The Voice - Match preview #27: Lincoln City vs Bradford City Tuesday 27th January 2026 7:45pm

I still can't believe what I've just watched. Alexander literally set the team up not to score and they got that bit right. There's a reason the atmosphere at VP is poor even with 20,000 there and being in the top and and that's because there is literally no excitement at all. How the hell are players like Metcalfe (who right now has been carrying his skipper for a month or two), Pointon and Nuefville ever gonna improve having to play under this style of football. It's devoid of any attacking intent whatsoever.

 

Alexander appeared to be fuming at the fans reaction at the end.

Only himself to blame though

 

I get people’s frustration but the team isn’t as good as we thought it was. Losing Patto and Cook wasn’t ideal but neither were really in the side when things were good. The two lads from Newcastle don’t look up to it and we have zero midfield creativity.
Bobby has been off it for a long while now and Sarcevic can’t stay fit. Swan and Kav aren’t good enough for League one football and Humphrey’s is being played out of position.
Recruitment hasn’t been great but January is an absolutely awful month to try and sign players. Any players we would be interested in will also be interesting the likes of Bolton, Stockport, Lincoln, Huddersfield etc.
I think our early season performances were how we see a lot of promoted teams go with momentum and vigor and I think we were probably in a false position. It’s a shame how we’ve dropped off but I think it was inevitable.

 

We're going to plummet now.

 

Exactly! He’d have had three hours worth of booze to soften the blow of Gibsons hat trick!

 

The wife would have reminded me she can't wait to get me out of the house .

 

Nobody has said it is, but a non league team would put in more coherent performances than we have recently. Little to no shots a game and conceding chances at will. If we were competitive and losing that’s one thing, this is totally different.

 

midfield have been amongst the worst culprits in this decline. Totally overrun, the lot of them, and is another area seriously needing some steel adding.

 

He better be careful in his reactions.

 

We had that brilliant start, yes, and that will see us safe this season. I think however that we were playing on a promotion high -- the confidence and satisfaction that arose from that made the players play better than their usual standard. But after that first segment, we slowed down in the second, and now, well into the third, have run up against reality: most of the players who get you up a division are simply not good enough to do more than keep you in that new division. We need(ed) more of a better class of player coming in, but this is the tough transfer window to do that in. Thus the slide downwards.

I suppose one could say something similar about managers; like players, not all can make the step up. (I'm not suggesting GA can't.) Other sides have adjusted to our intial style, we haven't responded suitably -- and some of the blame has to fall on the coaching staff.

So, do we take advantage of that initial success and spend now, or build up gradually? If ownership has decided on the latter, then we are stuck with what looks like a wasted opportunity and a discouraging end to the season.

RCB

 

Well what a reaction to the no show at Huddersfield by putting an even poorer shambles in ............as for golk going on about this was gonna happen .........well heres an idea bleeding do something about it the window ...... ......i mean of all the teams after promotion we must be the only one to have weakened ourselves ...........i could really tear into that shower tonight but i cannot be bothered stupid braindead diagonal passes that aint worked for months now but we keep doing it ffs

 

It's the manner of the defeats that are the worry. Talent or ability are one thing, but this is the basics that have gone out the window.

Marking, none existent. Winning challenges, not happening. Passing it 5 yards, rarely happens. The pressing has completely dropped and I dont care what level of talent a footballer is, running and committing to the cause should always be a minimum standard. I dont know if the players have downed tools or GA has lost the dressing room, but theres no way in hell a team can play like we have on purpose.

 

Who we haven't beaten this season yep it'll be great on Saturday yeah

 

That’s the really worrying thing.

Nothing positive to take from a derby game and just as bad tonight against a decent (not spectacular) team.

Teams just doing the basics know they will trouble us and also know we have absolutely no creativity to trouble them.

 

GA fuming. He’s not the one who gets up at 5am every week. Struggles with just managing an household with bills etc. Then after booking a half days holiday wastes 120 pounds he can ill afford to waste and drive for 2 hours in puddles to watch what he thought was a decent hardworking professional team he’s loved all life turn out to be a bunch of gutless prima donnas with no balls put in a performance to make him actually feel physically sick. And these lot will NOT be getting up tomorrow at 5 am to do another days HARD work.

THAT GA is WHY they are upset.

 

Bad as our back 3 were tonight I'm going to defend them.....slightly. It's no wonder nobody knows who's going for what ball. He changes the back 3 every match. How are they supposed to develop any cohesion and understanding

 

Well it has all been said. Frustrations and anger from the fans is not out of place. As a manager you take the congratulations and plaudits when it is going well. When we are in the process of dropping out of the playoffs and ending up mid table then you get angry fans. We were promised investment in the team, I haven’t seen that yet. Then you allow good players to leave, no idea why, inept is the best description.

Now I don’t know what is going on but something is. Those players tonight might as well have had a chat with me. They looked frightened and bewildered and no idea how to create a chance. None of the above will help us shine to prospective footballers wanting to come to VP.

 

Just needs to get the yellow , suck up the suspension and come back fighting otherwise we may as well start with 10.

 

Lose Saturday ( its possible ) and i think thats it . Aint gonna get a new manager , plus sign players in two days , means the window shuts Monday !

 

At least you'll be happy that we're not mounting a promotion challenge any more.

What a disaster that would be if we went up.