Post-Match Thread and Ratings Bradford City 0-2 Southend United

[Yorkshire Blue]

The main reason why grant has (apparently) improved is down to his CM partner. Last season grant sat back and the midfield was built around Maccas strengths of whinging at the ref and blaming other people. However he didn't have the drive to do that last season (and if he wasn't getting paid that explains it, even if IMO it doesn't fully excuse it).

Easton generally sits back (although last night granty would allow Easton to push forward at times). Grant generally had a free role, and this played to his strengths, because he can shoot and can pass, he can also dribble which really infuriated the immobile Bradford midfielders.

The secondary reason, as you allude to, is that defensively we are more assured. Moshni likes to get tight and to step forward with the ball (a la Rio Ferdinand), and so having grant next to him is pointless... Let moshni play a forward ball to grant or Easton who are already 10 yards further up the pitch. Gilbert was exceptional last night, which was good because Hall hasn't got a defensive bone in his body. Moussa isn't a defender, but our left side was a weakness with young fullbacks generally so granty often got pulled across to help out.

We're playing a rather flatter midfield 4 this season. Part of the reason we can do this is that our central midfielders are more mobile than we are use to in recent years as Maher couldn't and McCormack seemingly unwilling to run. One of the things that I've enjoyed about this season was how our central midfielders actually get into the box. It took something like 45 games last season for a central midfielder to make those types of runs, yet Easton has already scored from that type of situation and Grant has been getting forward well as well.

Moshni is OK on the ball when he's given time, but looks uncomfortable with the ball at his feet when under pressure. Centre-forwards will be told to pressure him.

Grant also played on the right-hand side of midfield a fair bit last season, especially with JFC in the side, but I suppose this is Moussa's fault as well. FWIW Moussa is far, far better defensively than Hall.

 

[easton8]

Morris 7
Clohessy 6
Gilbert 7
Barker 8
Bilel 8
Easton 7
Grant 8
Hall 6
Simpson 8
Sturrock 6
Corr 8

Subs
Paterson 6, Prosser 7, Soares 6

 

[Rob Noxious]

We're playing a rather flatter midfield 4 this season. Part of the reason we can do this is that our central midfielders are more mobile than we are use to in recent years as Maher couldn't and McCormack seemingly unwilling to run. One of the things that I've enjoyed about this season was how our central midfielders actually get into the box. It took something like 45 games last season for a central midfielder to make those types of runs, yet Easton has already scored from that type of situation and Grant has been getting forward well as well.

Moshni is OK on the ball when he's given time, but looks uncomfortable with the ball at his feet when under pressure. Centre-forwards will be told to pressure him.

Grant also played on the right-hand side of midfield a fair bit last season, especially with JFC in the side, but I suppose this is Moussa's fault as well. FWIW Moussa is far, far better defensively than Hall.

Last season's midfield was lacking in any sort of incision or creativity even though Moussa had the skill and potential to provide this. It hardly ever happened unfortunately and I'm at a loss to explain why. Has the Moose trail run cold recently? Was it Leicester he last had a trial at? Any of you 'Moosers' know if he's with a club yet?

 

[palexander]

Last season's midfield was lacking in any sort of incision or creativity even though Moussa had the skill and potential to provide this. It hardly ever happened unfortunately and I'm at a loss to explain why. Has the Moose trail run cold recently? Was it Leicester he last had a trial at? Any of you 'Moosers' know if he's with a club yet?

He signed for Leicester and has played a couple of times for them already!

 

[Rob Noxious]

He signed for Leicester and has played a couple of times for them already!

Thanks, PB - shows how much I follow other teams! :nope:

 

[fredheim_holm]

He signed for Leicester and has played a couple of times for them already!

He came on as sub in the last two league games for them and played over an hour in their Carling Cup away at Reading.

 

[Pubey]

He came on as sub in the last two league games for them and played over an hour in their Carling Cup away at Reading.

