Another game, another point on the board. There were many talking points, as there always is. Bradford has not been a happy hunting ground in previous seasons, and I for one, would have taken a point before the game. However it did feel like a case of points dropped and that a point really didn’t feel right. Time to dig in, and take a look at some of the elements from last nights game.
Is there a Nurse in the house? Oh Yes there is!
What a goal from the young Left-Back. He has really grown in his run in the team. He is really proving a driving force at the moment. Many fans were worried that Pring would be tough to replace, and that getting a loanee from Bristol City, in the same position, wouldn’t work out as well. I will admit, I was slightly concerned that City wouldn’t have had a player as good, who is a similar age in the same position. I was wrong. Nurse is becoming a growing presence in the team, and defensively he has shown consistency too. He has kept us ticking over on the left hand side of the pitch, which takes me on to my next point quite nicely.
Where has Wes gone?
Let’s face it, Wes has not hit the heights that he did last season. He has struggled to make an impact for longer than the odd half here and there so far this season. Last night I felt was a poor performance from a man who was our shining light at times last season. I feel that he probably realises that he isn’t making an impact and that the constant performances that he knows he can do. I feel Wes is taking too many touches, and trying to make something happen, rather than just playing a simple pass, and letting his natural talent shine through. Last night, he gave the ball away cheaply, and didn’t really help the attack.
Two points dropped
I have praised us before, for our fight back, and determination to come from behind to gain points. However last night, I felt our second half performance left a lot to be desired. I cannot really remember us looking to push on and grab a second goal. We struggled to gain a hold of the game after the break, and it is disappointing to say so. Bradford are a good team with capable players, but they didn’t outplay us. They had their weaknesses. We pressed well in the first half, and that forced them into errors, or cheaply putting the ball out of play. The second half we didn’t capitalise on the fact we were leading, and it felt like two points lost, rather than one gained.
Another game, another mistake
This is the third ‘Five Talking Points’ piece that I have done. So far, this is the point to feature in all three. It is another game where we have conceded a goal from an individual error. There was a debate as to whether the penalty should have stood, but the fact of the matter is, Robbo should not have made the run to try and collect the ball. Bradford’s striker had work to do from the header, and Robbo, until that point, had done well in goal, and we all would have fancied Robbo to save, or the header to go wide. However, he decides late on to charge out, and clatters the defender. It is an individual error that ended up being the goal that saw us finish the match in a draw. Whether you agree or disagree with the ref’s decision, unfortunately we have given him a decision to make, and let’s face it, League Two ref’s aren’t the greatest in the world, and when you give them a reason enough to give a pen, they often will.
Drawsall
It is a name that has been given to us after the high number of draws. I see it as both a positive, and a negative. There are a couple of the draws so far that we should have won, however there are a couple we could have easily lost too. Last nights draw will be seen as good or bad, at 5pm on Saturday. If we follow this up with a win, then it looks a very good point indeed. However, follow it up with a loss, and we will be annoyed that we didn’t see out the victory. I know that is true for many games throughout a season, but this feels like a moment that could see us have a great, or an OK start to the season.
Taking 14 points from 8 games is a good return, especially as I feel we have played a few teams that are going to be in the hunt for promotion. It is a PPG that suggests we will be where we want to be come the end of the season. 11 points from 8 games is not bad, but it is not great for a team wanting to hit the play-off’s.
So there are my five points, more of a mixed bad between good and bad this time. Let me know your thoughts, these pieces are there to try and get the conversation going. I hope you enjoy!
