Match Report 2001-2002

Friday 08 March, 2002, Division One

Manchester City At Valley Parade

Calling time

This season, that promised so much and delivered so little, has finally come down to two things or, more specifically, two wins.

City need two wins in the next two months to amass 51 points that will probably see the Bantams safe from relegation. Once those two wins are in the bag this team has served it's purpose and can be done away with.

Geoffrey Richmond has already given Nicky Law the permission to break up the remains of the greatest ever City team and after this season that is ending with a gruesome drag away from relegation, who can blame him?

Of the team that started tonight one could argue that more than 50% will not be lining up for City next term. Alan Combe has done enough to suggest that he is worth signing. Andy Myers, missed when he was cruelly and telling crocked out of the game against Manchester City is useful. Wayne Jacobs is worth keeping.

Despite his age I believe that Stuart McCall could have another year but as with Gareth Whalley and Jamie Lawrence, it is hard to see a team that can fight for a place in the Premiership as having these three in as automatic first team choices. Danny Cadamarteri needs more help to be the player he will be, but has shown enough to suggest that he should be in the starting line up next term.

Lee Sharpe, Andy Tod, Eoin Jess, Juanjo, Claus Jorgensen. After the two wins are gained I do not see much reason to keep these players. Some of them, like Sharpe, could be brilliant, but too often they are not and this season has been about City trading on what could have been and not what is.

What was tonight was a decent City display. The midfield and forward line linked up better than usual, Eoin Jess coming in for Ashley Ward seeing to that, but that put the attacking balance off and City looked thin up front.

Manchester City went in with a half time lead after Andy Myers, who had started thus far, was put out of the game by a poor challenge from behind. Myers was missed as Darren Huckerby raced through the left side of the back four to score.

Huckerby was guilty of one of the finest misses of all time when he hit a post with an empty net in the second half. City threw much into attack and could have equalised before Jon Macken, making his debut for Kevin Keegan's side following his £5m move from Preston, swept in a second in injury time.

Manchester City look better prepared for the Premiership this time out than last. Good luck to them I guess. Keegan has them playing some good football and they are spirited enough. A long way off being massive but of a reasonable size nevertheless.

City on the other hand should be practising the art of tao. Too often thoughts are on the third step, not the first. To get a good team Nicky Law needs to use the GR given opportunity to start signing some "common sense players".

Common sense says that if you want pace in the team you need some guys under 30. Common sense says that if you want a team to pass well you have to get good passers. Common sense says that if you want to make a good team, you have to start signing good players. Nicky Law is no mug in the transfer market, any Chesterfield fan will tell you that. If GR is giving him carte blanche, he has a chance to show his metal.

His team at least, showed some metal tonight. Not brilliant but good enough to get two more wins and a draw of two to finish above twentieth.

After that a whole new world.

Man of the Match

Stuart McCall

Edged it over Gunnar Halle but McCall drove City tonight. If we have 11 young Stuarts...

City Team:

Combe
Grayson Halle Myers Jacobs
Lawrence McCall Whalley Sharpe
Jess Cadamarteri

Subs: Tod for Myers. Jorgensen and Junajo for Grayson and Lawrence.