By all accounts the Leicester fans have been impressed with him

 

[roots_maul]

Morris 7
Clohessy 6
Gilbert 7
Barker 7
Bilel 8
Easton 7
Grant 8.5
Hall 7
Simpson 7
Sturrock 7
Corr 8

Subs
Paterson 7, Prosser 7, Soares 7

A good solid performance- though Bradford did not look up for it at all.
Only one turnstile open, was slower getting in than at Aldershot, but worth the wait.10 out of 10 for True Blue on the drum- was a great atmosphere created by the Southend fans, was totally hoarse by the end of the night but celebrated with a quality Chicken Bhuna and a few more beers in Bradford that night.

Still not getting carried away, but here's hoping for a few more renditions of E-I-E-I-E-I-O...

 

[TrueBlue]

Morris 7
Clohessy 6
Gilbert 7
Barker 7
Bilel 8
Easton 7
Grant 8.5
Hall 7
Simpson 7
Sturrock 7
Corr 8

Subs
Paterson 7, Prosser 7, Soares 7

A good solid performance- though Bradford did not look up for it at all.
Only one turnstile open, was slower getting in than at Aldershot, but worth the wait.10 out of 10 for True Blue on the drum- was a great atmosphere created by the Southend fans, was totally hoarse by the end of the night but celebrated with a quality Chicken Bhuna and a few more beers in Bradford that night.

Still not getting carried away, but here's hoping for a few more renditions of E-I-E-I-E-I-O...

Cheers mate always nice to get some praise, hands are sore now!

 

[1966 and all that]

Also saw the goals on SSN, both really good goals. Corr took a lovely first touch, and then stayed very calm and composed to bury it via the inside of the post for the first, and Granty did well the keep the 2nd down as he hit it first time from outside the box! Agree with others about the sending off, there was no intention at all from Clohessy, just a slight tangle of legs as the Bradford player ran in front of him

Really looking forward to Gills and Torquay now, UTB ;)

Great performance - apart from the fact that if you get booked for kicking the ball away as Clohessy did, you deserve everything you get, even if the second yellow was marginal (which I'm not so sure it was). We would've shouted for the same outcome if it had been the other way around.

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

First in, last back (I reckon).

Got up there 2 pm on Fri, put tent up in camp site 10 miles north of Bradford, a little relaxation time then on to match.

What a superb performance. One of the best whole team efforts I've seen in a long while. Perhaps helped by Bradford being poor but we made them look cack due to our endeavour and quality. Nice to see no one switching off, 100% commitment and if I have to pick anyone Moshni was MOM with Granty a close second (a long while too since I've seen a SUFC player putting his foot on the ball, stopping to take a look and then pass on, and he did that more than once). Ratings:

Morris 7
Clohessy 7
Gilbert 7
Barker 8
Bilel 9
Easton 7.5
Grant 8.5
Hall 7
Simpson 7.5
Sturrock 7
Corr 8

Subs
Paterson 7, Prosser 7, Soares 7

Some good noise from the fans too, and well appreciated by the players at the end.

Anyway, stayed up in Bradford on Sat. Wanted to take SS Jnr to another match but he was not impressed so instead we visited the National Coal Mine museum (went down't pit literally some 140 mtrs) and then the media museum in Bradford. Both were well worth the visit, and free.

It was kicking off in Bradford yesterday, some NF gathering I believe and as a result tons of coppers. Stayed well clear. Would have been interesting if the NF had congregated around Baildon (a village on the north side of Bradford) as there were tons of bikers there having a fest. All made Suffolk seem rather quiet (which it is) when we got back around noon today.

A good trip. Subject to weather might plan a similar camping trip for Chesterfield.

UTB

 

[Pubey]

First in, last back (I reckon).

Got up there 2 pm on Fri, put tent up in camp site 10 miles north of Bradford, a little relaxation time then on to match.

