Articles written by Jason Mckeown
It had been a dreadful first half performance, of that no one could argue.
Trailing 1-0, poor in possession, uncertain at the back and limited going forward, City didn’t appear to have the desire of a Mansfield team fighting for their lives. Perhaps most worrying, some players appeared to be hiding; giving the ball to others when they could have taken the initiative and hoping someone else would get City back in the game. Then just as the game moved into injury time Paul Heckingbottom fired over a free kick and Barry Conlon headed home the equaliser.
To the players it must have been a great relief; they’d failed to do themselves justice but could now put it right having got back level. It’s often said the best time to score is just before half time and how those visiting players’ fragile confidence must be rocking at seeing their good work undone. Roll on the second half, our players must have been thinking.
Then the half time whistle blew and boos rang out from the three home stands. Whatever psychological advantage City held was gone. Instead of going in on a high they were bluntly reminded of their failings. If Mansfield players had begun fearing the worst they were given a loud reminder of just how well they’d done. Instead of looking forward to coming out for the second half and putting right their wrongs, home players probably feared leaving the warmer confines of the dressing room. Soon after half time City fall behind and ultimately the game is lost.
We can criticise the players and consider it shameful they’re underperforming, but their League Two counterparts don’t have to face such a level of hostile abuse from their own crowd and it’s painfully obvious our players are, at best, average players for this level.
I wouldn’t disagree that the players deserved to be booed off at half time, but I don’t understand how anyone thinks it helps them. There was a lot wrong with City’s first half display and the players must have realised that, but there was no doubt Stuart McCall and Wayne Jacobs would be telling them so. We all wanted City to win but, while the players let the club down, wouldn’t warm applause and cries of “come on City” have being a better confidence boost as they trudged off for the interval, rather than loud boos ringing in their ears?
The booing culture is nothing new at Valley Parade of course and the dismal football we’ve largely endured in recent years has understandably resulted in low patience, but as City enjoy the biggest crowds in this division you wonder what sort of advantage it really gives us. It must be fantastic playing in front of a five figure crowd when they’re right behind you, but when things go wrong and the booing starts it must be very difficult. We can criticise the players and consider it shameful they’re underperforming, but their League Two counterparts don’t have to face such a level of hostile abuse from their own crowd and it’s painfully obvious our players are, at best, average players for this level.
Are our players scared to play at Valley Parade? Four defeats in the last five home games suggest that’s the case. During that same period there have been three wins from four on the road. Our midweek kick offs have seen some superb atmospheres but on Saturday afternoons the place can be too quiet with the opposition fans making all the noise. Just at the players are guilty of failing to set their own tempo, surely we supporters should be getting behind the players better?
When I look back on the home games this season the Peterborough win in September really sticks out. Not because Mark Bower’s second half header helped City climb to a season-best seventh position, but the fact the players were booed off at half time that afternoon. The score was 0-0 and, while Peterborough had dominated possession, they’d barely created a chance. I was stunned at the booing and looking at where Peterborough are now makes it even more incredible. Peterborough were a good side, but we weren’t playing that badly and went on to win the game. The reaction of the fans in booing the team off at the interval that day probably epitomises the pressure those wearing Claret and Amber have had to cope with all season.
But what’s the solution? Next season we’re dreaming of 20,000+ attendences, which some Premiership and Championship clubs can’t even manage. Yet we won’t be signing many players used to playing in front of such large crowds and we can only hope they can cope much better with the expectations and pressure than this season’s lot have managed.
I’d love to think that we fans could better our attitude and make the huge crowds more of an advantage, but the fall out and huge level of criticism over the last couple of days shows it’s unlikely. We now have a small percentage of fans who would actually be happy if Stuart was sacked tomorrow. That won’t happen and he will get the opportunity to build a better team for next season, but what happens if we then experience another slow start? The pressure and level of booing is probably only going to get worse. True it might be directed more at the management than the new players, but what will they think if they hear their manager, a supposed legend at this club, barracked by fans who claim to worship him?
