Bantams 2008/09....A Review

My, does August 2008 seem a long time ago now. A great start to the season, three wins out of the first four games, seemed to indicate a season of unbridled success. The performances against Rochdale, a 2-0 win against a promotion rival, was soon surpassed by the 4-1 demolition of Exeter City. Peter Thorne was scoring for fun and Omar Daley looked unstoppable. But guess who is going forward to the play offs, and who is guaranteed to be playing there football in League 1 next year? Well it sure isn't us. We should have known that it wasn't going to be as easy as we expected, but boy were we in for a shock. We started drawing to many games at home, the defence started looking a little bit one paced, Thorney couldn't keep up his scoring rate and teams began to double team Daley. But still we kept ourselves in the hunt for a top seven place. As per usual, the weaker teams seemed to foil us, yet we put paid to our promotion rivals. The crunch game appeared to be Wycombe at home, they had been runaway leaders for the majority of the season, and we won 1-0, a result that left us just 2 points off second place, with a game in hand and a superior goal difference.

Our next game was a rescheduled encounter versus another rival, Darlington. It was an arse clenchingly cold night, that ended in a drab 0-0 score. But Omar Daley was carried off the pitch with an ACL injury which ended his season. Now I am not saying this was the moment all was lost. I appreciate that one player does not make a team, but it all went down hill from here on in. There were still 15 games left to be played, and the statistics tell there own tale. Four wins, two which were won with nothing to play for, and three draws. That is a paltry 15 points out of a possible 45. We managed to go goalless against Chester, a team relegated despite four teams being deducted at least ten points. A 4-1 loss to Barnet, who hadn't won a game since October. We played them in February. Bournemouth, Notts County and Rochdale gave our backsides a tanning, and the game was up. Even McCall threatening to quit if we didn't make the play-offs failed to raise the performance of the boys in Claret and Amber. Ninth place was our final position, which would have been worse if not for the points penalty suffered by Rotherham and Darlington for entering administration. A woeful finale to a season that promised so much.

Player of the Season
The official award went to young Luke O'Brien, one of the few bright lights of an otherwise dim season. But he wouldn't have been my choice. Peter Thorne was our top scorer, and got off to a tremendous start, before age and injury slowed him down But he wouldn't be my choice either. the player who until injury stood out most for me was Omar Daley. He isn't every bodies cup of tea, but the way our season fell apart after he was crocked shows his worth to the team. Yes he could make better choices when in possession, but let us not forget what level we are playing at. If he starts using his loaf more in dangerous positions, he will be off to a better team. He was our only player to be voted to the League Two team of the year. The fact is, he gives the team an outlet. His pace scares the living shit out of opponents, and his ability to carry the ball out of defence at pace prevents the team falling back on the long ball tactics, that once he was absent, put paid to our season. Honourable mention goes to Dean Furmin and Nicky Law.

Biggest Disappointment
Graham Lee looked brilliant during the Autumn months, but he lost his way badly at the business end of the campaign. I personally hold him to blame for the dropped points against Port Vale. His partner in the centre of defence, Matt Clarke, hardly covered himself in glory either. McClaren and Heckingbottom didn't live up to the hype either. Last years recipient of the fans player of the season, Joe Colbeck, was quite possibly the worst player of the year. Yes he is fast. Yes he gives it his all. But the plain fact of the matter is that he is useless. He is the kind of player that makes me wonder why I am sat here banging away on a keyboard instead of earning a crust as a footballer. But the biggest disappointment, by a country mile, is Stuart McCall. Don't get me wrong, I am not calling for head, yet. But some of the decisions he made, particularly in the most important games, made the mind boggle. Playing Steve Jones up front against Bury at Gigg Lane. The guy is a winger, and if you are going to play him up front, why then proceed to hoof the ball high into the night sky, against the tallest centre half pairing in the league? His continued use of Centre halves as right backs. Firstly Moncur, then Tom Clarke and finally Zesh Rehamn. All the while refusing to drop an obviously out of form Lee. Continually breaking up our most effective central midfield duo, Furman and Law, for no reason what so ever. I know he is learning, and the modern football world has fallen in love with idea of "Squad rotation," but we are not Chelsea or Manchester United, and for the run in, needed to be playing our strongest eleven. Let's hope he has learned his lesson, or next season could be a long one.

Away Day of the Season
One great one, we stuffed Grimsby 3-1 with ten men, and a whole lot of bad ones. We beat Rotherham, but me and Crespo nearly froze to death in the process. Darlington was wet and the pies awful. Bury a let down, McCall made some strange choices that night. Rochdale, who tore us a new a-hole. But the worst by a country mile was Notts County away. The players on that pitch stole a wage that Saturday. Should have stayed in Hooters. But there can be only one, and it wasn't a win. Brentford away, was a cold wet and miserable December afternoon. The first half was pretty average, but the second half was the most exciting 45 minutes of the season, Typical City mind. Equalise in 90th minute. Lose in the third minute of injury time. The ground was shabby, but had bags of character, and the fact that it had a pub on each corner of the stadium helped out no end.

Pie of then Year
The football in the lower leagues might not match the Champions League in either technique or glamour, but they sure do know how to make a mean savoury. Apart from Darlington, absolutely abysmal, pretty much everyone put in a good offering. The Bantams Steak and Kidney is among the best, but this season was all about two Lancashire towns that form part of Greater Manchester. It is to be expected, they lie deep in pie country, but living up to the hype is not always easy. Finishing as a worthy runner up is Bury. Gigg Lane is a dump, and its minuscule pie stand means lengthy queues, but it was worth the wait. The Cornish pasty was a little small, but stuffed to the brim with filling. The Steak and Kidney was even better. Dr Shotgun, who by the way loathes kidney, even agreed that it was good. But even this offering proved to be no match for the pies served just down the road in Rochdale. An article a few years ago had voted their Streak Pies the third best Footie grub in the land (It was beaten by a bacon roll and something non pie in Scotland), so held claim to serve the best in the land. And they just might be right. Served at the perfect temperature, the balance of steak and gravy was just right. The pastry was spot on, even and not to dry. And it was only £2. Magic. It will indeed take something special to usurp this slice of savoury heaven

So that's it for another year. A division we thought would hold us for one brief year, will be our home for at least a third. Already the budget has been slashed, and it is doubtful we will see the likes of Rhys Evans, who had a decent year between the sticks but was too expensive to keep, Mark Bower, Keith Gillespie, Super Barry Conlon, Paul Heckingbottom and Kyle Nixin the Claret and Amber again, all deemed surplus to requirements. Peter Thorne is out of contract, and it is doubtful we will be able to afford the services of Jones, Law and Furman, even if they became available. Offered contracts so far are, Colbeck (?), Bullock, O'Brien and Clarke. Rumour has Windass playing his swan song for us next season, but unless he comes for next nowt, I can't see it. Anyway, enough of the ageing tyros Stuart. If things are as tight financially as they sound, now is the time to start from the bottom up. Teams like promoted Exeter City should be what we aspire to become now, not a final pay day for players whose next career choice should be as a postman.