What a superb performance. One of the best whole team efforts I've seen in a long while. Perhaps helped by Bradford being poor but we made them look cack due to our endeavour and quality. Nice to see no one switching off, 100% commitment and if I have to pick anyone Moshni was MOM with Granty a close second (a long while too since I've seen a SUFC player putting his foot on the ball, stopping to take a look and then pass on, and he did that more than once). Ratings:

Morris 7
Clohessy 7
Gilbert 7
Barker 8
Bilel 9
Easton 7.5
Grant 8.5
Hall 7
Simpson 7.5
Sturrock 7
Corr 8

Subs
Paterson 7, Prosser 7, Soares 7

Some good noise from the fans too, and well appreciated by the players at the end.

Anyway, stayed up in Bradford on Sat. Wanted to take SS Jnr to another match but he was not impressed so instead we visited the National Coal Mine museum (went down't pit literally some 140 mtrs) and then the media museum in Bradford. Both were well worth the visit, and free.

It was kicking off in Bradford yesterday, some NF gathering I believe and as a result tons of coppers. Stayed well clear. Would have been interesting if the NF had congregated around Baildon (a village on the north side of Bradford) as there were tons of bikers there having a fest. All made Suffolk seem rather quiet (which it is) when we got back around noon today.

A good trip. Subject to weather might plan a similar camping trip for Chesterfield.

UTB

Sounds like a really good trip. Glad the EDF/ANL didn't spoil your weekend too much. You have plenty of options around Chesterfield, with loads of lovely campsites in the peaks.

 

[Maroon Blue]

Sorry Suffolk, think we may be last back after staying with family in Manchester. Great game, apart from a slightly nervy opening five mins, completely bossed for first hour, should have scored more. Simpson best opportunity when clean through. Even last 30 mins when took foot off a bit, never looked like conceeding even when down to 10 men. A long time since that has been the case on our travels, where throughout last season we have conceeded in the second half after holding out to half-time, or were Bradford that bad?

Morris 7, how long and straight is his kicking after mildy.
Clohessy 7, excellent overlaps until sending off, showing needless damage of first card
Bilel 7.5, commanded at the back
Barker 7.5, invaluable experience next to Bilel
Gilbert 7, neat and tidy
Simpson 8, gets on with his work, good tackler and gets forward in good positions, reminds me of Kevin Kilbane
Easton 7.5, best game for me, lets Grant get forward, did get done for pace on his booking
Grant 8.5, why was he not in team of the week, wins so many free kicks by holding the ball to alleviate pressure
Hall 7, good outlet and seemed to go down the line more than Soares taking on the full back
Sturrock 6.5, held the ball up most of the time, although did lose possesion a couple of times
Corr 7.5, ran his socks off and scored again, may get into double figures this season, if form continues

Subs all 7, did their jobs when came on, Patterson looked dangerous, Prosser held the ball well on left midfield and Soares equally on the right to see the game out.

Well worth the trip and the cheeseburger meal deal at the local chippy for £2 incl chips and drink made up for the cost of entrance £140 for 4 adults and 5 juniors and 6 hour journey on the M1.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Just this second got back into London following a rather eventful weekend in Yorkshire... Ratings first, then a few thoughts on the game.

Morris - 6 - Anonymous, largely due to the ineptitude of Bradford's midfield.
Clohessy - 6 - We've replaced Simon Francis with Simon Francis. Great going forward, but his positional sense and defending isn't as strong as I'd like. Silly second yellow.
Barker - 9 - If this is how good he plays at CB, leave him there. Read everything. That's how you combat a midfielder as creative as Tommy Doherty... Every time he passes behind you, you simply cut it out. Immense.
Moshni - 8 - Complimented Barker's intuition with sheer determination and power, and it was a brilliant partnership. Needs slightly better decision making... There were a few times when he probably shouldn't have committed and a few times when he should've lead with a leg and not his head, but if that's his second ever professional game then we're on to something.
Gilbert - 7 - Looked jaded after 60, but the signs were there of a very reasonable defender.
Simpson - 9 - Great performance. Good delivery, excellent work rate and never lost possession.
Easton - 8 - Sat in the hole and didn't let much past him. Distributed it cleverly to either Simpson or Grant.
Grant - 9 - MOTM - Rejuvenated under Sturrock. Looks every bit the part of a box-to-box midfielder. Fantastic engine, clever in taking the foul and a well taken finish, keeping it low in the corner. There was one point where nobody was moving for the pass, so he kept the ball for 10 seconds until someone steamed in, drawing the foul. Genius.
Hall - 7 - Bit of a headless chicken and needs to take on his defender more. Hunt kept him pretty quiet, but Hall made sure Hunt couldn't get forward as much as he'd like, which cancelled a lot of Bradford's movement.
Sturrock - 8 - Think a few people need to eat their words and admit he's nowhere near as bad as first thought. No, he isn't going to score goals, but he's not in the side to score goals. His first touch is very good and he holds the ball up well for on-running midfielders.
Corr - 8 - Lead the line brilliantly. Lucky with the goal, but he deserved it.

