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Bradford City (h) - League - 26th February 2005

Reports and reaction from the 2004-05 season as Walsall finished 14th in League 1
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WarsawPact
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Bradford City (h) - League - 26th February 2005

Thu Feb 24, 2005 12:59 pm

Ha, got in first!

Weather forcast: Mix of rain and snow showers.

Walsall:
I expect 4312 formation if Jorge is OK in time, 4411 if he isn't. Merse to play in either case. One or both of the Taylor Twins to be dropped, depending.

Bradford News:
David Wetherall and Lewis Emanuel are both suspended.

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Magic Man Fan
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Thu Feb 24, 2005 1:38 pm

I'd be very disappointed if Kris Taylor was dropped but although Daryl Taylor has done well, I think if we went back to the 4-3-1-2 he'd be the obvious one to go.

I think we'll win this one by a couple of goals, either 2-0 or 3-1.

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WarsawPact
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Thu Feb 24, 2005 1:59 pm

I was just thinking that Surman might have to play if he was fit as part of the loan deal.


For City, Nicky Summerbee is out injured too.

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Thu Feb 24, 2005 2:06 pm

I am very glad that Weatherall is out if that is the case, as he usually scores against us at the death.

Hopefully 2-1 to the Saddlers.
Unfortunately, I expect us to play brilliantly for 35 minutes of the second half, be cruising at 2-0,then concede &, again as usual,play out the last ten minutes at the edge of our penalty area, completely surrender the initiative,& run down the clock in the most panic stricken manner with wild upfield clearances.

Why do we do this every match, (see my note on the Luton Match Report thread) ?

Or is it just me & I panic too much when we have a lead to hold onto?

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Magic Man Fan
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Thu Feb 24, 2005 3:21 pm

I think you're getting mixed up with last season. I can hardly remember us doing that this season.

We've nearly always gone behind at home and its been us coming back and finishing stronger.

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Thu Feb 24, 2005 4:09 pm

Granted, it was particularly marked last season, but I certainly feel that we have made life extremely difficult for ourselves in the last ten minutes of matches this season too.

Take Luton,Bristol & Huddersfield recently, when we suddenly changed the way in which we had been playing,& succumbed to what I feel is the Walsall disease of desperately trying to hold onto what we have,(thereby giving the initiative to the opposition), by suddenly changing from positive play in midfield & the attacking third of the pitch to a desperate defence strung across our 18 yard box with little outlet for relieving pressure.

Having watched 80% of our games this year, I can recall only three comfortable wins this season,(Luton & Chesterfield & possibly Port Vale), where we carried a positive attitude from start to finish.

I just feel that, when we approach the final whistle, we become over cautious & invite unnecessary pressure on ourselves.

This could,of course,also be a sign of my increased anxietyas the clock winds down as a result of our failure (once again!) l to take chances throughout the game & put clear water between ourselves and the opposition!

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Neil Ravenscroft
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Thu Feb 24, 2005 6:03 pm

Kris Taylor phoned in sick today and is doubtful, so is Jorge. Looks as if Robinson definately out, so as Merson said we would not be playing 4 5 1, expect either 4 4 1 1, with him playing off Matty, or Standing to come back and Surman play up front in a 4 3 1 2.

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Stu
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Fri Feb 25, 2005 9:44 am

It does show the lack of depth up front. We've only got 3 strikers in our entire squad and 2 are injured, I did think we may consider recalling Atieno but I spose if Jorge/Robinson aren't serious issues then there is no point.

Rather go 4-4-1-1 though I think.

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Neil Ravenscroft
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Fri Feb 25, 2005 1:27 pm

Match preview is now on line, along with the latest team news. They have severe problems at the back. Atieno, by the way, is being sent back by Chester, as they don't want to extend his loan.

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Stu
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Fri Feb 25, 2005 1:49 pm

I think thats his Walsall career up the swanny then, sent back by both Rochdale and Chester now.

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Neil Ravenscroft
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Fri Feb 25, 2005 2:53 pm

BBC Report:-

Chester to extend Elokobi's loan
Chester are to extend Colchester defender George Elokobi's loan spell while allowing Taiwo Atieno to return to Walsall.
Elokobi, 19, has impressed Chester boss Ian Rush enough to earn an extension into a second month.

Atieno, also 19, has scored once in four games for City and will be allowed to return when his month expires after Chester's visit to Shrewsbury.

Chester have failed to score in seven of their last nine league games.

