Match Report 2002-2003

Saturday 23 November, 2002, Division One

Sheffield United At Valley Parade

Bloody awful

I can't write this match report on the game. If you want to read about the game try going here or here. Me I have enough misery in my life without going over losing like this blow by blow.

Instead this is a kind of state of the Bantams. Where so we go from this low ebb?

Five defeats on the trot tell there own stroy. This is a sorry team with too few quality players. The likes of Michael Standing are one dimensional lower league players. Good at areas of the game but negligent in others. Standing is a prime example. He passes well and can play a ball but he has zero defensive ability, a failing that can not exsist in the top divisions of the game.

Not that this is singling out Standing for critisism. He was one of many very, very poor players in a team that played poorly and was managed poorly. Nicky Law, who obvioulsy is responsible for the shambles on the field just as he got the credit for the team that could not lose eariler in the season, fails to get decent displays out of the majority of his charges. I simply do not believe that a manager can not control putting out an inbalanced team as Law does. He can make sure the likes of Paul Evans and Claus Jorgensen know to get goal side when City are under pressure.

Law is looking increasingly like a good youth team manager. He has an ability with his own younger players, Simon Francis making his home debut was good, but the senior pros do not respond to him no do his loan young signings. Harpal Singh, removed at half time, was poor. New keeper Boaz Myhill offered nothing Aidan Davision does not and threw in a Davo-style miss a cross that gave the Blades a fifth goal. Delroy Facey was better but never really looked dangerous. Andy Gray was played in almost every position and looked good in a few of them.

And frankly that is all I have a desire to say about the game. It was awful. City cannot do worse and after a fifth straight defeat you have to feel that better times will be around the corner even though you have no idea how that corner will be turned. The return of Peter Atherton? Jamie Lawrence bringing order into the orderless.

It is going to be a long winter.

Man of the Match

Do not make me laugh

No chance.

Bradford City Team