::: Bradford City F.C. ::: Update 3 :::

[funk99]

4-3-3 will work well on FIFA 06. seeming as we got alot of attacking midfilders

[Nick]

I play a 3-5-2 on FIFA 06 aswell, works pretty good. Maybe even a 4-1-2-1-2?

Yeah i would go a 4-1-2-1-2.

I.e.

Code: Select all

  S S
   M
  M M
   M
B B B B

Seeing as we have no great crossers, having no midfielders on the left or right is fine. Have 2 midfielders in the middle, one attacking and one defending and you're laughing.

Well i'm not sure if that will work. But that's what i'd try if it were me. With the ratings i submitted for myself i'd probably put me at attacking midfield too.

[Anthony15]

Try 4-2-4 You'll get a shitload of goals!

[Pera]

^^Yeah and be very weak in midfield,thats the way!

Seriously I think 4-3-3 would work just fine.

[Dean]

Im a good crosser! But ill still recommend the 4-1-2-1-2

Edit: Anthony15, during the time i used a 4-2-4, i agree, you score a tonne of goals, but i found that it lets the other team bring the ball through mid field far to much, and puts a tonne of pressure on the back four, and their line of defence was often broken, because one had to shoot up and challenge the break away.. Long story short, yes the 4-2-4 scores a lot of goals, but the defence is compromised pretty much.

[Fresh8]

Ok, I have played about 7 league games and a cup match and tried to give everyone playing time and equal opportunity to start games!

Recaps are a bitch so you won't be getting them till after Friday!

Thanks lots guys!

[Fresh8]

The Players
- - -
Bradford City Defence
Shutting Down the Opposition

In every soccer team, the defence is usually the most underrated unit of the team. Whether it is the backs or the keepers, if a team loses; they get blamed. If the team wins; they don’t get enough credit. Bradford City’s newest backline and goal keepers are the most experienced part of the team. With team captain Andrew Watson leading the way; vice captain Igor Pera in goals; and field-savvy right back Andres Munoz, Bradford City’s defence will be hard to get past!

#25 Igor Pera (GK) - Pera is Slovenia’s first choice goal keeper in their national team but has been unlucky with injuries in the past that have kept him out of national duty. Pera is known for his superb all-around skills in goal where he excels in every area of keeping. His athletic ability is what sets him apart from other keepers while at 26, his experience his rich.

#1 Sam Keon (GK) - Keon is a 16 year old who looks to have many years of great football ahead of him. Iran recently put him in their U-19 squad and Keon hasn’t disappointed before with the younger national teams. A player who has the ball skills to boot with his goal keeping talent, he will have an impact with his new club if he is able to grasp the English language first. He was impressive in the pre-season and should get playing time whenever Pera is out of form.

#16 Khalid Sleiman (RB) - There have been concerns that Sleiman will be playing out of position for Bradford City but the young 16 year old teen has himself stated that he is willing to fill in any spot on the roster. A talented passer who can run marathons; it was Sleiman’s inability to cross the ball, shoot with power and play with flair that made Eriksson question his ability to play in the midfield or forward positions. The young back will now need to prove that he can play but chances should be limited as he is stuck behind Andres Munoz.

#5 Andres Munoz (RB) - Poised for a bright future at age 18, Andres Munoz plays great physical defence and plays the game with a lot of passion. Munoz has had temper problems in the past but Eriksson has employed a team psychologist to fix problems like his. The full back from Chile is a talented defender who makes the most of his opportunities to get the ball. However, he does have weakness as he is the slowest player in Bradford City’s backline.

#7 Alexander Sotirov (CB) - Sotirov has a clear height advantage over all of his opponents and at age 15, he should be growing even more. The big frame of his allows him to block attacker’s views at goal and he has the tackling skills and jockeying skills to match his position. Sotirov though isn’t the best playing on the ball and has trouble heading the ball and dribbling.

