The Voice - Match preview #22: Bradford City vs Port Vale Monday 29th December 2025 7.45pm

I thought about this but then thought that PV were just a bunch of thugs who kicked and pulled anyone in a City shirt that he was perhaps protecting them for the next few games? Dunno but that second half did have Will Swans name written to come on and score.

GA also said on t'radio that there are 3 loans being worked on to come in January. Maybe protecting some that could be leaving as well?

 

Neither of those two are big lads, and the game was a battle and very physical against some giants, so I see why Alexander stuck with those out there, after we scored I though we looked fairly comfortable against a poor side.

 

Had they also kept Moore then i bet the scoreline would have been more convincing .............we all know how it works as soon asa manager goes they suddenly look a better team............Vale fans aluding to lack of effort and not playing for the manager which looked a lot different tonight.

We all know the script with City and these teams and despite how poor it was we got the win

 

If I’m reading it right, we now have more points than we got in the whole of our last season in D1.

 

How was this not a penalty at 0.49 seconds

 

His ability to keep possession is for me, the think that frustrates me the most. He's constantly coughing it up by trying to take people on instead of playing the simpler ball to someone in a better position.

Don't get me wrong, I like the positivity but some of his decision making can be really poor at times.

 

Didn't look like it to me and I'm still unsure after the replay as the angle isn't great. I can certainly see why the ref showed no interest.

 

I don't disagree, but Baldwin is like Maldini compared to the others.

 

Thought it was in real time but looks like the keeper got 'enough' on the ball.

Agree about Humphrys. He's never going to be the sort of player to look up and pick a pass. I just think he offers a lot that goes unnoticed.

 

18/19 we got 41 points so already beaten that, the record that season was W11 D8 L27 GF49 GA77 so we've already won more games that than season and only 17 goals behind the goals tally. The season before that we ended up with 63 points so we should beat that total as well.

 

Haven’t read all pages in the thread but I think a lot of credit tonight has to go to the defence.

Stockley was playing as an old fashioned 1980s number 9 - a bit of a thug, but our defence wouldn’t let him get the better of them.

Cole was a handful and we did a job on him.

GA said Joe Wright, Tilt, and Kelly had cuts, bruises and black eyes between them. How many times over the years have we complained about being bullied and outbattled? Well not tonight, and that is good to see.

An ugly win, and sometimes that’s just the way it goes.
Not a game that will live long in the memory, but we got the job done and that’ll do.

Edit: I didn’t think Vale were as bad as their position suggests!

 

They battled well
Understandably as they will be looking to impress the future gaffer, but let's be honest, they had nothing going forward.
That's what will take them down.

 

I don’t understand why people talk as though we haven’t already played everyone (bar Mansfield), as if we have still something to fear in this league. Just look at our results against the better teams this season. Teams can raise and lower their game depending on opposition, you’re not going to just thump every poorer team you play. Finding ways to win, whether it’s outplaying Huddersfield and Cardiff or battling against a thuggish team like PV is very impressive in my opinion and says a lot about our promotion credentials.

 

@banbrotam said a few weeks ago he’d still take 9th place, considering after our game in hand we could be 17 points ahead of that I wonder if he’d still be happy with 9th?

 

Everyone should listen to GA in his after match interview.
Gives me so much confidence that we won't get battered by anyone.

 

Yeah agree. For the first 10 mins PV were sort of on top-then they faded badly. Once we wrestled with them the way they were with us then their game plan went out of the window.

Pity the ref and lino's were blind as a bat. Otherwise PV would have been down to 9 like thuggish Wigan.

 

That’s if you’re leaving out all of his inch perfect long range passes that get us forward immediately and mean we don’t have to play 3 or 4 passes to get to that same position. He plays some brilliant balls and is easily our best distributor at centre half. Is it only Baldwin where you highlight the ones that don’t work or did you also make note of Kelly constantly losing possession with his long balls tonight too as he does most games.

 

How many times have we looked great
going forward lately due to these "inch perfect" passes?

I'm happy to wait.

 

Well said-we definitely missed Baldwin against Vale.

 

Very sensible... And I agree with you... GA is a kangaroo

 

Did you enjoy Metcalfe's brilliant goal earlier? You haven't mentioned it so far tonight?