Subs - Didn't have much to do to be honest. Bradford had admitted defeat long before they came on.

Sturrock/Widrington - 9 - Great team selection, great tactics. Very impressive performance and they looked considerably fitter and sharper than Bradford, having stayed up in Yorkshire.

TB - 9 - Great drum work.


As poor as Bradford were, I think it'd be very harsh to detract from what was an excellently fought and contested win.

Clohessy needs games in order to work on his positional sense, as he gets sucked inside too often and he's left chasing the winger, which led to his second card. This can all be worked on mind, and it's nothing to lose sleep over when Barker reads everything anyway. Barker was absolutely superb, he's an absolute must-sign in my book as that was as commanding a performance from a centre-back as I can remember. Same goes with Simpson... he was tireless on the wing, at the back and through the centre.

Some might question the nepotism of it all, but this system is built around Sturrock's ability to hold the ball up. He controls it well, keeps the ball long enough to bring in his team mates and then moves into position to feed off any rebounds. It suits his game down to the ground and, given the team PS has assembled, it suits us brilliantly too.

Not bad for a collection of players not good enough for League football who nobody else wanted, I guess...

 

[OldBlueLady]

Grant - 9 - MOTM - Rejuvenated under Sturrock. Looks every bit the part of a box-to-box midfielder. Fantastic engine, clever in taking the foul and a well taken finish, keeping it low in the corner. There was one point where nobody was moving for the pass, so he kept the ball for 10 seconds until someone steamed in, drawing the foul. Genius.

I think this is absolutely the key to why Granty is doing so well, he's enjoying his football and the position he's playing rather than having to cover so many positions and players as he did last year. Yes, he is a very useful utility player at times, but at the bottom he's a great central midfielder.

 

[turkishm]

I think this is absolutely the key to why Granty is doing so well, he's enjoying his football and the position he's playing rather than having to cover so many positions and players as he did last year. Yes, he is a very useful utility player at times, but at the bottom he's a great central midfielder.

Nail on head, with no cover at all last season, he was expected to fill in right back, central defence,right wing,and holding midfield, which most thought was his best postion, and all the time as it has turned out that attacking midfield seems to be where he is best.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Nail on head, with no cover at all last season, he was expected to fill in right back, central defence,right wing,and holding midfield, which most thought was his best postion, and all the time as it has turned out that attacking midfield seems to be where he is best.

Unfortunately, he was always going to be pigeon-holed as an anchoring-midfielder because of McCormack's complete unwillingness/incapability to track a runner and intercept passes. It might not have been Grant's best role, but it was what was needed for the team at the time... Fortunately, we now have Easton and Simpson capable of operating that role, allowing Grant further up the field in a more industrious role, chasing the ball and causing havoc in the opponents half.

 

[shrimperian]

better late than never.....

Morris 7
Clohessy 7
Gilbert 7
Barker 8.5
Bilel 8.5
Easton 8
Grant 9
Hall 7
Simpson 8
Sturrock 8
Corr 8.5

Subs
Paterson 7, Prosser 7, Soares 7