2011 Prediction League; Game 3 Bradford City (home)

[Div3North]

Accrington Stanley

V

Bradford City

2011 Prediction League – Game 3; v Bradford City (home)

It’s a terrible truism, but goals do win matches; Bradford’s goalscoring (non) exploits last season – 43 in 46 League games – may well explain why they ended up a very worried 18th in Div 2, with the worst goal difference of anyone bar Lincoln and the hapless Stockport County, and a record of P46 W15 D7 L24.

It may also explain why manager Peter Jackson (previously the manager of both Huddersfield and Lincoln, and Chester City’s Player of the Season in 1995/6 – didn’t know that, did you? ) got rid of and/or signed up enough people over the summer to populate the City of Bradford (well, Bingley, at least). Among the departures were Omar Daley, Gareth Evans, Jon Worthington, Lenny Pidgeley, Scott Dobie and Ryan Harrison, shown the door at Valley Parade after a disappointing season in League Two, and that – plus the return to his parent club (Norwich) for Tom Ademeyi – meant that they only had two of their leading goalscorers (something of a courtesy title) left – 6’4” ex Guiseley striker James Hanson, and ex Ossett Albion, Farsley Celtic and Harrogate Town midfielder David Syers, and Syers suffered what may well be a medial ligament injury in a clash with ex North End keeper Andy Lonergan in Tuesday’s Cup defeat, and will apparently be out for at least a couple of weeks – one of three or four injury problems the Bantams currently have.

To fill up the ranks, he signed 23 year old striker Mark Stewart from Falkirk, former Carlisle and Bermudan international striker Nahki Wells, and Nialle Rodney – a 20 year old striker from Notts Forest (for whom he made 3 substitute appearances last year, before being loaned to Burton Albion (where he made three substitute appearances); guess how many substitute appearances he’s made this year? Right - three! On Thursday last they signed Watford winger Michael Bryan on loan until January; although London-born, he played for N Ireland as a sub against Turkey in May 2010

Never a club to do things by halves (they have a playing squad of 32), they loan-signed Martin Hanson, the Danish u21 Liverpool reserve keeper, and when Liverpool refused to let him play in the Carling Cup tie at Leeds on Tuesday, they promptly went out and signed (on loan) Spurs’ Swedish u21 reserve keeper Oscar Jansson, and played him instead; I wouldn’t mind, but they already had two keepers in the squad ……….. Jansson, by the way, was on loan at Northampton Town last season, and played against us in the goalless draw at Sixfields in August 2010. Anyone know the Swedish (or the Danish, come to that) for “Over ‘ere Son, on me ‘ead!”? Add two more signings from Falkirk (who must be sick of the sight of Bradford scouts) – winger Jack Compton (on loan), and defender Chris Mitchell – 18 year old defender Liam Moore from Leicester, ex Bolton right back Andy Burns (18) and former Man U, Hartlepool and Oldham midfielder Ritchie Jones (24), and you’ve got virtually a new team; they’ve so far brought in at least 13, and I suspect it’s actually more than that …………….

Their pre-season was busy; 7 games – losing 4-1 to Bolton, and 3-1 to both Hull and Carlisle; they also lost 3-2 to Bradford (Park Avenue) - ex Div 3 North, if I recall correctly - and only managed a draw 1-1 against Matlock Town. High spots of the Friendlies were the victories – dispatching Guiseley 3-2, and positively hammering Silsden AFC by 7-1!

So far they’ve lost their first two ‘proper’ games this season – 2-1 at home to Aldershot in the League in front of a crowd numbering 10,205, and 3-2 away to Leeds in the Carling Cup (to be fair to them, they looked like they played well on the night); things improved a touch this afternoon, when a Ross Hannah equaliser 12 minutes from time gave them a 1-1 draw at Oxford ……… Four goals so far (three more than us) – one each for Hanson, Crompton, Hannah and midfielder Michael Flynn; no obvious candidates for the Golden Boot / Clog there ………

Our record against them is OK; P8 W3 D3 L2. We haven’t lost to them in the last two seasons – both away games ending up one apiece, and home wins in Feb 10 by 2-0 (two goals by a certain John Miles – whatever happened to him?) and in April 2011 by 3-0, all before half time, and scored by Luke Joyce, Proccie, and Sean McStockportCounty.

The deadline for entries is, as ever, scheduled kick-off time, which is 7 45pm this coming Tuesday, 16th August. We’re due a win, surely? Blockbuster victory? 7 goal blitz? Dodgy point again in another 0-0? Don’t even think of losing; if we can’t beat Bradford - despite their resources – we’re in for a long hard winter ………..

Good luck to everyone ………… and thanks for playing!

[Wynonie Harris]

A modest 6-1 win to the Stanley please. Guthrie and Taylor to get hat tricks.

[Div3North]

Chimer entered this as a 3-0 win for the Stanley in the Southend thread (computer problems!)

[Redash]

2-1 to The Stanley please, my good men.

[smudgie]

Accrington Stanley 1-1 Bradford City

[cashman]

2-0 to reds if we play..............shudder to think the score if they continue todays form.

[Redraine]

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

A modest 6-1 win to the Stanley please. Guthrie and Taylor to get hat tricks.

Taylor hat-trick? That will be difficult from the bench, where I firmly expect he will be sat, notwithstanding his exciting cameo today, unless someone is injured.

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by Redraine

Taylor hat-trick? That will be difficult from the bench, where I firmly expect he will be sat, notwithstanding his exciting cameo today, unless someone is injured.

No, I confidently predict that on Tuesday the team will be selected on skill, application and effort and not on favouritism and therefore Taylor will be in the line up and Craney will be nowhere to be seen...and my predictions are usually accurate.

[Mysteron]

2 - 0 to the Stanley Boys. It has to improve at some point & Tuesday night is that point. C'mon boys lets go

[Outback Ozzy]

Sincerely hope there is an improvement on Tuesday night. It surely cannot get any worse than being beaten at home by Sarfend, can it?
a not so confident 3-1 win to Stanley please

[Shurm]

2-1 to stanley

[yerself]

Accrington Stanley 1 - 3 Bradford City please.

[jaysay]

2-1 to Stanley please

[madkev]

Stanley 0-3 Bradford

[david1]

Stanley 0-2 Bradford please