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Neil Ravenscroft
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Sat Feb 26, 2005 7:01 pm

Match report now on line. Strange game. I thought we played better football in the first half than the second, but didn't look like scoring (mainly thanks to some appalling crossing, especially from Wright, who we worked into some wonderful positions). Everything was right until we had to play the ball into the box.
Second half we looked like scoring any time, but, on the occasions they got any decent possession, so did they. Finding the right balance is proving elusive.

Was anyone behind that free kick? Should Murphy have got it?

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Sat Feb 26, 2005 7:28 pm

Difficult to say about the conceeded free kick, being in the upper purple couldn't really tell. Initial thoughts were that Murphy was expecting a free kick on his left took a few steps that way and with the power from the striker was caught unbalanced and out of position.

I personally thought that with the formation beign 4 4 2 at the start of the match with two wingers playing, they would be the ones supplying the crosees and not the 90% that came from Wright. The kid is playing right back and gets foward into to so many good crossing situations during a game that the home fans constantly slate him for his crossing where as like today how many times did wrack/Surman get into a good crossing situation? Once for Surman, none for Wrack.

As the half wore on it was noticable that the two were not playing as wingers and playing very narrow and supporting the middle two rather than getting crosses in.

Why does zigor never get slated for the amount of poor crosses, his distribution today was far worse than wright's.

Merson needs to be more selfish and play himself at home and go to the new 4 5 1 he's found at away matches.

On another note i read in the programme that Guy Branston has signed for Oldham on a free. Would liked to have seen him a bescot with his no nonsence defending. Still only 26 and would have done a great job for us and maybe we could of gone to 5 3 2 which would possibly accomadate both merson and a stronger rear guard.

I'm sure i'll get slated for my opinion but oh well thats what message boards are for.

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Sat Feb 26, 2005 7:55 pm

Murphy...Not much to do - let in the free kick - but at least he moved this time.

Zigor...Average

Roper...Solid

Emblem...Solid - great header for the goal

Wright...Awful first half....great second half.

Wrack...Average, but worked hard....does exactly what it says on the tin

Standing...Worked hard, probably deserved MOM

Osborn....Did OK, good talker on the pitch I think, didn't do much wrong...but didn't make too much difference either.

Surnam...Good first half, unlucky to be the one subbed

Jorge...Worked hard, got in some good positions

Fryatt...A couple of good chances, still a little to easy to push off the ball (and still not fast enough)

Merson...Class today, made a big difference to second half, needs to play himself from the start at home, the flicks etc all came off today, and Wright was better with him around.

D.Taylor...First 3 touches, possibly the worst he will ever do, after that taqckled well and did OK - could do better!

Bradford - Poor

Referee - Very Poor, the free kick....wasn't!

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Burnside
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Sat Feb 26, 2005 8:49 pm

I thought the 4-4-2 looked solid enough. It wasn't as solid as that 4-5-1 I love but it did the job.

I didn't think anyone had a poor game. Simon Osborn took a while to find his range. Daryl Taylor also took a good 10 or 15 minutes to get up to pace but neither of them were diabolical.

Wright and Zigor also looked a lot better. Fryatt and Jorge didn't have the rub of the green. It was great to see Standing so busy. The prospect of him linking up with a full fit Kris Taylor would be interesting.

All in all it was a very good team performance. I thought Merson was wrong to change it in the second half. We were creating as many chances with 4-4-2 as we were with 4-3-1-2. The 4-3-1-2 just allowed them more space to cause damage.

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Sat Feb 26, 2005 10:18 pm

Can't win away, now we can't win at home. What a joke this football club has become. In fact what a joke all you lot have become. You are all so weak to accept this. No principles, no standards just WEAK. Not me though.

Which is probably why im at this present moment sunning myself in the delights of the carribean while you lot can't even afford to subscribe to the travel channell.

Anyways ill be back soon to reveal some hard facts about Walsall football club. My links have been working hard and this is News Of The World material (front page)

coxanddrummie

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Sat Feb 26, 2005 10:43 pm

I thought it was an excellent game, two good teams who like to pass the ball, and we deserved to win... however, it did illustrate perfectly the enormous challenge facing Merson.

The first half we were completely solid defensively and but for the free kick which in all honesty you would have expected Murphy to save (I couldn't possibly see from where I was but did he put the wall in the wrong place AGAIN?) we would have gone in without conceding... but going forward, despite all our possession, we couldn't get through their back line, relying on the full backs for all the crosses despite having two wingers playing. Wright has improved beyond recognition this season, but until he learns to cross a ball he may as well not be there, because it's certainly not for his defensive capabilities. I thought Standing was weak and Kris Taylor would have been a better option, though it sounds like he had a bit of an illness. We passed the ball around well but the final product just wasn't there.

