The Voice - Match preview #17: Bradford City vs Exeter City Saturday 29th November 2025 3:00pm

Not the most convincing, but a very important win today - hopefully something to build off

 

Special mentions to the Wrights, who both had really good games today. Joe was a brick wall and Tyreik has been one of our best performers over the last few games - doubt many would have called that at the start of the season!

 

Performance wise we were absolute crap. Nowhere near second balls all afternoon and the less said about what we did in possession the better. A win is much needed in the context of recent results but we need to show much more control and composure than we did today.

 

According to Flashscore, Pointon’s yellow sees him suspended for the next game. Is that the EFL on Tuesday or Plymouth game on Saturday?

 

I wouldn't be against bringing a striker in the January window because I don't believe the likes of Swan, Humphry's or Kavanagh will get into double figures this season, Cooks been immense during his time at Valley Parade and for a 35 year old to be expected to pick up where he left off is a massive ask.

 

It is a sign of a good team, winning when you play badly.

 

And keeping another clean sheet .

 

I'm often mystified by the MOTM award but today Walker was the man that made the difference. Some excellent stops and his distribution was generally excellent. Sarce , for me was the other stand out today.

Touray and J Wright were certainly nowhere near their best today with their number 9 winning pretty much everything in the air against Joe.

Tyreik was very good today I thought.

Our press went missing for the whole of the game apart from a 15 minute period in the 2nd half when we actually look like our old selves.

Exeter played well and looked comfortable on the ball and dangerous going forward. Thankfully, a combination of woeful finishing and Walker heroics kept them out.

We are a long way from our best on this showing but we take the 3 points nonetheless

 

He'll miss the Plymouth game, yellow card bans are competiton specific.
Power's yellow today was his 8th so only a matter of time before he gets to 10 and picks up a 2 game ban.

 

I thought today showed Alexander has us punching above our weight with what is a squad with limitations in how it can play. Technically we are a bang average league one side that does well when it presses. Exeter were well worth a point, arguably all three, moved the ball about well and produced one of the better performances I've seen from an away team at VP. Credit to Alexander for making the half time change, it tightened the midfield for a while but ultimately didn't stop Exeter strolling through midfield at times.
Mentions for Sam Walker and Joe Wright who were excellent, the rest all about average really.
We'll play a lot better than today and come away with nowt so we take the rub of green today and move on to next week.

 

Agree with all of that apart from your critique of Joe Wright. I thought he did ok and he did score the only goal with a striker's finish.

I think Exeter can feel a bit hard done by with the result, but their finishing was woeful.

 

Thought Humphrys did well until his bad miss and subsequent selfish play - he has that in his locker, not the most dependable pro.

Sam Walker definitely MOTM, as others have said, well play better and lose, today was about getting that elusive win and it was always going to be tight.

If that goal really was offside then I think we just about deserve it.

 

The amount of minutes and starts Humphrys and Swan have had and you're picking out Cook for not making an impact from the bench when the team was already massively under performing?

Very strange take.

 

Humphrys put in a decent shift but jeez he's a horse with blinkers on. Seems to be a fundamental flaw to his game as he's done it numerous times this season, usually with Pointon missing out.

 

Cook came on and soon after 2 defenders and Pointon off stilfing any attacking midfield. He had foo kall to feed off.

 

That's fine but he's playing as a striker and isn't scoring goals. In even his best season it would take him around 130 games to match the goals Cook scored a couple of years ago.

We need someone new because neither Humphrys, Swan or Cook are going to be the answer if we're to really trouble the top 6 come May.

 

Can't agree with you on Joe Wright. Thought he was terrible today. Lost countless headers against a bloke at least six inches shorter, passing very iffy at best and positioning poor when we were under pressure. For a big lad he really is easily dominated aerially, right from the first game against Wycombe where he was similar to today.

 

I expect him to go in Jan. Carlisle could be a possibility. Like you, I also love the guy for everything he's done for us but he hasn't played at this level for years and at his age there was always going to be a question mark as to whether he could step up, especially after that injury.

 

I said it in August but despite what Graham says Humphrys will never be a striker. For all his ability he just won't ever score enough and looks every bit the winger playing up front when you're short.

 

Can Tyriek get a refund on his new boots cos he cannae take a corner in them. Not one got past the first defender.