In some ways it’s good there was little riding on the Mansfield defeat and I’d like to think such a reaction wouldn’t have occurred if City were in contention for promotion and struggling during a home game, though I’m not so sure.
Back in November 2003 I made the trip to the Britannia Stadium to watch City’s away game with Stoke City. Coming just after Nicky Law had been sacked and with Bryan Robson about to be confirmed new manager, it was an interesting period. Arriving late at the ground, I missed the teams been announced and only noticed, five minutes in, that Dean Windass wasn’t on the pitch. No sooner had I uttered “Where’s Deano?” when I spotted him. Not sat among the substitutes, but three rows in front of me in the away end.
Assuming he was injured, it wasn’t until reading media reports of the 1-0 defeat that I discovered Windass has been dropped because it was felt he had “lost his focus” in the build up. Whether leaving out our best striker was a wise choice, though the public way he sulked among the away fans suggested it may have been, it was a brave decision by the caretaker manager. Who was in charge that day? Wayne Jacobs.
Back in the present day, Jacobs is assistant to Stuart McCall in a disappointing season which hasn’t gone to plan. Four defeats in six have punctured the growing optimism that the previous good form had generated. Saturday’s defeat at Stockport ruefully showed that, while inconsistency might be why we’re only in the bottom half of the table, we’re equally not good enough to be in the top seven. The pre-season hopes of promotion are not going to materialise and we’ll be playing League Two football next year.
It’s disappointing of course. We had such high expectations last summer and our new management team did nothing but encourage us further in believing this could be our year. Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is a slight feeling on unrest amongst fans about whether Stuart and Wayne are good enough to move this club back up the leagues. There were mutterings of discontent as we filed out of Edgeley Park following one of the most disappointing performances of the season. All over the various City-related websites there are fans informing others of supposed managerial shortcomings.
Looking at the wider picture, there are many reasons why Stuart and Wayne have not been able to deliver the promotion challenge widely expected. Having been Assistant Manager at Sheffield United for three seasons and enjoying a 20+ year playing career before that, Stuart had never found the time to become too acquainted with League Two. He largely signed players based on recommendations last summer and too many have not proved good enough to take City forward. There are a handful of players who should be kept on for next season, but no one is in any doubt changes will be made.
Then there was the start to the season, or more specifically the dreadful run of form in early autumn. It left City lying in 21st place, or fourth bottom of the entire professional football pyramid, at the beginning of November. To be in such a poor position with a third of the season gone left City playing constant catch up. Thankfully we recovered and have had some decent runs of form. There may have been some careless defeats recently, but if City had been higher up the league with a better chance of promotion would as many have occurred?
The pressure on the team has also been a higher than it should because of chasing the rest. When City drew at Wrexham in January there was a hefty amount of criticism that wouldn’t have occurred had we not been so far from the play offs. Every point counted but there’s been too much to ground to make up.
Even in this age of message board culture, there are very few supporters stating they believe Stuart should now be sacked. Bizarrely, Jacobs is coming in for criticism from some fans, though reasonable arguments for why City’s failings are the Assistant Manager’s fault have yet to be aired. These people are calling for a more experienced assistant to be brought in. This is Jacobs’ third season as an assistant and the previous two at Halifax were certainly eventful, what level of experience are these people suggesting is acceptable? Perhaps we should bring back the ‘experienced’ Frank Barlow or Bobby Davidson?
One saying in football is the managers’ most important signing is his assistant and it’s surely about who Stuart feels most comfortable working with which matters. Let’s remember the efforts, and fee, the club put in to bring Jacobs back last summer. The episode at the Britannia Stadium four and a half years ago also showed Jakes is anything but a soft touch.
For how disappointed we supporters feel about the way this season has gone, we can be confident Stuart and Wayne feel just as horrible. In some ways the fact Stuart is a City legend counts against him when you hear fans criticise. Some claim that any other manager would have been sacked last November, untrue in my opinion, and that Stuart is receiving special treatment. I’ve heard the phrase “he might be a legend, but…” many times at recent games.
