough another Premier League title arrived in due course.
McCall looks at his side and had two options for changing: Personnel and Formation.
Looking around the City side there were plenty of players who could have had fingers pointed at them be they the likes of Luke O’Brien and Gareth Evans who after great seasons so far were made to look hapless, the likes of James O’Brien and Steve Williams who are young and struggle for consistency or the James Hanson and Michael Flynns of the side who struggled against a side who impressed.
On the bench wait Peter Thorne, Chris Brandon, Michael Boulding, Matthew Clarke et al. These players were the problem three months ago solved by the younger team who were beaten by Rochdale. One might question if they offer a solution now. Likewise younger replacements like Jon McLaughlin, Rory Boulding, Luke Sharry or Jonathan Bateson could be deployed but in doing so the Bantams would replace like with like and that is certainly no guarantee of massive alterations.
From a formation point of view McCall’s 433 is a relatively new addition to the Bantams arsenal and the City boss played a 442 for the first two years at Valley Parade. Switching from the one to the other did not provide a great return against Accrington Stanley two weeks ago.
The grace of 442 is that it is the most adaptable formation available to a manager having a limitation or two but no weaknesses as 433 has on the flanks which was so exposed by Rochdale. Fluidity between positions, six second counter attacks and flooding areas with possession favoured by Jose’s old Chelsea can be the beating of 442 but how many League Two teams are able to do that?
That said two teams playing 442 make for a much less interesting game and earlier in the season there was a thrill of the Bantams playing such adventurous, attacking football. I have a theory that since Ramsey’s Wingless Wonders English teams veer back to the 442 formation eventually and that sooner or later McCall will bite the bullet and sacrifice a strikers for a midfielder.
Which is perhaps where the tweak is.
Moving to a four in the middle with Scott Neilson next to Michael Flynn/Lee Bullock and a wide midfielder on the left supporting James Hanson and Gareth Evans gives the Bantams a more robust layout and as this article is published in a field in Oldham Omar Daley returns to reserve team action suggesting himself in the wide midfielder role.
Daley’s return in a 433 would see him alongside James Hanson and Gareth Evans which would offer little other than Simon Whaley did in the Grimsby and Rochdale matches – strength one week, weakness the next – but perhaps there is an irony that the opposite of the tweak that was a solution to Jewell’s problems – removing the speedy player up front – could be solution to McCall’s.
McCall though is charged with the same choices as Jewell had at Valley Parade. QPR were better on the day than the Bantams and won the battle, but in the end the Bantams won the war and did so by standing steady behind his tweaked team. Had Jewell panicked and broken up that side would City have been successful?
How to move forward retaining what was good on Tuesday afternoon but learning from the evening. That is McCall’s charge now.
Absolutely fantastic article. Sums up everything and puts it all into perspective. Tuesday night was not good all – maybe the worse night in the last 3 years – but we have the squad to come back from it. I just cross my fingers that McCall finds the winning formula, as that would make any city fan super-happy.
Agree totally with this. The switch back to 442 would make City more solid. It seemed to work slightly on Tuesday when Neilson came on and think that it gives City a better balance, allows whoever to play up front alongside Hanson (I think Evans needs a rest) and then can allow the 2 wide players no we have 2 sufficient to play this role in Neilson/Whaley/Daley to push on.
The midfield 2 can then be solid and I cant find anyone where I sit that would break Bully and Flynn up. Bully has definately been the unsung hero this year for me.
The wingers of course have to track back (which Neilson demonstrated brilliantly on Tuesday night) but his doesnt drag anyone away from Hanson to leave him isolated.
Personell wise, its a shame we cant find room for Jamie O’Brien week in week out, as his set pieces are really good (better than a certain ex City, ex top of league 1 assist chap). The midfield should be Bullock, Flynn, Neilson and Whaley. Upfront Id bring Boulding in for Evans to see if it helps.