#29 Tuomas Valkonen (CB) - An interesting player who is good at tackling but in terms of skill, that’s about it. Valkonen is quick and very fit; all of his top skill is related to his physical ability rather than his technical ability. The 20 year old got his first ever call up to the Finland National Team and in his only game played, he helped Finland hold Greece to a 0-0 draw in a friendly. If he is to succeed at club level, Valkonen really needs to improve on his kicking.

#2 Antonio Nalgene (CB) - Nalgene is an above-average defender and is easily the best of all of the backs in the ball control department. He is probably better suited playing as a wing back but lacks the ability to cross the ball and even create a shot to do that. The 16 year old Canadian is aiming to make the national team one day. An interesting fact was that he scored 22 goals in 8 games for his high school team last year and his choice to come overseas is a smart one because he will now get to play actual competition.

#4 Andrew Watson (LB) - Watson was converted from rugby to join Bradford City. An ex-basketball player who bounced around the New Zealand league, Watson was bogged down with drinking problems in 1999 despite being a 19 year old with a lot of potential. As his weight became an issue, Watson was picked up by NRL club the New Zealand Warriors. Although he got a lot fitter and stronger, the Kiwi has had a tough time breaking onto the starting team. His stint with Rugby League lasted 3 years before he tried his luck with soccer. It has been a hit as he quickly shot into the New Zealand National Side as starting left back and he hasn’t looked back ever since. His awareness and leadership make him an ideal captain while he has proved to be tough to get past and also has a big kick.

Mid-Fielders Preview Coming Soon!

[Mark.]

Haha nice stuff, Love X's drinking problems

[Pera]

And yet another great recap dude .
Slovenia's first choice thats what I'm talking about .This sure looks alright ,you make me look like a superb goal keeper .

[Fresh8]

League Match
- - -
Bradford City Lose 0-1
Loss Opens Season

Bradford City 0 -- Blackpool 1


Left: Grant and Prendergast have a bit of a ‘friendly’ chat
Centre: Jones was lucky that Moore’s shot hit the post
Right: Parker scored the only goal of the game

Reuters -- Bradford City dominated in every part of the game. That’s everything except for scoring goals. Striker Will Sit missed a handful of shots while Mark Moore missed two open shots thanks to the keeping skills of Jones. Moore’s shot in the 89th minute hit the post as Blackpool held onto win the game.

The season opener was much anticipated by Bradford fans as many expected a big win however Blackpool had a different idea as they defended their goal extremely well. Parker was the only scorer and he only had himself and Pera to thank for getting onto the scoresheet.

Parker had outrun Watson and Valkonen before launching a shot from just inside the box. Pera dived for the ball but lost a hold of the ball and letting Parker follow his shot in and tap it in.

“Very unlucky tonight,” Manager Eriksson addressed the press, “The better team lost tonight and we all know it.”

The bright spots of the team were Bradford’s wing players Flo Ruf and Dean Grant who continually put in good crosses into the middle of the box. “Flo and Dean gave us a few good chances to score,” Mark who is a specialist in the air said, “It’s my fault for not taking advantage of it.”

Match Statistics
Match Facts
Form 1
Form 2

- - -

Second Loss in a Row
Will Sit, Igor Pera Out-of-Form

Doncaster 2 -- Bradford City 0


Above: Heffernan scores the first goal for Doncaster

Reuters -- The starting 11 stayed untouched and Sven Goran-Eriksson hoped that his team would play better than their first game the week before. Unfortunately, Bradford let in an early goal and later allowed another to fall 0-2.

Sit and Pera were disappointing and both were lucky to not be taken off the pitch as they both repeatedly made mistakes. However, no one is betting that they will start the next game either.

It wasn’t only Sit and Pera though as the whole team looked flat after the departure of fellow team mate Jamie Xi who went to Nottingham Forest on loan. “I guess that we had gotten used to having him around in the club,” Xi’s friend Grant said, “He will ba back next year though!”