In many ways the summer can’t come soon enough now. One year on and a stronger and wiser Stuart will already have a good idea of who he needs to bring to Valley Parade next season. If rumours are to be believed at least one player has been signed (will be interesting to see if he lines up against us for his current club later this season) and no doubt other negotiations are in the pipeline. The likely disappearance to League One of MK Dons, Darlington and Peterborough will leave a more level playing field in terms of finances and, with the potential of playing in front of 20,000 crowds this season, Valley Parade will be an attractive proposition for any of Stuart’s targets.
And then, as Stuart honestly admits, is the time to judge him. Clearly some of us are losing their faith that he can succeed, but the majority still retain their backing of Stuart. Sure, a lot of this belief is due to the fact Stuart is a legend, but what’s wrong with that? Who will ever forget Stuart the player and what he did at this club? He was, and still is, a hero to us.
Not just because of his ability and commitment on the field, but the fact he cared so passionately for this club. I can’t think of another person I’d want to succeed as City manager more than him and, while the first season hasn’t worked out as we’d all hoped, he certainly warrants more time to get it right.
And get it right I believe he will. For the first time in years, City are on a steady financial footing and can afford to plan for the future with ambition. This club is no longer sinking and, wherever we finish this season, there’s a good chance it’ll be the lowest we’ll fall. We need to build up a club from this stability and scrapping the foundations at the first sign of difficulty is unlikely to be the answer. There’s every reason to remain optimistic in believing this management team will lead us to success.
It’s understandable we all feel hurt and disappointed right now, but we can be confident Stuart and Wayne can also see the current problems and have the ability to put things right next season. Who knows, in the short term they may even banish a few current players to join us in the stands. “Sorry, someone’s sitting there Omar.”
Stockport County 2 Bradford City 1 – League Two 2007/08
This weekend was the first anniversary of one of the more painful moments in Bradford City’s recent history. It was this time last year that nearly 4,000 of us travelled to the Galpharm Stadium for an incredibly important local derby against Huddersfield Town. With the battle against relegation becoming increasingly desperate, a good result was vital.
We were ‘rewarded’ with a feeble and pathetic performance, going down 2-0 to a mediocre Town side. Falling behind inside two minutes, there was just one woeful effort from Steven Schumacher which could be counted as a City shot on goal. The players showed a shocking lack of commitment and, considering it was a derby and we were fighting for our lives, it was unforgiveable.
12 months on and, while the bigger picture has undoubtedly got worse, thankfully we’ve not seen a performance as poor from City since. There will no chewing of the nails and worrying about relegation during the final 12 matches of this campaign, although Saturday’s defeat to Stockport has ensured we won’t be feeling any butterflies at the prospect of promotion either. And as the season drifts away it might be worth showing the current players the video nasty of that Town defeat to help them contemplate whether they’re currently doing enough to remain a City player beyond this summer.
If the players were to look in the mirror and ask that question following the Edgeley Park defeat, the majority of responses are unlikely to be positive. Yes Stockport showed they were a decent side and the conditions were difficult to play in; but with 700 or so City fans singing non-stop to spur you on, even through the half time break, and the knowledge that a new contract this summer is far from certain for many of them, you’d expect them to show a lot more than this. Stockport now lie sixth in the division, a place where we’d expect City to at least be this time next year. It was an opportunity for the players to demonstrate they are good enough to reach this standard by competing against a side with a decent chance of playing League One football next season. Sadly too many fell short.
Omar Daley and Kyle Nix were punished for bad performances the previous week by losing their spots to Eddie Johnson and Paul Evans as Stuart lined City up in the 4-5-1 formation which has caused heated debate amongst supporters this season. Whilst criticisms about its negativity may be valid, this tactic relies on runners from midfield supporting lone striker Peter Thorne. Unfortunately City failed to find any rhythm going forward and, considering we had five in midfield, it was concerning how easy Stockport passed the ball through us as they enjoyed territorial advantage.
