'The best team we have played' - Bradford City fans and media line up to praise Cobblers

Bradford City supporters, writers and even ex-players were lining up to shower the Cobblers with praise for handing their team a ‘footballing lesson’ during Saturday’s superb 3-1 victory at Valley Parade.

The Bantams started the day in fourth and were eying Town’s spot in the automatic promotion places but instead fell further adrift as Shaun McWilliams, Mitch Pinnock and Sam Sherring all scored in a one-sided encounter.

Many Cobblers supporters described it as their team’s best performance of the season and perhaps the best during Jon Brady’s reign as manager, and whilst there was plenty of criticism of Bradford, opposition observers were clearly also impressed.

Simon Parker, chief sports reporter for the Bradford Telegraph and Argus, wrote in his verdict on the game: “Northampton were solid at the back, squeezing the life out of Cook’s threat, and fit and powerful going forward. They cut through City at will and bossed the midfield where Smallwood and Alex Gilliead were completely overrun.

“Hughes has talked about the need to change the record with visiting managers always claiming that their teams had saved their best performance for the trip to City. Brady, though, said all the same things – and with total justification.

“Northampton’s display was the most impressive of any away team this season and they should have won by more.”

Jason McKeown, writing for Bradford website The Width of a Post, was also impressed. He wrote: "The Bantams were given a true footballing lesson here by opposition who are walking the walk as well as talking the talk.

"Northampton deserve every plaudit going and then some. After they were cruelly robbed (some would say cheated) of automatic promotion last season, followed by a play off semi final defeat, the mental strength they’re showing to recover so strongly is deeply admirable.

"And boy, can they play football. From front to back they were organised, methodical and displayed greater intelligence. They backed off City at times, pressed at others. Their 4-3-3 formation proved mightily effective in easily winning the midfield battle so they could counter attack with purpose." Read the piece in full here – widthofapost.com/2022/11/19/humbling-defeat-to-on-form-northampton-underlines-the-home-problems-bradford-city-have-to-solve.

Meanwhile, former Bradford player Filipe Morais, who remains a Bantams supporter and is now a UEFA A Licence coach, tweeted: "NTFC are the best side I’ve seen come to Valley Parade this season. Very well organised, solid at the back, fit and strong going forward. I will be surprised if they do not go up. City lacked the tempo and energy that has got them good results of late, but will bounce back!"

Other fans were impressed too, with Sean Moore commenting: "NTFC played prefect away game today & were far the better side in every department. All credit to them – fitter, faster to 1st/2nd ball, clinical. They wanted it more & credit to them they did not come to sit/back. Played proper 4-3-3."

Another said Cobblers could have won by 'six or seven' and 'tore Bradford apart on the break' while Neil Grainger posted: "Goals change games & Smallwood’s error was the catalyst. We need to score 1st at home. After that Cobblers were superb & brilliantly capitalised on our home woes. We badly missed Critchlow & Hughes picked the wrong team but take nothing away from Northampton, they were terrific."