Heffernan scored first for Doncaster as he sprinted past the defence and curled the ball past the fingers of Pera in the 27th minute. After half time, Bradford played a quick attacking game but that backfired as Thornton caught the Bradford defence in surprise as he outran Valkonen and Sotirov to score a thunderous shot from just a few feet out of goal.

Match Statistics
Match Facts
Form 1
Form 2

- - -

Teen Stars Put Life Back into Club
Buckely and Shchipans Lead Team to Victory

Bradford City 1 -- Walsall 0


Left: Russian Shchipans’ shot goes past Keeper James
Centre: The Walsall players argue against Pead’s red card
Right: Sotirov gets a yellow card on the whistle

Reuters -- Alex Buckley and Alex Bakovic replaced Dean Grant and Flo Ruf in the starting 11 while Igor Pera and Will Sit lost their spots to Sam Keon and Ivan Shchipans. The four teenage stars got Bradford back to life with a stunning 1-0 win against Walsall.

Jing Xu was once again magnificent in his role as defensive midfielder and Shchipans scored in the 44th minute. After the break, Walsall suffered a set back as Pead was red carded and Bradford City took advantage Walsall being one man down, threatening to score several times.

The young side was full of energy as Alex Buckley set up his fellow players with numerous chances to score. Sven Gorran Eriksson made sure that his star players Pera and Sit understood why they were benched, “You have to give 100% every game in the top level. No, you have to give it 110%.”

Match Statistics
Match Facts
Form 1
Form 2

- - -

Moore Bags Three, Burry Scores in Debut
Bradford City with an Easy 4-0 Win

Yeovil 0 -- Bradford City 4


Above: Moore heads in his first of three goals

Reuters -- Mark Moore starred for Bradford City as he scored three headers against Yeovil. It seems that Bradford City finally means business. “We really want to get promoted,” Moore said after the win, “We’re going to play really hard to try to achieve that.”

Yeovil felt the heat as Moore and his team-mates blitzed them from the start. Teen Alex Bakovic was credited with two assists to Mark while the third goal was set up by Russian teen Ivan Shchipans.

“We played a very good game tonight,” Eriksson said about his team, “I’m looking forward to our next game.”

Yeovil struggled to keep up with their opponents from the start and fell behind in the 13th minute. All was lost after Moore completed his hat trick before Bradford subbed him off. His replacement Conrad Burry impressed the crowd as he scored his first goal in his debut. Burry’s 89th minute goal was a confidence booster as the American has been injured for the past 3 months.

Match Statistics
Match Facts
Form 1
Form 2

- - -

Port Vale Draw 2-2 with Bradford City
Paynter the Hero for Port Vale

Bradford City 2 -- Port Vale 2


Left: Paynter scored in the 14th minute
Centre: Moore equalises with a great strike
Right: Milani flies in for the header and puts City ahead

Reuters -- In just his second start of the season, Jacob Milani impressed his coaches. “This kid can fly,” fellow American Conrad Burry said of his team-mate.

Milani scored a goal in the 49th minute to put Bradford City in front of Port Vale but it wasn’t for long. Paynter who started the scoring for his team equalised and Bradford just couldn’t get any closer to scoring a goal. Bradford City wasn’t safe on defence either as Keon had to stop a last second shot from Paynter. Paynter’s strike nearly got past Keon who fumbled it and scared his team mates. The ref only blew for full time after Keon had kicked the ball up to half way.

Bradford City play Gillingham next in a League Cup match.

Match Statistics
Match Facts
Form 1
Form 2

[funk99]

2 wins, 2 losses and a draw. pretty even.

[The X]

team has been pretty scratchy after a great pre-season my performances as captain have been pretty subpar too let's hope for better soon

[Pera]

Hmm.. I lost my spot as a starting goalkeeper Keo,you need to start playing suckier .This is a very young unexpirienced team so this is fairly expected.

