Picture the scene. It is a January cup tie. James Hanson is under a bit of pressure to score after a barren run. He works hard up front all game, but ultimately he doesn’t get himself on the scoresheet. Nobody cares. Hanson doesn’t come in for criticism or abuse. Everyone’s loving Big Jim.
That’s right, post-Aston Villa at VP, nobody laid into James Hanson. Granted, the scenes were rather different to Bury but you get the point.
After the game on Saturday you could be forgiven for thinking that James Hanson had elected to join Steve Evans at Leeds United. Or flicked the V’s at the fans and walked off down the tunnel. Or deliberately missed his chance at the end.
He did none of those things. What he did do was actually have a decent game – barring his miss. He certainly enjoyed a better game than his fellow front man Billy Clarke. On Saturday, Hanson was central to a lot of City’s better play. As usual he was very effective, winning balls in the air, harassing, and generally making a nuisance of himself. Had he not been on a goalless run, you can bet that his performance would have been commended by a good deal more City fans.
But context is everything. On a goalless streak, Saturday’s draw turned out to be Hanson’s fault for many. People are entitled to their opinions, but I just don’t agree with those who blame Hanson when things don’t go right for City. It’s the default reaction for some people. In my opinion it is unfair, unjust and unhelpful.
There is a growing tide of opinion saying that James Hanson is not good enough. It says that he should have gone to Millwall in the summer. That his heart is not in it as much these days. That he is responsible for the ‘hoofball’ that we play. That he is a poor finisher. I disagree.
James Hanson is a nightmare for defenders. You can see it in the way they struggle to compete with him. It’s a brutal test of strength that wears them down and wears him down. That his heart is not in it is actually insulting when you see Hanson putting his body on the line week in week out. Give me a workhorse over a show pony any day. This workhorse has scored 80-odd goals for the club, including crucial ones against Leeds, Villa, Burton and Northampton at Wembley, and crackers such as the one at Orient last season. He’s in the top 10 all time highest goal scorers for the club. Prolific? No. A poor finisher? No. A guy who’ll get you 10 goals a season? Yes. Important to us? Yes.
In the lower leagues and the Championship, physicality is an essential part of the game. In James Hanson we have an ace up our sleeves. After 90 minutes, ask an opponent of Hanson if they’ve been in a game and they’re going to give you a weary sigh and mutter ‘hell yes’. He’s good enough all right. That’s why he’s earmarked by opposition managers as a player to try and shackle.
Is James Hanson the world’s most technically gifted footballer? Of course not, but he plays a crucial role in the way that Phil Parkinson sets his team up to play and succeed. This set up is often referred to as ‘hoofball’ but that is a lazy label. Every team in this league opts for the long ball repeatedly, and City are no different. Look back through the possession stats and you will see a team that matches the opposition in terms of making passes and having the football. Under Parkinson, we do play a direct, high pressure game but it is harsh and somewhat boring to label it as ineffective hoofball. It is also harsh to say James Hanson is responsible for it. The manager sets the team up. He sets the team up to play to its strengths. It has worked well over the years. A blip in form does not constitute failure and is not the fault of our number 9.
I concede, this is not James Hanson’s finest season to date. He would probably admit that himself. He could possibly benefit from a spell on the side lines. The miss on Saturday stinks of a striker on a bad run. All strikers have them. He needs to regain confidence. He needs to get the sharpness back that saw him seemingly discover an extra yard of pace last season. He needs to get back to bullying opposition players. He almost needs winding up in the dressing room so that he goes out on the pitch in a black mood, determined to rain down hell on the opposition defence. Maybe he should read some of the social media posts about him after the Bury match and use them as motivation.
He also needs help, from his team mates and his manager. Hanson is yet to forge a decent partnership with any of the other strikers but responsibility for that does not lie solely with him. Billy Clarke has suffered with injuries and is not employed in his best position as part of a front two. Devante Cole has shown inconsistency and a questionable attitude. Luke James hasn't had the opportunity to make much of an impact. The midfield is often too far deep to get onto flick ons and lay offs.
The return of Steven Davies could well see Hanson’s place come under threat, but let’s not forget, this is the same Steven Davies who attracted ire from some sections earlier in the season. What this suggests is that the striker who does the dirty work is a bit of an unloved creature at the moment. These unloved creatures are actually vital to us.
Be careful what you wish for. The departure of James Hanson would leave a big hole in this Bradford City side. It would probably come back and punch a big hole in it too, albeit in a different team’s colours. I would not want to see James Hanson lining up against us and I’m sure Rory McArdle and his gang at the back wouldn’t either. I think that says it all.
@jpieslak