Bradford City vs Carlisle United, League Two, 7 September Match Report

A look at a slight grudge match

Why this game

Carlisle started it managerless and against a team in Bradford with whom a little competitive rivalry has developed. For Bradford’s part, there’s still the feeling they’re a big club at this level but this season’s iteration feels the least ambitious group they’ve had for the past couple of seasons.

On top of that, as someone originally from around Carlisle and who went to university in Bradford, it’s a match that’s somewhat evocative for me.

The story of the match

Carlisle could have been up within 60 seconds as the ball progressed up the right quickly from the back with Sadi playing a smart pass forwards to Vela overlappiing him and a good ball in found Charlie Wyke in space. Wyke isn’t in form yet and blasted wide and they’d be punished immediately. Harry Lewis played a slack pass to Mellish whose control let him down and Jamie Walker pounced as Mellish slipped attempting to recover. It was an easy pass in to Andy Cook and a tap in as a result.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, this began a period of Bradford dominance or, perhaps more appropriately, a period where Carlisle just couldn’t string passes together and they would look like a side whose confidence is utterly shot. Ben Williams would need a lengthy period of treatment for a knee knock and need taken off after an impact that seemed to leave him down, and eventually subbed, with a knee injury.

In truth, Bradford dominated the first twenty minutes with, save for that first 30 seconds moment, Carlisle’s only real foray coming from an Archie Davies cross that was too high but came back to Sadi, who drew a good save from the Bradford keeper. Shortly after, a Bradford freekick would be headed back across the face of goal by Cook and Sanderson blazed over when it was easier to score. Carlisle were generally playing the better football while also drawing up their own downfall through unforced errors.

Those errors slowly ironed themselves out and chances for Biggins and Jordan Jones showed the threat Carlisle possessed. And loose passing at the back soon gave Bradford a spell of chances, topped off by a Lewis save from a Sanderson shot coming on the back of a Carlisle loss of possession after passing at the back. Straight away, Carlisle’s passing would start to work, keeping the ball for a prolonged period and slowly working their way up the pitch resulting in a shot from Sadi.

The second half was quiet until a ball missed at the back allowed Wyke a first touch shot in a great position that he knocked against the post, allowing Bradford to recover. That set a good period for Carlisle going, with Cameron Harper forcing a corner after a free-kick on target. That corner resulted in Carlisle’s equalieser as Bardford keeper Sam Walker had one of the biggest errors of the season as a regulation catch somehow slipped from his hands and into the back of the net.

Bradford immediately tried to hit back - Cook forcing a save from a Thomas error, with Lewis pulling off an even better save from Sanderson with Walker screwing the third go wide. They would manage it in the 70th minute after a deep cross was blocked out to Wright and a ball back into Cook was headed away with authority.

Cook should have had a penalty a couple of minutes later but a blatant pull in the box was unpunished by the referee as Carlisle threatened to fall apart. And while they didn’t they also didn’t create anything worth writing about either save for a Josh Vela half chance in injury time. Bradford took three points, Carlisle took a performance that brought nothing but a bit of pride and the knowledge that at least they didn’t fall down the table.

Standout Players

Dom Sadi is a baller. I hesitate to describe Carlisle as him and ten jobbers, but when Carlisle were struggling, he was the one catalyst they had in the squad. His work may not have directly impacted the scoreline, but Carlisle (and Bournemouth) have a player there.

As for Harry Lewis, no doubt the focal point of many frustrations due to how he left Bradford and how he’s been at Carlisle, how did he cope? His double save early in the second half from Cook and Sanderson was fantastic, particularly the second save. He showed that his distribution is solid also, even if it’s fair to say he had an occasional habit of trying to recycle things too quickly, before his defenders were fully ready.

A special note has to go to the Valley Parade groundsman - Mellish’s slip was merely the most high profile of the incidents with palyers falling over. It happened a lot and, as a result, the game sometimes had a bit of a It’s A Knockout quality to it. While that in itself didn’t contribute to Ben Williams’ injury, you could easily have imagined a player needing time on the sidelines after a too sharp turn, etc.

Analysis

While I’d caution against taking too much from Carlisle’s performance given the managerial situation, it’s fari to point out a noted choice to try to pass around at the back which is all well and good. But it cost Carlisle a goal through Mellish’s slip up in the second minute and, as a result, Bradford sniffed blood every time they tried it for much of the first half. While it’s a valid tactic, it is fair to say that Harry Lewis was perhaps a bit ambitious with some of his passing or, at least, not on the same wavelength as those in front of him.

In a way, that’s probably the effect of being managerless in the sense that one of the notes from the owners was not necessarily results, but the passive nature of some of Carlisle’s defeats. This was a Carlisle performance full of players eager to do something. Unlike in previous games, Carlisle had runners, Carlisle tried to break lines and Carlisle made a lot of unforced errors early. The result was a performance that had the chances to win two games but the composure to deserve nothing.

When it comes to Bradford, their primary issue was being predictable. When not benefitting from errors, they seemed to have a gameplan of simply to get it out wide and aim for Cook. While that did bear limited fruit, it was not as effective as simply pressing high and waiting for Carlisle to shoot themselves in the foot. If they’re entertaining thoughts of the playoffs or higher this season, it’s hard to imagine those thoughts will get beyond dreams unless they’re less one dimensional - it may be an effective target, but it’s difficult to imagine them being able to make games comfortable without being able to unbalance opposition a bit more.

Signs for the Season

In terms of a positive for Carlisle, I’d say that the type of football they played was absolutely the direction they should be going in when it comes to appointing a new manager - the more they do it, the more comfortable and cohesive they’ll be at it and, importantly, the more they’ll create. Had they got a point, it would have been a deserved one.

But they look so short of goals, that’s going to be a concern. While these steps in the right direction can get everything else sorted, the last touch before the back of the net needs players in form and their goal was a gift, not good work.

For Bradford, it’s three points and that’s about it. For a city with more curry houses than any other food outlet (and I speak from experience here), it was all extremely meat and potatoes. Press sides, make sure you don’t look naive and aim for the big man. It’s not a footballing philosophy I subscribe to but it did enough for them here. Compared to Gillingham and Chesterfield, they’re definitely a notch below them and it’s hard to see them as viable promotion candidates until their play develops something to love about it.