‘Something’s got to give’. It feels like the slightly cliched tagline of a boxing bout, but there is an element of that old saying as far as Argyle v Bradford City, this Saturday, is concerned.
Bradford are the only Sky Bet League One team to have won both of their league games so far this season, and in two Carabao Cup ties they have advanced without conceding. Therefore, they arrive at Home Park with a record of four clean sheets in four games this season.
Argyle have a decent little stat of their own going, though. After losing 1-0 to, curiously enough, Bradford, on 6 December, 2025, Argyle have scored at least once in every competitive game since, except for the 1-0 away defeat at Rotherham United at the end of February.
Last Saturday, the Greens drew 1-1 at Wycombe Wanderers, and on Tuesday lost 4-2 in the Carabao Cup to Coventry City. Argyle Head Coach Tom Cleverley saw enough good things in the midweek defeat against a top-tier side to feel encouraged, and would like his side to play with freedom against the Bantams.
“It's going to be a tough challenge,” Cleverley told Argyle TV. “There's a lot of ways you could describe Bradford. Very consistent, stable with how they've been playing, aggressive in the duels.
“They’ve not conceded a goal yet. That's in cup competitions as well, four games. No goals conceded and the quality of player they've added to their squad in the last two transfer windows, it means they're more than just the aggressive-in-duels team, the consistent team, they've got quality in there as well. It's going to be a big challenge for us, but one that we're really excited by and we're really looking forward to it.
“Saturday's draw, it was our first point, it was a really competitive point but there was some feeling in my stomach afterwards that felt a little bit like we're playing within ourselves, we're playing with a little bit of fear, we look like we've got something to lose.
“We lose a game on Tuesday which you'd more commonly be more frustrated about, but there was a freedom to our play, a fearless nature of our play that meant that is the spirit that I want this team to play in. There's nothing to lose at this stage of the season. We've just got to go out there, be ourselves. I think we can be a very good team on our day, but playing with any sort of fear will reduce our performance levels.
“I was more pleased with what I saw Tuesday than maybe what I saw Saturday, even though the results would say otherwise.
“We always want to be entertaining, but give me success over entertainment any day of the week. And even the toughest of supporters would say the same. You know, we want to win. We don't just want to come here and be entertaining. We've scored two goals against a Premier League team. I think we've scored in 34 out of our last 35 games. Only one team has stopped us scoring since the last time we played Bradford, out there last November.
“That’s really good, but we need to stop conceding goals. We need to really knuckle down in our defensive work. Pre-season we looked incredibly organised and resilient. End of last season for large periods, a lot of clean sheets. A lot has been spoken about formations and playing without fear, but we need to remember that clean sheet records will give you a lot of success. As Bradford are proving currently.”
A positive for Cleverley is that the much-talked about injury list seems to be dwindling. On Thursday, three players who had been out joined in training, and although they will not make the Bradford game, the busy week on the road the week after might be on the cards for some of them.
Having returned in midweek, Joe Edwards has made a step forward in fitness, and Cleverley picked up a couple of other players who have been playing regular minutes this season, and are showing up well.
“Probably the best it's been for a while,” said Tom, regarding the injury list. “I know I shouldn't say those things!
“I think the performances of Bradley and Xav, I don't just mean in a single case, but throughout. They're getting fitter, stronger, because they missed a lot of football last year. Those two guys are giving me a lot of headaches in a positive way.
“Joe Edwards, no reaction, so there's another one back. Macca [Jack MacKenzie], Freddie[Issaka] and Owen Oseni all training today. There's another three back [and with] the introduction of the two new signings, all of a sudden you feel like you've gained seven or eight players in a week.
“I’m really pleased with where the squad's at.”
--
You can watch Tom Cleverley’s Bradford City preview on Argyle TV, in full, here.
