Davies reveals battling blueprint for Bradford City road trip (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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Andrew Davies reveals battling blueprint for Bradford City road trip
8:20am Thursday 25th October 2012 in Sport
By Simon Parker, Bradford City Reporter
Andrew Davies insists City’s away form can match results at Valley Parade
Andrew Davies sees no reason why City cannot tackle their current road trip with the same confidence as home games.
Saturday’s visit to Burton will be the second of four matches in a row away from Valley Parade. But Davies believes the battling qualities shown in the midweek victory at Northampton are the blueprint for picking up big results on their travels.
The centre half played his part by shackling Cobblers strong man Adebayo Akinfenwa as City secured their second away win in League Two to stay fifth.
He said: “It was one of those games where you could easily get turned over. Northampton is not an easy place to come.
“I thought the lads were fantastic again. We’re a close bunch and all seem to get on really well and I think you can see that on the pitch.
“There are going to be games this season when we don’t play as well as we should. But we know now what we need to do to get points away from home.
“There are no excuses, so fingers crossed we can go and do it again.
“It was massively important for us because it was one that I felt we should win. You think back to the Dagenham game when we didn’t turn up.
“There’s the difference. We’ve got a lot of away games coming up but if we compete like that then we’ve got a good chance.”
Davies had never faced Akinfenwa before and admitted it was a bruising match-up. They will do it again in nine days when City go back to Sixfields in the FA Cup.
The City defender said: “He’s the biggest boy I’ve ever played against. If you let him bully you, he will do.
“(Clive) Platt is another strong lad up front and we did have to stand up and be counted. You’ve got to try and keep battling away and I thought the lads did that very well.
“We knew it was going to be a tough game and not a particularly nice one. But it’s so good when you work hard like that and get the win.”
Davies has insisted from the day he signed a permanent deal at City that this has to be the season to drag the club out of the doldrums – and he believes all the signs are positive so far.
He said: “It’s time for this club to stop dwelling on being in League Two. You’ve got to make a push and it’s got to be this year.
“We’ve got a good team with a very good spirit and this season could be a big one for us if we keep doing what we have been.
“I’ll keep pushing myself. I just want to keep winning because there’s no better feeling.
“Ricky Ravenhill and Doyley (Nathan Doyle) have been fantastic in front of us in midfield.
“Luke (Oliver) and I have been working hard. We’ve had some ups and downs together but we understand each other’s game really well.
“We’ve got a solid core to the team and we’ve got to keep driving each other. Let’s just get out of this league and move forward.”
Comments(2)
dannbradfc
says...
11:06pm Thu 25 Oct 12
That same game highlighted some of the good and needed improvement in citys play at present. First half they was too many occasions when either hanson or Wells were crossing the ball and expected to find the other, as they were no other players in the box. I pointed this out from the beginning of the season and still await our midfield to help out goal wise.
However Our third goal showed how to combat this and is what i have been asking for for ages e.g. the full-back (in this case Meredith) involved in our attacking play. Its what allowed us to break then down.
The full-backs need to do this more often if we are to continue with our central midfielders sitting back.
Anyone finding fault in either Hanson and/or Wells needs to lie down and think again. They are a PARTNERSHIP and they are having to contribute most of the sides goals. Whoever gets them relies and needs the other. They are not only the best two options we have at the club they are as good as any we have thus far witnessed imo.
The league is there for the taking if we are positive in our play. We are better than most of the other sides in this division so lets just impose this on them.
We even scored from an Atkinson cross, for goodness sake......
After a couple of games we have even prooved we can win without Jones and Reid which is great for confidence. Hopefully we have found a way to dispatch the ordinary opposition away from home and IF positive, not cautious, we can have a good go at automatic this season fingers crossed.......
daztrocks says...
7:06pm Thu 25 Oct 12
t, passion even quality!! Footballers often say the right things, but I get the feeling AD actually means it, and he REALLY wants to help us get up. He's right about the solid spine, now G.Jones is nearing fitness, who's gonna make way??? Tough call PP!! CTID!