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

Do you play a flat back 4? That suits him best. Solid in air but his lack of pace/distribution let him down in a back three here. Hope he does well for you - seemed a good guy and pro, just not a good fit here for the reasons above and considering our other CBs also turn like oil tankers

 

Absolutely nothing was aimed at GA that I heard. But it will have been heard on the bench.
I definitely heard we've got the ball in possession in the second half and we've lost the ball when losing possession in the second half.
Frustration definitely but there was more than that on occasion and the booing, well.

Anyhow, onwards.

 

It’s actually 7 points in the last 3 games and should have been 9.

We’ll be dusting the cobwebs off Jordan Gibson ready for Saturday….

 

I think one of the big worries, and mysteries, is how many times this season Alexander has talked about 'sticking to the game plan' and everyone at the club being 'the best versions of themselves' - what the hell has happened to this mantra?
We are all over the place (including Alexander) and the last couple of games so far from being what we are capable of and what we have built our season on

 

Yes, normally a back four and he fitted in really well tonight. Most Donny fans were a bit underwhelmed by his signing but we really needed a CB who can do the basics, we’re not looking for Maldini. We threw away a 3-0 win on Saturday due to lack of experience and game management. Neill Byrne played a big part in making sure we didn’t do the same tonight.

 

Time to summarise top to bottom

Rupp claims he has the money for a promotion charge, but 3 loanies that have quite frankly, failed everywhere else they've been, isn't a sign of ambition

Sparks and Sharpe, knew we needed attacking creativity. We’re pinning our hopes all on a lad that scored 3 in 22. If he ain't gonna be available till mid Feb then bring someone else in

GA. Main culprit to blame. All started with that shit show in Mansfield where his favouritism made him pick Bryne over Mcyntire and our defence got torn to shreds

dunno what he's done with Nuefville. A player doesn't go off the boil that quick

has this dickhead arrogance that Humphrys is a striker. Hes not and never will be. Stick him on the wing where he belongs

Shit tactics. Weve ridden our luck with 2 in midfield but tonight was the chance to put 3 in the middle and allow Leigh to actually play in a position he's comfortable in. Actually nah, lets pin him as a right sided attacker against Adam Reach instead

as for the players. Power should've just got the booking and been done with it. Ain't no good having him around if he's scarred to clatter anybody

Tilt and Kelly aren't good enough to play together as their equally shite on the deck and don't know each other from adam

Ashby actually looks alright but he’s surrounded by shite with no outlet

There’s probably inmates in HMP armley that do a better job on the wing than Tyreik Wright

feel sorry for Metcalfe. Played out of his skin for a month and now hes burnt out


It’s not the fact that you lose. Its the manner in which you do. You stick a striker 20 yards ahead of the next line of attack and hoof it to him all game when he’s pants in the air and you get what everyone could’ve predicted to you at 6:45. You instil the tactics of a LG2 team fighting relegation against a team fighting for championship football and you end up looking like a bunch of mugs

its a good thing we had the start we had, because if we were in an any worse position right now, many of us here, rightly so, would be asking GA to hand in his P45

 

If you remember back to 2016 the whole point of Rhodes and Lawn selling the club to Rupp and Rahic was that they had the resources to keep City in the Championship but now you’re saying Rupp doesn’t!!!???

 

And let's not forget the target of PL season tickets for a quid.

 

That was properly awful. From 6 minutes onwards.

The fans near me were singing a lot of self deprecating stuff, and it’s hard to not sympathise with them stood in the freezing cold on a Tuesday after spending a fair whack of time and money to be there.

there were folk dishing out swearing and abuse at players at full time. And some clapping. I don’t think it warranted either… I wouldn’t clap because we weren’t good at all. But I certainly wouldn’t be telling our own players to F off.

it’s glaringly obvious we need a target ma or number 9. If we’re going to play like that.

 

Rupp said in 2025 that hechad the money

 

Brilliant post iMO

 

The guy never backed us when he joined and we’d just lost in the playoffs, all he had to do was back Parky and we’d have been fine..
What makes you think he’s going to back us now ? Hes been here around 10 years and still hasnt backed any manager we have had properly.. a new shop roof and some new shiny seats doesnt cut it for me.

Rupp OUT!

 

Have you forgotten about the sh@te show against Town? Well most haven’t and seven minutes in against Lincoln we are 1-0 down, getting the biggest 1-0 battering I have seen in league 1. Then at half time GA brings Kav on as his answer.. How do you expect fans to feel?

For the last two games the only people that have shown up are the fans! Back off them!

 

Gent and Sharp have to come out and publicly let us know what they’re doing because so far, this window has been a joke. Someone has to be held accountable for our lack of attacking options

 

Why do we have to make a massive loss if we spend a season in the Championship? Surely we can cut our cloth to match our increased Championship income. If we come back down then so be it, but at least have a go.

 

I'm guessing that since 2016 the cost of staying in the Championship has increased hugely. My concern is that it looks to be permeating down the leagues. Will we be wondering if we can afford to compete in L1 in a couple of years time.

 

Great post.

We absolutely had to put 3 in midfield yesterday, it might not have have changed the outcome as Lincoln were good, but it would have made it more of a challenge for them.

There was a moment in the first half that summed up where we are at the moment. Metcalfe got the ball in the centre, made space for himself and then put a terrific ball out to Touray who had some space. I thought here we go, we've got a chance here as they are running back to defend. Hardly any options for Touray and 10 seconds later we are passing the ball back to Sam Walker. It's been so rare recently that we have made a pass that actually puts us in an advantageous position. Try and keep the ball, get pressed and then lump it. If we can't change that then the rest of the season is going to be a real tough watch.

 

Oh I'm not knocking the fans or myself. I was neutral last night . I'm putting across the angst shown. Actually I asked my son whom he felt was man of the match last night, he said the fans!!

The only positive last night was the tifo and the lingering fog around Lincoln cathedral (making it look surreal) on the way out of the ground

 

I felt sorry for the players in a way, said to my lad before the game started that they've been hung out to dry with that line up, just like they were on Saturday. Humphrys looked dejected, playing a role he doesn't suit kinda knowing the line up has no way of getting the ball to him. Constant chopping and changing only compounds the problem. Same with young Metcalfe, he badly needed an extra body around him in midfield to compensate for Powers lack of mobility, with the system failing an extra central midfielder was a must have, Instead we throw Leigh into a forward position. The players body language suggests they need guidance.