Game Summary:
Plenty of four-letter words would have summed up this latest shambles quite aptly.
Stuart McCall, for public consumption at least, chose one with three: Why?
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Match Video and Picture Links
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Highlights (UK only) Virgin Media
http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/VIDEO-SLIDESHOW-Bradford-City-1.3880682.jp
Bradford: Loach, Williams, Wetherall, Moncur, Heckingbottom, Colbeck (Topp 68), Evans (Penford 62), Johnson, Rhodes (Daley 71), Conlon, Thorne.
Subs Not Used: Bower, Nix.
Goals: Conlon 45.
Mansfield: White, Jelleyman, Baptiste, Buxton, Mullins, Atkinson (Louis 64), Dawson, D'Laryea (Martin 90), Hamshaw (Briggs 76), Michael Boulding, Arnold.
Subs Not Used: Rory Boulding, Wood.
Goals: Arnold 14, Michael Boulding 51.
Att: 13,611
Ref: Scott Mathieson (Cheshire).
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Match Stats
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BCFC Report (from the
T&A )
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Shambolic City incur wrath of McCall
By Simon Parker
City 1 Mansfield 2
Plenty of four-letter words would have summed up this latest shambles quite aptly.
Stuart McCall, for public consumption at least, chose one with three: Why?
A whole lot more had been said behind the home dressing-room door, which would have been bending on its hinges from the heated invective in the half hour after the final whistle.
But McCall admits his script for a 30-minute lock-in needs refreshing. Like a stuck record, he is left saying the same things to the same culprits every other week.
There was only one change from the side that had scrapped to victory at Chester three days before, yet City played like strangers.
The ghosts of Dagenham, Bury and Rochdale were back in force. Once again, McCall had to concede that the opposition wanted it more.
Imagine how that must hurt such a proud warrior; someone whose commitment for the claret and amber cause could never, ever be questioned.
Now he currently finds himself guilty of association with a group of under-achieving players who seem content to bob around mid-table.
That is McCall's view and he finds it totally unacceptable - and when he reaches the point of wishing the rest of the season away, you know the scale of his frustration.
Never one to throw the towel in as a player, he finds himself in the horrible position of effectively doing exactly that in his first term in management.
His old Sheffield United boss Neil Warnock used to keep out-of-contract players sweating until the last minute. It was common for him to hide the retained list under wraps until the Monday after the season was finished.
McCall has been tempted to follow the same route, arguing that hungry players are effective players. Seeing the way Omar Daley's performance has slackened off since penning his new deal in January was a warning against allowing others to slip into the comfort zone.
But nobody would blame the City chief if he changed his mind and told those he wants out the door to start packing their kit bags.
The players can hardly argue they have not been given enough opportunities. Every fan will agree that McCall has been more than fair with a side that has been wedged in the bottom half of League Two since late September. What has he got in return?
Ronnie Moore used to moan about inconsistent performances that were Real Madrid one week; Fray Bentos the next. City's displays alter by the half.
When asked about setting a target for the remaining ten games, McCall simply shrugged: "I can't even set them a target for the next 45 minutes.
"You see a performance like the Rotherham game the other week and think that maybe we're only a couple of players off a decent team. Then you have a game like that and see we're miles away."
McCall had laughed on Friday when somebody suggested to him this was a home banker. In this division? Here?
But don't take anything away from Mansfield, who - like Dagenham a fortnight earlier - turned up brimming with the determination of a side fighting for their lives. Their neanderthal "Eng-er-land" followers aside, everything about their game was spot on.
In Michael Boulding, the Stags also possess a livewire striker who spells constant danger for defenders. He was much admired in City's corridors of power before Saturday; if available, the former Yorkshire county tennis player would surely be an ace in McCall's pack.
Boulding fittingly set up the first Mansfield goal and then notched the winner; a scruffy finish to settle a scruffy game.
Football is never much fun to watch in swirling rain. The joyless performance of their side just added to the misery for the suffering Valley Parade faithful.
Boulding had already had a sighter at goal when Mansfield went one up after 15 minutes.
He totally wrong-footed Darren Williams on halfway with a clever dummy before slipping a pass inside TJ Moncur to strike partner Nathan Arnold. The youngster's shot clipped David Wetherall and flew past Scott Loach from 20 yards out for his first strike since November.
As the grumbles from the stands began to materialise, City should have fallen further behind. It was Boulding again running in unseen to meet a cross by John Mullins but putting his free header wide of goal.
