City fail to make a good first impression on Taylor (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

City fail to make a good first impression on Taylor

7:00am Monday 22nd February 2010 in

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Accrington 2 City 0

Peter Taylor admits to being a bad loser, though claims he never shows it.

But you can bet he was seething all the way down the M1 on Saturday night.

Taylor made a whistle-stop trip back to his Essex home straight after the game. And heaven help any careless driver who tried to cut him up en route.

They would have got a right mouthful from someone with plenty on his mind.

Taylor’s grim expression on the touchline had spoken volumes as his new charges rolled over without so much as a whimper.

When he wasn’t barking instructions, Taylor was jotting notes on a pad of paper. If it was a list of areas needing improvement then he probably ran out of ink.

So much for the new manager syndrome.

Teams are meant to find that extra spark to impress the new gaffer. Except, it seems, with City.

Bryan Robson in 2003 was the last Bantams boss to experience that winning feeling on opening day, when they memorably came from two down to beat Millwall on live TV.

City had made a similar fightback at the Crown Ground last season. Fat chance of a repeat on Saturday.

Once John Miles had punctured the dozing defence nine minutes after the break, this one was over.

Heads dropped, shoulders sunk and the ball took on even more hand-grenade qualities than it had before. Few in a black shirt seemed to want it.

Taylor had wiped the slate clean before the game with his players. Now he wanted to wipe the floor with them.

A couple of new faces will rock up this week – one possibly in time for tomorrow’s trip to table-topping Rochdale. Those whose places are under threat can have no complaints.

He refuses to give away the positions being targeted but central defence is definitely one area that he needs to sort.

City’s problems at the back have been so well-chronicled it gets boring keep going over the same old ground. The same shortcomings and weaknesses were on display as Accrington eased back to winning ways after their own little wobble.

No hope of the visitors doing that once James Hanson had ballooned a gift chance over the bar straight after the restart.

City’s recent troubles are not just limited to the defence. They have not scored a goal in the three games since Gareth Evans shinned that injury-time winner at Torquay that temporarily saved Stuart McCall’s bacon.

Hanson has netted only once since Christmas but he will not have a better opportunity to get back among the goals than the moment Simon Ramsden’s free-kick landed at his feet.

The ball travelled through a pack of players in the Accrington box and suddenly there was Hanson, no more than four yards away from a gaping goal. He clipped it on to the top of the net!

Taylor, gritting his teeth, said: “It might have been a slightly different game if the Hanson chance had gone in.

“But you lose confidence if you haven’t had a result for a while. We’ve got some experienced boys in the team but we’ve also got some young ones learning their trade as well and it’s a difficult time for them.”

Taylor picked out Lee Bullock and Michael Flynn for a mention afterwards. Skipper Simon Ramsden put in his typically committed shift as well.

But others looked like they didn’t want to be out there. The weight of City’s plummeting season is bringing some down.

There was precious little quality about the play. Once again, passes were of the long and hopeful variety rather than short and precise; few wanted to take responsibility.

It’s a vicious circle. Confidence will only be rebuilt with a good result; good results only come with confidence.

Hence the need to bring in a fresh face or two to try to break the downward spiral.

Almost 2,000 City fans made the short hop over the Pennines hoping to see the new man weave the magic that has earned him three previous promotions from this division. But nobody can work miracles in three days.

The subdued air from the away end – or should that be half – of the ground was symptomatic of the lack of performance from the team. City were as flat off the pitch as on it.

Meanwhile, the Stanley Ultras, that bonkers brigade of Accrington fans, kept up a relentless din. They even taunted the travellers with a few choruses of “What’s it like to see a crowd?”

They had plenty to cheer about. It may have been an awful game on an awful pitch but Stanley’s victory has lifted them back into the play-off hunt.

All City can realistically hope for is discovering some self-respect once Taylor really gets stuck into the job.

He made just the one change from the equally dire Grimsby draw, Chris Brandon coming back in to a 4-3-3 system which Taylor used so effectively last year with Wycombe.

Brandon had City’s only shots of a tepid first 45 minutes, although Bobby Grant went closest for the home side with an instinctive volley after three minutes.

Accrington had three penalty shouts turned down by referee Trevor Kettle, leaving Grant beating the ground when nothing was given following a tangle with Matt Clarke. Maybe the luck, which McCall cursed so often, was finally changing?

Err, no. Once Hanson missed, Miles showed how it should be done.

The City back four looked for an offside flag that for once did not materialise and the winger calmly slotted past Matt Glennon.

Taylor made his subs and even went to three at the back for the last seven minutes but to no avail, as Accrington wrapped up the points with Miles finishing well from a cross by City old boy Michael Symes.

Not to worry. It’s only Rochdale next.