So there's the first half's problem... we still can't create anything when Merson isn't on the pitch.

Second half Merson was entirely justified in bringing himself on, though I was surprised it was Surman and not Standing who went off (though with MErson and Surman playing together we'd probably just be too lightweight) and he made things happen from the word go. More of his passes seem to go astray than find their target these days, but even so the ones that do find their target put us in such wonderful positions that all can be forgiven. But with, effectively, three forwards, we had the usual problem of being overrun in midfield and becoming almost entirely reliant on Merson for all our forward play, and then opening up so much that Bradford always had a chance of getting a second. Once again we played some great football but all of a sudden looked as defensively frail as ever.

So there's the second half's problem... Merson comes on and instantly creates loads of chances for us but once again we're vulnerable at the back.

I think he's done well in the last few games fiddling around with things and finding out what will work next season, but he still hasn't found the perfect mix. We need to somehow blend the first half's defensive performance with the second half's attacking one, but how to do that with Merson in the team is a question which needs a wiser man than I to answer.

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Neil Ravenscroft
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Sat Feb 26, 2005 11:44 pm

I'll have a go! I agree with virtually every word and the answer to me has to be 4 4 1 1. There was nothing wrong with the first half line up that a decent ball into the box wouldn't cure and that's the only formation that would work with him in it and still having that width. By the way, you're also spot on - neither Wrack nor Surman were playing as out and out wingers.

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Leitao

Sun Feb 27, 2005 12:27 am

Leitao was absolutely awful.

He must be the worst striker at Walsall for many a year. Yes he runs after defenders in possession and sometimes wins it back. How many times does he run with the ball and fall over his own feet, looking round for a free kick that is never given.

He rarely looks like scoring and is totally wrong as a partner for Fryatt. We need someone like Robinson who is big and strong, doing nearly all his work in, or near the penalty box. Only problem with Robinson seems to be that he seems to have lost interest.

Could this be because Merson openly admitted he was being paid peanuts. Has he asked for more money as a result of his early goals and been refused a rise?

We definitely need someone up front to battle with the centre backs, especially playing 451.

PS Can any one tell me why I can not submit a message using my Username, Redalways. I get a refusal saying that the Username has already been used - yes it has, by me!! What am I doing wrong?

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Saddler Jim
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Sun Feb 27, 2005 12:48 am

I agree Neil,but we hav,nt got a real big target man to aim for. Andy Rammel was the last man to do this roll,he would simply hold a ball up, lay of to an attacking midfielding,tnen go himself,this would force the defenders back,this is why he scored so many goals,he was running past them in an onside position.the game is so simple but the players make it look so hard,it makes it very frustrasting to watch.as for todays game,we most certainly should have won,but we did not but that about the story of all the current season.so near but so far.

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Remember George Andrews

Sun Feb 27, 2005 1:13 am

Everybody remembers Alan Buckleys goals, but who remebers George Andrews. He probably scored 10, maybe 15 a season at his best. However he made Buckley the goal scoring machine.

It was a bit similar with George Kirby and Alan Clarke. We need an Andrews or Kirby to bring out the best in Matty Fryatt.

Redalways

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Sun Feb 27, 2005 2:24 am

Redalways you are nicked!!!
A fatal slip up - you are coxanddummie as per the above posts "Guest".

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Neil Ravenscroft
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Sun Feb 27, 2005 9:58 am

He's got a different IP address! Jorge did waste a couple of superb opportunities yesterday, notably when Osborn (Stonnall Saddler please note) found him with the pass of the season from 50 yards or so and he faffed about and didn't get on the end of it, so it finally dropped over his head! Oh for an Adi Akinbiyi or Jay Bothroyd, both of whom we tried for last season.

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Sun Feb 27, 2005 11:42 am

Was it me yesterday or was Fryatt extreamly selfish ?
I know he's a striker but I think he either holds onto the ball to long or takes another touch and rarely passes. We would have won yesterday's game if he had squared the ball to leitao or taylor who were in the 6 yard box awaiting a tap in. This was when Fryatt was set free twice and shot straight at the keeper from acute angles.
I know he's learning but he does not seem to look up or pass the ball often enough. Just seems to make bad decisions.