Joe Colbeck and Alex Rhodes were too isolated, though at least Colbeck showed willingness to come central for the ball and worked hard defending. The same can’t be said of Rhodes, one player desperate for a new deal this summer. Rhodes recently returned to the side with two impressive performances against Notts County and Rotherham, but we need more than two good games followed by two below average efforts and Rhodes has a lot to do in the final weeks to convince he should be part of next season’s plans.
Stockport, with Shaleum Logan and Liam Dickinson looking lively, dominated the first half and only Scott Loach prevented them going in front with a string of impressive saves. Defensively City played reasonably well with Darren Williams, recalled after Ben Starosta was ruled out through illness, looking solid on his return. There were some impressive blocks and defensive headers which showed commitment was not a quality lacking at the back at least. A couple of wild shots from distance were the only attacking response from City and the half time whistle was a relief.
Many of City’s away games this season have featured dull first halves, so it wasn’t a complete surprise when we took the lead seven minutes into the second. A long ball forward was cleverly controlled by Thorne, who then did well to lay it into the path of Colbeck. The in-form winger charged into the area before been tripped by County keeper John Ruddy, leaving the referee with no choice but to award a penalty. With Barry Conlon on the bench and most City fans desperate for Thorne to take over duties, City’s top scorer looked nervous as he placed the ball on the spot. He duly despatched his 11th goal of the season to set up the platform for a fortuitous win.
Yet City still couldn’t get going and continued to invite County to apply heavy pressure. Loach made a string of impressive saves and Stuart brought on Daley for the ineffective Rhodes. The Jamaican has previously shown he’s a useful player to give the ball to when City are in a narrow winning position and the opposition are throwing players forward, unfortunately the defensive side to his game is still inadequate. Daley half-heartedly tracked back but failed to deny Logan space and his low cross was fired home by Anthony Dickinson.
Ten minutes later County edged in front through Michael Rose’s superb free kick from the edge of the box. It was rough on Loach, who seconds earlier had made his best save of the afternoon by denying Dickinson when through one-on-one, yet no more than his team mates deserved. Surely City now had to start forcing some pressure to get back into the game? Yet attacks in the final stages remained sporadic. Colbeck, who put in another decent performance, sent over a superb cross after Daley’s charged down shot had fallen to him and David Wetherall, thrown up front in desperation, had a free header and the whole goal to aim at. Incredibly he put it wide.
As we trooped out of the ground while listening to the odd City fan muttering that Stuart “hasn’t got a clue”, I couldn’t help but feel jealous of County. The final whistle was greeted with huge cheers from home fans and their players and manager Jim Gannon savoured the moment by staying on the pitch for a few minutes to soak up the applause of an important win. I wasn’t just envious that they can still dream of an extended end to the season, but of the spirit around the place which was evident. They had some decent players and their determination in battling on even after they had fallen behind impressed. They kept playing the right way and were ultimately rewarded. It’s a spirit which is sadly missing with City at the moment.
It’s easy and predictable to blame all of this on Stuart, but where’s the personal responsibility from those paid to play for Bradford City? The reality is that Stuart is stuck with this bunch of players until the summer, only then can he bring in better players. Sounding characteristically downbeat in defeat, an honest Stuart took responsibility for the tactical switch of bringing on Daley which failed to work. It’s another hard lesson to take on board; but if Stuart is going to make mistakes he’d be as well to do so now and learn from them for next season, which is surely the time to judge him. The manager left no doubt he will be making changes for next season and those players who wish to remain part of his plans will need to prove themselves in these final 12 games.
Not just prove they are committed, but that they have the ability to take this club forward. As Barry Conlon came on with ten minutes remaining to be met with a chorus of boos from some fans in the away end, there was a timely reminder that 100% commitment, woefully missing a year ago at the Galpharm, is only the minimum requirement. There are big question marks hanging over whether a number of current players are good enough to help City to a better shot at promotion next year, they’d be advised not to start dreaming of their summer holidays yet.