Match Thread Bradford City vs Leicester City - EFL Trophy

Fair comment Dave. It was an entertaining game tbh. MH will have learned a fair bit from the exercise.

 

We insist on playing out from the back as that is what we do in the league. All teams should do it throughout the club, academy etc. It would be bizarre to say to a side who want to be first team players do differently to what the first team do. There is a reason to do it. Not all the time admittedly but the vast majority. When you have pace in your side you want it stretched. Especially at home.

 

Considering the opposition?

 

Ryan East?

 

As Hughes has said in the T&A this morning, it was an opportunity to try something different. I’m happy for us to play out from the back, if we play forward when the opportunity arises. What we see time and retime again from Crichlow in particular, is a half turn back to the keeper, across to the right back, a panicked pass back to Lewis for him to launch to Cook who more times than not is beaten by the centre half. Crichlow should be looking to feed into one of Gilliead, Smallwood or whoever is playing the 10 role, but again, as Hughes has often said, we need to be braver on the ball and I read that as playing too safe by passing back for the sake of it.

For me it’s one of the reasons we let teams back into the game because more often than not we looked panicked and not in control of the play.

 

This is Bradford. Fans need a scapegoat to vent their life's frustrations on. The nearly season with McCall etc the likes of Law got so much stick. It's weird but inevitable

 

You sound like Alan Hansen

 

Disagree. A full season playing against robust, men. Might struggle at first but by the end of the season they would be running rings around most teams. That's exactly why they want their teams playing in this competition. Technically superior but lack the nous. That would come quickly with games. So I massively disagree with finish bottom comfortably.

 

I’ve taken a screenshot of the Leicester lineup. I’ll check back in 5 years to see where they all are.

 

Fair dos Kev. It was a poor penalty from someone who obviously isn't used to taking them. For what it's worth I thought Gillieads was even worse, even though he scored. I though Harratts looked like a proper pen.....but he missed!

In answer to your question, I would have given Sutton a strong 6. Not brilliant but not shocking either. He does what he does and MH knows what he is getting. I didn't think Hendrie was terrible either, although I agree the winger did skin him early in the first half, but he learned and after that I thought handled him better.

I agree with the rest! although I thought East faded a bit more second half.

Critchlow annoys the hell out of me. For someone with so much footballing ability he seems to be the one who slows our play down more than anyone else on the pitch.

There you see. We can agree on some stuff . Can't beat a bit of banter.

 

Spot on. I watched Man City closely on Sunday ( I know, I know) who are the best exponents of playing it around the back , as are Liverpool, and 9/10 the ball ends up with the midfield, not wafted over their heads. That’s where the Smallwoods, Gilly and the No10’s come into it to receive that ball from the back line. Just watch them , they have it perfected. Even at our lower grade of football we should be brave enough to try it?

 

Running rings around teams? Absolutely no chance. There's a reason a lot of these academy lads fall away and fail to realise the potential people see when it's strictly technical based matchplay.

If it was as simple as you suggest all clubs would simply loan out these players for a full season and they'd come back ready made players. The reason they don't is because the majority aren't developed physically enough to handle a full season and there will also be a question of technical development depending on the club chosen for the loan spell.

This Leicester lot, the team that played last night, would finish bottom. Unless you think after half a season they're going away to physical and long ball sides like Stevenage, on a boggy pitch and dominate them with tika taka football?

 

The point is of course play your football but the trouble is against pressing teams it is not always possible so mix it up. One of the best teams in premiership history Man United under fergie played great football but also hit long balls from the back and from the goalkeeper at times.

 

Fair do's can't argue with any of that. I would want my centre back to potentially move forward with the ball. Draw out the players. I would have thought Smallwood would do that. I still think loosing Watt was a big loss. He would be blossoming at the moment

 

Manchester City do it now with Ederson.

 

The centre backs moving forward with the ball was a big highlight last night I thought.

Clearly with 3 centre backs it's probably less risky than in our usual set up but if you can get a ball carrier from the back it can be very useful to open spaces up as one of the opposition is dragged out to engage.

 

I’ve posted before about the number of times our centre halves (especially Platt) have had 10/15 yards clear space in front of them to move in to but seem a bit reluctant and play either the easy sideways ball or back to Lewis.
Crichlow has done it a couple of times but neither of them have done it on a regular basis.

 

I am all for hitting a long ball up front IF the right man is up there to do something and most of the time Cook struggles with it think Oliver would be a better bet if we where to switch that way ............. I think in the long run the passing game will have its rewards ......... once the winters gone and squads are struggling they may not be able to cope with us who will be probably still rotating our squad

 

A long ball doesn't have to mean a punt to a big strikers head?

 

Interesting question @Kevin1954 , or anyone really.
Who do you think will be on the bench on Saturday......Sutton or East? Taking its a given Gilly will start with Smallwood