[Dean]

Sweet! Im loving this, i was one of the best players in the first 2 openers before i was dropped, as opposed to my FM NLSC self, who is the worst

[Jing]

damn.. whats the record? 2-2-1? not bad.. but definatly not good enough to get to the next division if you keep playing like this

[A-Sot]

Nice work, but i think we can do way better

[Keo]

Yeah, Iran's U-19 squad! Sit, thanks for the English remark, it really says something about my posting.

I'm really liking my performance, 2 wins, 0 losses, 1 tie and 2 goals allowed in the last three games. Pera better get used to it.

[Anthony15]

Mark good job wow I scored too

PS. Let's Go Broncos!

[Fresh8]

2 wins, 2 losses and a draw. pretty even.

- Solid man, solid

team has been pretty scratchy after a great pre-season my performances as captain have been pretty subpar too let's hope for better soon

- You gotta lead by example buddy!

Hmm.. I lost my spot as a starting goalkeeper Keo,you need to start playing suckier .This is a very young unexpirienced team so this is fairly expected.

- haha... dont worry, you both will get equal opportunity to play!

Sweet! Im loving this, i was one of the best players in the first 2 openers before i was dropped, as opposed to my FM NLSC self, who is the worst

- I had tol take you off for others to play man lol

damn.. whats the record? 2-2-1? not bad.. but definatly not good enough to get to the next division if you keep playing like this

- It's good for 7th place but you're right, we need to step it up lol

Nice work, but i think we can do way better

- We will see for that lol

I'm really liking my performance, 2 wins, 0 losses, 1 tie and 2 goals allowed in the last three games. Pera better get used to it.

- You gotta step up and yeh... just keep abusing eachother u goalies

PS. Let's Go Broncos!

- It's Brisbane, not Denver

[Srbija]

I liked my performance against Yeovil, 2 assists was pretty good.

Loving your work Sit.

[Fresh8]

Cup Match
- - -
Bradford City Thrash Gillinham 4-0
Everyone Gets a Piece of the Ball

Gillingham 0 -- Bradford City 4


Left: Captain Andrew Watson tells Flo to tuck his shirt in
Centre: Sit and Grant celebrate with Mark on his goal
Right: Sit’s shot hit the keeper in the head with his shot

Reuters -- Bradford City was back in the drivers seat with their four goal thrashing of Gillingham in their first cup match of the season. The first division outfit was just too strong for the home side.

Nick Barnshaw was first to score after dribbling past threee defenders. Moore scored a few minutes later thanks to a solo effort as well. Sit then sealed the win with a goal in the 57th minute and the star trio was taken off the pitch later in the second half.

Bradford City looked dangerous but couldn’t convert any of their attempts before super sub Conrad Burry made the most of his open shot and tapped the ball into the back of the net.

The most interesting moment of the game came after Sit scored his goal. He shot the ball at the keeper’s head and the ball bounced off his head and onto the post and into the goal. The goal keeper was down for several minutes as team doctors checked on whether he was injured or not. One of the medical staff for Gillingham stated, “He was a bit dazed but was right to go on.”

Sit was sorry for his opponent, “I’m pretty sorry for what I did because I didn’t do it intentionally.” And when asked about whether he had done this before, Sit replied, “I remember in High School soccer, I dislocated one keeper’s shoulder, I kicked one in the stomach and I had to jump over another one. They weren’t intentional either.”

Bradford City advance to play English Premier League club Newcastle in the second round.

Match Statistics
Match Facts
Form 1
Form 2

[Srbija]

Ouff, another big win. at your "power" shot.

Good stuff.

[Keo]

You can label that a blowout. Nice win.

[CouchPotato94]

I can fly

[dada]

WHERE THE FUCK WAS I WHEN THIS WAS BEING MADE!! AAAAAAAAARRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1



man, I cant believe I missed this one, and your the one doing it too so I know it will be long and detailed. Man, this sucks donkey balls.


Anyways, good stuff in here so far. Maybe they will uncover a young Jamaican starlet around midseason eh. Wont keep my hopes up though.


Looks good so far man.