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Sun Feb 27, 2005 12:15 pm

Average performance but another rubbish result. Forget about Bradford's away record. For this game they had at least 3 of their better players out. And they are on a poor run including defeats to Blackpool and a thrashing by the Franchise. Many people have been fooled by our so called 'strong' home record. But we have only been convincing against Luton and Chesterfield. How many games have we scraped by the odd goal and how many times have we needed to come from behind? We have now in consecutive home games failed to beat Wrexham, Franchise and now Bradford

Defensively in the 1st half we were solid. The only surprise about their goal was that Murphy at least pretended this time to try and save the ball instead of his usual which is standing still and watching the ball go in from free kicks/long range shots. In the 2nd half the defense were stretched and showed that individually and as a unit they are not good enough to stop chances unless they are supported by a dour defensive formation. Bradford missed 3-4 great chances in the 2nd half. In midfield, we spent the match (especially in the 1st half) weaving pretty patterns without achieving anything until Merse came on. Would any other team leave out the player who creates 90% of their chances? No surprise who created the goal. Standing and Wrack did little and Surman for the 3rd successive home game gave another impersonation of the invisible man and thankfully was brought off at half time. Up front I can't understand the criticism of Jorge. He chased everything, was in the thick of every move, won tackles and won loads of flick ons. Not many have criticised Fryatt who did nothing except miss chances he should have easily put away. But the overiding impression of this match will be Wright who was pathetic even by his own standards. Time and again he either ran down the wing or was put thro and when in a great position would end up crossing an absolutely joke ball. I counted at least 10 wasted crosses by him alone. People around me by the end were shouting for him not to be given the ball as they knew he would waste it

Merse after the match apparently said he is going to play in home games. Does anyone not find it worrying in the slightest that we are approaching the end of the season and Merse still does not know his best team and still does not know what his best formation to play is? I was not surprised to see big empty spaces at Bescot for this game (attendance fell to below 5000) and unless things radically improve this summer, I will not be surprised to see gates slipping to 4000 next season

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ToeJoe Jnr
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Sun Feb 27, 2005 1:06 pm

Larry your not wrong mate, the win was lost yesterday from poor finishing, most of it on Fryatt's part. I am not knocking the lad, he still has a lot to learn and is probably our most accomplished striker at present. However I can't help thinking when I watch him sometimes that he thinks he is beter than he is at the moment. Saying that, as a striker you are paid to score goals, and to do that you need to shoot. Getting into those positions, you can't blame the lad for having a dig at goal.

I think the issue that has come from recent games, is how badly we lack a "parnership" up front. Fryatt & Jorge are not it. Come to think of it when was the last successful partnership we had. Jorge and Junior seemed to work well, Rambo never had a real partner (Walter, Brissett, Watson), the next one I can think of was Killer and King Kev!!!

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geoffwhiting
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Sun Feb 27, 2005 1:40 pm

Agreed Larry, Fryatt was extremely selfish. I don't care that he's supposed to be our most accomplished striker, if there's someone else in a better position to score, you lay it on for him, or at least try to.

Daryl Taylor was equally guilty of selfishness, losing the ball unnecessarily on numerous occasions. The comments about Mark Wright's crosses, well, spot on, they were at times truly pathetic, I even commented yesterday that he reminded me of Mark Rees - he was like a rocket to the bye-line but most of the time couldn't cross the ball to save his life.

The most annoying things for me though, apart from these two, were (1) the referee giving that foul from which they scored - it ws no foul - nor IMHO even close to being one and (2) our total lack of ability to find a pass to move us forward, such is our lack of movement. Can we please re-install the goal posts on the right and left wings, on the halfway line. Maybe then some more rapid progress towards the goals might actually come about for once.

Frustrated, so frustrated, by this result. And as someone has already said, 3 straight home draws against 3 rather poor sides, says it all really, we are where we are on merit, and there's not much "merit" about Bescot this season. Well below half-way again, will we ever make the top half again this season, apart from the odd over-night stay like after Bristol City?

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Neil Ravenscroft
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Sun Feb 27, 2005 1:54 pm

The only thing I'd say Geoff is that, in the first half, we'd have mullered them with any decent delivery from the right wing at all. For some reason, in the second half, we decided to give Armstrong more of a rest, even though it was obvious that Wright had the beating of him every time (why did Sheffield Wednesday ever pay all that money for him?) and that Taylor would have given him nightmares if he'd gone over that side..

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Neil Ravenscroft
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Sun Feb 27, 2005 2:08 pm

Anyone heard anything on how Wrack is, by the way? I assume he's injured, as they had a feature on Merson on "The Championship" this morning. They had mikes next to the dugout in the first half and you could hear Merson saying "we'll bring Andrew off at half time and Wracky after 5 minutes if he's no better".

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Sun Feb 27, 2005 3:00 pm

At least we looked like scoring when Merse came on in the second half.

Even though he only played the second half he was my man of the match.

Well done Paul Merson.

I'll be suprised if he is not in the top three when it comes to player of the season.

:roll:

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