The Voice - Match preview #23: Mansfield Town vs Bradford City Thursday 1st January 2026 15:00

The right sided role has been an issues since GA moved to this tactic. He tried that Oyegoke lad in there who was pretty hopeless defensively but he was quick, Platt played it a little and I think even Halliday had a spell there that season? Last season we had Baldwin and Byrne pretty much rotating the role out with the lad we loaned from Exeter covering it for a short period too. It's a slot we just have struggled to nail down.

Baldwin seems to have a little injury issue around him a lot this season, is this his 3rd or 4th spell out including missing pre-season? Feels like he missed some time last year with injuries too. Pennington came with an injury tag on him from Blackpool and unfortunately it feels like he is another one who picks up random injuries. Feels like we should be looking at that slot in the defence, but again we are so stocked up on defenders of an age, it feels like we are going to need to bring in a young lad on loan unless we can offload.

 

Huge reason i turned the game off honestly he offers nothing at all as a wide man ........... he hardly beats a man his crossing is poor he bottles 50/50s he simply and sadly aint up to this level...........so frustrating when he did what he did against Reading but you cannot keep playing him because he may come up with the good every 10 or so games

 

He offers next to nothing. He's playing in an attacking position but doesn't worry any defence. We absolutely must bring in someone for that position. Even Bobby is lacking away from VP, so he should be looking over his shoulder this window.

 

See post #253. I spotted it in game.

I also mentioned Byrnes positioning last time he played as he's always caught far too high and leaves J Wright exposed for pace. One of the replies was comical to be fair, something about GA wanting him forward to be an important attacking outlet.

 

And to play him on the wrong side in the first 45 that was nuts . He was totally lost. Saka he ain’t .

 

Does he really have pace ? I think not tbh.

 

I have no qualms about his ability as an old fashioned centre forward in L1 but I do recognise that the staff see him in training day in day out , if the once decent but not outstanding mobility is wanting , exacerbated by the ACL then it’s not the appropriate time for head in sand and sentimentality..

 

Its the only thing he's got,didn't you see him chase back near the end

 

Who ???

 

If his only great thing is to chase players back then you may as well shove a defender in his posistion ..........his main purpose in that team is to create añ he does nothing ............a wide men getting the ball in a one and one situation should get you out of your seat but he sadly doesnt .............its either a poor cross that hits the nearest defender or the ball goes back.

After the Reading game i thought he would be flying but no its the same old sub standard play sadly he aint up to this level

 

He is so frustrating. He clearly has a good engine to get up and down. He doesn't have a trick in him to beat a man through skill but as he showed v Reading, he can be effective by simply kicking it past the fullback and using his pace. As you say though, we can't carry someone who is just going to do this once or twice a season, as in between we may as well be playing with 10 men.
I've reluctantly given up on him and we do need a massive upgrade ASAP.

 

It's absolutely not Kev but how do we excuse the head in the sand when it comes to Kavanagh in the "10" role, Byrne making the side despite the fit alternative(s) and poor statistics when he's selected and completely isolating Wright on the right hand side when he's mainly struggling on his favoured side?

Imo it's reasonable to throw any player into the debate as an option given the 3 examples above that not only started but all 3 got the full 90 minutes.

 

It's the McIntyre situation that's baffling me. The lad must be wondering why the hell he bothered coming up here.

 

We have to accept that barring failed medicals, Cook and Pattison are leaving and won't be seen in Bradford City shirts again. Sentimentality apart, this will benefit us with freed up wages to attract upgraded replacements... hopefully.

 

I agree about Byrne and disagreed with some of the comments about J Wright, I just thought I would provide an analysis on the first goal, which, in my opinion is more down to Byrne than Wright. Not just "he was at fault" blah, blah but an actual critical look at the goal.....

There were similar examples I recall from the Bolton cup game but unfortunately I don't have time to critically analyse every game

 

Lots of calls for him to be back in the squad but whilst we all love him for what he's done, I personally think it's misguided. The reality of the situation is that he has never had a sustained period of success at League 1 level, so there would have been that question against him anyway. Add that to the fact that he's 35 and has just recovered from one of the worst injuries that can happen to a pro footballer, then we have to be realistic.
His contract expires at the end of this season, and clearly we wont be renewing. From the players perspective he may well have a couple of years left in him but it wont be in League 1. Whatever GA has said publicly, I firmly believe talks have already happened and I expect his departure to be announced sooner rather than later.

 

But whilst we're still paying him.....he would have done a better job than Kav in my view.....

 

Of course he would (but thats not saying much!). I get the sentiment that whilst he's ours, we should be free to use him as we see fit, but if a deal has been done, then I guess it suits all parties that we dont put that at risk by playing him and risking any sort of further injury.
This will obviously be his final career move and he deserves a decent contract.

 

Some people are over reacting. A very bad day in the office for us vs a good Mansfield team who beat Bolton away in the game prior.

I'm hoping it was tiredness lingering from two incredibly physical games that made us look so poor.

I think some people need to take a breath and wait a few games before doom mongering.

"we've looked poor for weeks!" - yes, we haven't played the most dynamic and attractive football. But good teams have a habit of winning even when they play bad. Alexander-ball is effective. In past seasons, how many teams high up in the league have turned up, looked rubbish, and still nicked a win?