That let-off inspired some kind of resistance, Barry Conlon testing Mansfield's second-choice keeper Jason White with a curling left-footer, but in truth the save was more spectacular than it needed to be.
White, making his first start since October, looked edgy and constantly opted to punch rather than catch - but inevitably it was a sky-blue Mansfield shirt that always picked up the loose ball as City rarely threatened to exploit his unease.
Paul Evans and Eddie Johnson had done a fine enforcing job at the Deva Stadium but when McCall challenged them to back it up on Saturday, the duo came up short.
They were not alone in another awful first half. The front pair struggled to hold the ball up; the wingers never ran at their markers; the full backs were uncomfortable against Mansfield's breaks - and yet City somehow went into the break level.
Two minutes into added time and Will Atkinson was penalised for a high challenge on Johnson. Paul Heckingbottom whipped the free-kick into the box and Conlon's header caught White in no-man's land as it looped into the top corner.
It was tough on Mansfield but City, given such an unexpected break, should have capitalised. Instead they allowed the Stags to regain their advantage within six minutes of the restart.
Arnold's deep cross was not dealt with as it dropped to Stephen Dawson by the penalty spot and then fell into the path of Boulding. His connection was hardly the best as the ball squirted against the near post before rebounding along the line and nestling in the netting the other side.
City's response was frenzied at times as Mansfield were penned into their own half but frantic pressure did not produce enough clear-cut openings.
Wetherall's deft header from a corner landed a yard or so the wrong side of the far post. Then the best fell to Willy Topp, engineered with a great turn and step-over, but a wild thrash into the Kop ensured the Chilean's frustrating wait for a first City goal goes on.
His team's performance had been equally awry all day.
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Opposition Report
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Official match report
n/a
Misc. Report(s)
http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/VIDEO-SLIDESHOW-Bradford-City-1.3880682.jp (inc. slideshow as above)
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Post match reaction
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We owe it to fans to keep battling to end – McCall
STUART McCALL has warned his Bradford City side that they are playing for their futures.
They have no chance of being relegated and little hope of forcing their way into the play-offs.
City won at Chester on Wednesday but, with little seemingly to play for, the fear is that the players could start to meander towards the close season.
McCall, however, already has an eye on the 2008-09 campaign.
He said: "We have to focus on what we have got to do to get better. We have 10 games of the season to go and everyone is playing for their future. I was disappointed with our performance at Stockport – we were outplayed by a better team – but we did bounce back with a win against Chester. We have been too inconsistent and that cannot be allowed to happen again next season.
"The important thing is to finish strongly, get as far up the table as we can and then make sure we do better when it all starts again.
"Our supporters have been brilliant, both at home and away. The numbers we have had following us have been more than most promotion-chasing sides get. Unfortunately, we have not been able to give them what they want or deserve."
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Furious McCall reads the riot act
By Simon Parker
Fuming Stuart McCall today rounded on his misfiring players and demanded to know: "Do you really want to be here?"
As he picked through the wreckage of a fourth home loss in five games, the City chief admitted: "I wish the season would end now."
McCall was livid with yet another no-show from his side as they slumped 2-1 against second-from-bottom Mansfield.
And he warned his squad, most of whom are out of contract in June, that his patience has run out.
McCall blasted: "There were five or six players out there who's contracts are up in the summer. Performances like that only make my job easier.
"The ball is in their court. If they are selected, they've got to go out and show they want to be here next season.
"Maybe they don't want to be here. They tell me they do but keep performing like that as individuals then they won't be.
"It's draining saying the same things. I was in the dressing room for 30 minutes afterwards but it's hard to know what to tell them; it's deja-vu.
"But my job is to provide the answers and this season can't finish quick enough for me so I can get to work in the summer and bring players in."
Maybe they don’t want to be here. They tell me they do but keep performing like that as individuals then they won’t be
Stuart McCall
City remain stuck in mid-table with ten games to go of a campaign that McCall has written off. He is already planning ahead to next season when fans can expect major changes in personnel.
"I hate having nothing to play for and that will be the case now," he added. "It's been such a disappointing season.
"A victory on Saturday could have lifted us into the top half but it's as if we don't want to take that step up. There were too many under-performers yet again.
"We can't keep putting in performances like that at home. The fans keep turning out and they are as frustrated as me.
