Big match build up: The opposition's view

Notts County Mad has spoken to Simon Parker, who reports on Bradford City. He has given his predictions for Saturday and the season...

Thorne in the side: Parker thinks that Peter Thorne will be The Bantams' danger-man

Who would you class as Bradford's dangerman for the season's opener?

Peter Thorne scored four against Notts last season including a hat-trick at Valley Parade in January and - unlike this time last year - will kick off the campaign fighting fit. Unfortunately Michael Boulding is still out injured for another week or so.

Are there any players other than the likes of Omar Daley and Michael Boulding who you expect to make a huge impact on League 2 this year?

Paul McLaren was an excellent signing from Tranmere. He topped the list of goal assists for League One last season so to persuade him to drop down a division was quite a coup. Already shown his class in pre-season and should provide the ammunition for the likes of Boulding and Peter Thorne.

Being promotion favourites, do you believe that the players can withstand the added pressure?

They have been quite happy to heap it on themselves. All are talking about this being the year with no room for excuses or failure. We shall see if they can live up to it.

Are the fans just as expectant as the newspapers?

Bradford fans are a hard-bitten lot after the doom, doom and more doom since the Premiership days. But you sense there is a sense of optimism about this season which has been missing for so long. On paper at least, the squad looks good enough.

Do you believe there will be any major changes in Bradford's style of play this year with the new arrivals?

Not really. Stuart McCall always likes his team to get the ball down and play and will again use the pace of Omar Daley and Joe Colbeck out wide. In Michael Boulding they have the option of a striker who will run in behind defences, though, which is someone they didn't have before.

How do you think County will do this season?

They have made some solid, if unspectacular, signings and I can't see them

Frustrating: Pilkington could be the difference between the sides...

flirting with relegation again. Mid-table somewhere between tenth and 15th I'd guess.

Who do you expect to stand out for Notts on Saturday?

Kevin Pilkington will probably have an absolute stormer in goal and spoil the script for a stonking home win!

How do you think the match will pan out?

City will come flying out the traps but it wouldn't surprise me if Notts scored first on the break. A second half of one-way traffic ensues!

More importantly, what is your score prediction?

This time last year, Macclesfield came to Bradford and peed on Stuart McCall's parade with a 1-1 draw. A season older and wiser to this division, I would go for a nervy 2-1 City win. But not with any great conviction.