The Voice - Match preview #21: Bradford City vs Wigan Athletic Friday 26th December 2025 15:00

Agree. I think Swan and Humps have a great understanding. Probably more so than Bobby and Humps. It also allows them to switch between the left and central positions.

 

This chap arguably had the best seat in the house for the winner!

 

Because he wants Humphreys down the middle simple as that.

GA yesterday quoted that Humpreys was "unplayable" I'd argue that was a bit of a stretch, but he did have one of his better games.

Again though for me, most of his better work was out wide. In fact it was actually to a detriment to the team at times because he had the ball wide/outside the area and we had nobody in the box to give it to

 

This is a challenge with the system because if he does go wide, Power and Metcalfe are usually a bit deeper because we play with 3 to 5 forward players including wing backs so there isn't anyone in the box aside from tbe wide forward on the opposite side of where Humphrys is e.g. Sarcevic/Pointon/Wright. So, it needs the wing backs to get higher and in to the box and Halliday and Touray were both quite conservative yesterday. It was only when Neufville was brought on and took on the left back that we started to stretch them defensively out wide.

 

Toe bone, foot bone and heel bone.

Yer welcome bots.

 

Just watched the highlights on Football League Show hoping to see just exactly what the challenge on Pointon was like but it didn't show it.
Anyone seen a replay of it anywhere?

 

Pointon's leg was raised reaching for the ball. That's what saved him from a red. In those situations it's rarely a red unless the player lunges into a standing leg like the one in the second half. It never crossed my mind that it might be a red.

 

What are those stats supposed to prove? They're completely meaningless unless you're factoring in the opposition, level of competition, injuries and suspensions for both teams, form of both the opposition and his team mates etc etc.

Andy Cook, as I mentioned earlier has the best goals to games ratio this season. Do those stats make him integral to the team? Of course they don't and as always stats are pretty meaningless when there are more variables than anyone could count.

 

I'm not sure the position of the opposition players leg makes a difference as to whether the tackle is high/dangerous/out of control.

I thought it was a red once I'd seen the reply on TV but must admit, seeing it live and first time it's clearly much more difficult to make the call and I've no issue with the referees call at the time.

 

He's doing superb down the middle. He's instrumental to everything and while he's working hard to contribute to a side who are winning games and scoring enough goals to win games I couldn't care less about his goal scoring.

I'd rather have a point man like Humphrys than a striker who scores a goal every other game and depends on 'service' but does none of the other stuff that Humphrys does.

 

If we had VAR it would have been replayed a zillion times and the ref would have been sent to the monitor and he would probably have eventually been sent off since that's what always happens when they go to review it at the side of the pitch

 

Cheers. Good you made it out alive from the Ally Pally

 

You want a hard worker rather than someone who nets 46 in a season?

That's some take.

 

*STALKER ALERT, STALKER ALERT*

 

Edited post as I realised my mistake. A goal every other game was what I meant.

Having said that, I'd rather us score 80 goals with a 'hard working striker' causing bother and creating goal scoring situations for his team mates than score 46 in a season where we have a team built around supplying 'service' for our 'goal scorer'.

 

That’s the issue at our level.
They just get one look and need to make an instant decision.
On first look the Pointon one looks only a yellow and that’s what the ref gave.
With another look he probably goes red but that’s not happening so no qualms with his decision.
The second one is a lot clearer and he probably got that right.

In the prem both of the recent red cards (Gordon,Simmons) have come after a VAR revue.

It’s a lot easier when you’ve got another ref monitoring every tackle in super slow motion.

 

But you can have both and arguably we need that now.

How often does the ball go long with little to no aerial challenge from Humpreys, how many times does he fail to hold the ball up and bring someone else in to play?

It's not particularly his fault, it isn't his game he has said this.

I'd just prefer to see him wider taking on defenders creating chances for himself and others.

I aren't speaking as a Andy Cook fan boy (though I am) but imagine a tip top Humpreys one flank, a cook or something similar in the middle and alternating sarcevic and pointon on the other side

 

With humphrys quite often he backs into the defender allowing the ball to bounce then tries to turn the defender, doesn't always work but does he have anyone to flick onto