"There are times I wish I could get out there and do something about it myself. But the only time I will be able to do that is in the summer.
"It's a sad thing to say but the end of the season can't come quick enough for me."
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Other reports
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Sutcliffe signs for City
By Simon Parker
Ian Ormondroyd and MP Gerry Sutcliffe are hoping to cash in on the Community Foundation's new charity status
Sports minister Gerry Sutcliffe has thrown his government weight behind City's community efforts.
Sutcliffe, the Bradford South MP, has joined the board of the club's newly-rebranded football in the community department, which has been given charity status.
The scheme is now known as the Bradford City FC Community Foundation and Ian Ormondroyd believes the improved financial support will enable them to tap in to the hard-to-reach groups in the area.
Community officer Ormondroyd said: "Becoming a charity means we are able to go for grants and certain pots of money that we wouldn't have qualified for before. We are looking to do more work in the community in areas such as people on estates, women and girls and those in poor areas.
"Getting Gerry on board is a real boost for us. He is a City fan and has always been very supportive of the work that we do.
"We're hoping to make the scheme bigger and also try to encourage more people to come to games. A lot are still unaware that any child in a primary school can get in the ground for nothing because under-11s go free."
Joint-chairmen Julian Rhodes and Mark Lawn are also on the foundation board as well as company secretary Alan Biggin, who will act as chairman, Jean Calvert and Bradford & Bingley's Paul Mitchell.
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Season Ticket Latest
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Lawn concern as fans fail to buy in to scheme
By Simon Parker
Mark Lawn has moved to clear up any confusion over the season-ticket offer
It's not just the manager who is already looking ahead to next term.
The new season-tickets have been on sale for just over a week now.
There has been no immediate rush at the box office - another dire home defeat on Saturday is not the best incentive to book early - with the current figure hovering around 2,200.
The vast majority of those were snapped up during the December price freeze.
City's target is to match the current 9,000 adult take-up which, when achieved, will trigger Julian Rhodes' ground-breaking two-for-one offer.
But joint-chairman Mark Lawn believes some fans have been confused by the prospect of receiving a free season-ticket on top.
And instead of acting as an even bigger incentive to snap up the cheapest prices in the Football League, the scheme may have lulled people into thinking they can sit back and do nothing.
Lawn said: "I don't understand why but there does seem to be a little bit of confusion about the deal. People are holding back and wondering if there is a catch or something.
"There are no smoke and mirrors; this offer is simple. We're not trying to trick anybody.
"We need to get 9,000 adult season-ticket holders by June 15. If we don't do that, then nobody is going to get a free one - it's as simple as that.
"For those who are waiting to see if they will get a free one, the message is straightforward. It won't work.
"Logically, if everybody waits then it doesn't take place. And if everybody just buys one between two then we only get 4,500.
"For some reason or other, this seems to have gone beyond the offer stage and some people are confused into thinking they will just get given a free ticket. But we have to get 9,000 first."
Season tickets, if bought before the deadline, will cost £150 or the equivalent of £6.50 per game.
Lawn added: "Even if we didn't reach 9,000, which we are sure we will, then it still works out ever so cheap.
"Get to the target and that makes it just £3.25 a time. It's simple.
"I can't see why there is a problem and anyone can be confused. But my door is open and I'll always answer the telephone, so if people are genuinely worried about something then just get in touch."
City have imposed the price deadline to give them as much time as possible to rehouse fans if they suddenly have double the number to deal with. After June 15, season tickets will double to £300.
The mechanics of moving fans round the stadium to keep them together will be tricky but Lawn is confident that a satisfactory seating arrang-ement can be reached before the new campaign kicks off in August.
"The logistics are obviously complicated, which is why we want the 9,000 mark to be hit as soon as possible. The earlier we can do that, the more time we all have to discuss who can sit where. Again, we will do all we can to accommodate what people want.
"I was talking to a lad at the gym the other day who sits at the bottom of the Sunwin Stand in a group of five. He was asking what would happen if they all got free ones and where could they sit together.
"I told him we'd be opening a section at the top of the Sunwin and if he'd fancy moving up there, which would give us the room for all ten. That would also leave five spare seats at the bottom that someone else can take.
"We aren't going to move people around and around just for the sake of it but we will sit down with them to find a suitable area for them to go.
"First, though, we have to get to the 9,000 or none of this will happen."
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This match report available online at The Texas Bantam Blog
