I really want to forget the home loss to Plymouth Argyle, it is definitely one of the lows this season, but after a narrow away victory over early season leaders Shrewsbury Town, we are brought back down to earth with a reminder of one of our recent blips. I would normally say that this Saturday’s fixture will be yet end another miserable cup run under McCall’s unimpressive cup success, but you know what? I won’t this time. Stuart has a great chance of having a bit of a cup run, he would have enjoyed it as a fan under Parkinson and nothing would mean more to him if he could replicate some of our recent success.
Nah, it can’t happen again.
We have had a couple of decent results of late, nothing to really write home about, but definitely Stuart has given us supporters something to chew on and get our teeth into these past couple of weeks. I’m never confident of McCall leading us to a cup game victory, but this weekend I think will be different. Plymouth Argyle was a bit of a wake up call, a reality check and exposed how fragile we can be, and on the flip side, McCall has masterminded some impressive results of late. Stuart will have the Bantams on a bit of a high after being the first and only team to win in the back yard of Shrewsbury Town, and the only league team to beat Wigan away thus far, and with a distraction of an agreeable cup tie, I really think the Bantams will be up for it. Forget the unimpressive home form and we can have a chance of getting into the 3rd round. Home advantage will be an advantage for once, a much lesser crowd will take the pressure of the players, and McCall will want to have his own Parkinson style cup run of his very own, now he has an opportunity, a very good gift of Plymouth. Plymouth have also played mid week in the Trophy whilst City have had a full week rest. Argyle was leading for the majority of the match with their opponents taking the lead in the dying minutes.
Well, they beat us once already.
If any team can lose to Plymouth Argyle TWICE this season at HOME, it can only be Bradford City. Accrington Stanley beat us twice last season, once in the League Cup, the other in the FA Cup, and Stanley were the only team to tarnish our home record denying us an entire season to go unbeaten at home. So as a Bantam of a few decades, it wouldn’t surprise me more for Argyle to nick it by a goal whilst only having about 30% possession. City have lost 3 times in our last 5 games, ALL 3 losses were on home soil, one of which was actually against Plymouth. The Pilgrims are on a pretty decent form having only lost twice in their last 9 games ahead of the midweek fixture in the Football League Trophy. So this game can prove a little bit tricky with all the pressure on their higher positioned opponents. A potential banana skin? A potential game to throw away? Could lightning strike twice?
Head to head and form
49 games
14 Bradford City Wins
21 Plymouth Argyle Wins
14 Draws
Plymouth and City have already met this season at Valley Parade with Argyle snatching the game by a Jake Jervis goal. City and Argyle have never ever met in a cup competition, be it League or FA or even the trophy, so this is a first of it’s kind for this fixture.
City last 6 WLWLLW
City last 6 Home LLLWWL
Argyle last 6 LLWLWW
Argyle last 6 away LLWWDL
Neither team is on great form at the moment with both winning half of their last 6 games. City have picked up 2 wins at home in their last 6 matches whereas Argyle’s away form is a little bit better by a single draw. Form really isn’t drastically different between the 2 clubs and a result could go either way which I don’t think would surprise many however it finishes at full time.
City last 6 results
Shrewsbury Town (A) 0-1 win
Scunthorpe United (H) 1-2 loss
Wigan Athletic (A) 1-2 win
Plymouth Argyle (H) 0-1 loss
Rotherham United (H) 0-1 loss
Chesterfield (H) 2-0 win
Pilgrims last 6 results
Yeovil Town (A) 2-1 loss
Portsmouth (A) 0-1 loss
Northampton Town (H) 2-0 win
Oxford United (H) 0-4 loss
Bradford City (A) 0-1 win
Grimsby Town (H) 1-0 win
Goals in numbers, last 6 games
City For 6, Against 7, Blanks 2, Clean sheets 2
City home For 5, Against 8, Blanks 3, Clean sheets 1
Pilgrims For 5, Against 7, Blanks 2, Clean sheets 3
Pilgrims away For 5, Against 6, Blanks 1, Clean sheets 2
Boz’s match verdict: Home Win
5 Fun Facts
1. Bradford City and Plymouth Argyle have never met in a cup competition before of any sort, in fact, manager Derek Adams and the entire starting 11 and bench that Plymouth had a couple of weeks ago at Valley Parade have, none of which have ever faced Bradford City in the FA Cup nor the League Cup throughout their entire careers. Ryan Edwards is the only player of the squad from a few weeks ago to face City in the Football League Trophy back in November 2016 when he played for Morecambe. That game ended 3-2 to Morecambe at home.
2. Plymouth Argyle manager Derek Adams may not have faced City in any cup competition, but the former Ross County player won the Scottish Challenge Cup in 2006 as Ross County won on penalties against Clyde. County won 5-4 on penalties, guess who was the only player to have missed a penalty for Ross Co? Yes, you’ve guessed it, Derek Adams.
3. Plymouth Argyle have never won a major Cup competition, their closest was reaching the semi finals in the FA cup in 1984 and the League cup in 1965 and 1974.
4. Plymouth Argyle’s largest FA Cup win was 6-0 against Corby in 1966 in the 3rd round, Argyle’s heaviest defeat in the FA Cup was 1-7 against Tottenham Hotspurs in the first round in 1910.
5. 2017/18 has not only brought Argyle their first ever cup game against Bradford City, they also faced Grimsby Town for the first time ever in a cup match at the start of November in the first round of the FA Cup. The match was obviously won by the Pilgrims to earn a tie against the Bantams, thanks to Graham Carey making it 1-0 to the home team. The win was Argyle’s first win in 9 games over the Mariners, and their first victory since 1987 against the Cleethorpes based club.