Defence is the issue for me. Was Rehman injured on Tuesday? If so will he sit out at the weekend? And how will McCall deal with this? Steve Williams was run ragged on Tuesday, but he is learning at this level. Ramsden seems to have gained a lot of trust from McCall so maybe him shuffling into the middle to allow Bateson in at right back with A.N.Other alongside Ramsden makes sense. Luke O’Brien continues at left back, despite fans around me for the last 4 weeks wanting him out of the side. This is because we have a bench full of left backs to bring on you see.
Interesting to see who starts on Saturday and then again for the Rotherham and Carlisle matches. And how will the cup affect the team selection – would we rather go to Carlisle and sacrifice the Aldershot result?
As we walked away on Tuesday night on our way to the Fighting Cock, we were naturally disappointed – we had been soundly beaten and but for Simon Eastwood, would have been routed.
The main thrust of our discussion was that this City side is still only work-in-progress, especially as it is only a very young side, with several players new to this level of football. After the dreadful end to last season with our ‘too good for this league’ team, we have generally enjoyed the football being played this time, but there will always be reverses like Tuesday. Rochdale are a good side – better than the MK Dons team from 2 seasons ago that walked the division and Keith Hill has got them playing attractive football with a fighting edge that we couldn’t match.
So, you just put it down to experience and move on – the key is to learn from what has happened and why it happened. We haven’t become a bad side because of one game, just as we weren’t world beaters after the Grimsby match. Steady progression is what we need and whether we play 4-4-2 or 4-3-3 or 4-1-3-3, the players need to be comfortable in their allotted roles.
Darlo will be desperate to win on Saturday and will be defending like demons – we may come up against a 5-man midfield again – so who knows, we might even go 3-5-2…!!!
Whatever the permutations, come on you Bantams!
The main weakness with 442 is that the centre of midfield can become overrun by teams who attack through the middle or have big centre midfielders – both of which applied to Rochdale and that is why they are where they are. Previous City teams have lacked presence in the centre and the likes of Nix, Daley and Jones aren’t likely to offer defensive support from the wings. This is also means that teams who come to VP with 5 across the middle can double up on wingers AND have cover in the centre – this was the problem last season and why we had so many bore draws.
However, when Daley comes back we could manage a successful 442 especially away from home as Bully and Flynn are strong experienced talismen who could break down the opposition and drive the team forwards. This has been lacking in previous seasons and hasn’t been fully utilised this season due to having to play Brandon, who isn’t quick enough and won’t stay wide anyway. With Daley, Whaley and Neilson though the option of playing with this tactic looks more fruitful.
4-3-3, 4-4-2, 3-5-2, 3-4-1-2, 4-1-3-2 – I blame Fifa games for everything!
I have to say I could not agree more. Games like FIFA and Champ Man have presented a simplified view of the football to a point where the most basic points – like that fact that the other side want to win just as much as your side – get lost.
I’ve taken Bradford into the champions league on Championship Manager. If I can do it surely McCall should be able to do it? Hmmmm
All we need to do is sign Tonto Zola Moukoko and Cherno Samba and we will be laughing!!
Zola Moukoko!! he was a great CM player. There was another one in the 2001 version called Justin Georcelin who you could buy as a 16 year old from Northampton for tuppence halpenny and he’d get you 20-30 goals a season. There were a whole host of great unknown players. There was an Albanian U21 attacking midfielder you could get for £20k and he was very good. I will have to get the laptop out tonight….
It was never realistic though was it? I managed City to the Premier League title about 12 years running, half a dozen Champions League titles, FA Cups, Super Cups, World Club Cups etc etc and the next season got fired for being sixth after a dozen games. I mean, as if that would ever happen. Getting fired for being in mid table after less than twenty games. Fans and chairmen would be crazy to do that.
Stuart needs to get Champ Man 00/01, sign Peter Crouch, To Madera, Kim Kaalstrom & Jonas Lunden and we’ll be set. Oh and a 3-4-1-2 to boot.
Anyway with regards to real life, I’m actually really looking forward to Darlo tomorrow. I hope that they’ve all trained their arses off this week and feel that they have something to prove. I’m predicting a repeat of Tuesday night; 0-3 away win. Might even put a bet on….