The Voice - Match preview #32: AFC Wimbledon vs Bradford City Saturday 21st February 2026 3:00pm

I think today was proof enough that once again we struggled with what many thought was a weaker starting 11, making two changes at half time and not for the first time this season at away games.
I believe with the points we've accumulated so far and the remaining home game we have it will get us a play off place but the way were performing away hand on heart I can't call our next away win.
I get no pleasure in criticising Alexander but once again many were questioning his starting 11 before a ball was kicked and not for the first time, but when it goes so badly wrong against a team that are hardly world beaters I think it fair fans (especially those who travelled today) have every right to question his team selection.

 

Cardiff have come down from the Championship and have some Championship quality players.. Lincoln have been building in this league for about 7-8 years.. did you really expect us to be challenging the top 2? A little perspective is needed.
We do have a settled squad in the most part. It’s clear with the fixture congestion that changes are likely to happen. I get the disappointment today but the overreaction to every defeat is getting tiresome. Cardiff got pumped today by Plymouth.. bad day at the office or an unsettled squad?
We will win Tuesday and the mood will shift again. Let’s not forget where we were this time last season and the progression we have seen in 12 months.

 

Well after a very positive week that was a total car crash - and sadly, but as expected, Raynor asked nothing that challenged GA in the slightest.

Someone posted earlier in the day when the quality of our loanees was raised that we are not committed to them beyond this summer but for me it sort of misses the point - the opportunity we have is here and now! If these guys aren't really up to speed to add to our chances right now then were our recruitment team as dynamic as some make out? There are no guarantees we will be in this position again next season, even if we have a bit more cash to splash because of our prudent January dealings. Lets be honest, its our pre January players who are giving us most hope - just hope a couple of the loanee additions can produce something really tangible in the weeks ahead

 

Its not really an overreaction though is it? We've gone into this game confident and buzzing off the back of
2 excellent performances and the very least the travelling fans expect is for the team to go and compete. Most called the team selection v weak and so it proved as we turned in another shocker to go alongside Mansfield, Lincoln and Hudds. Its not the loss its the fact that it was once again, pretty much game over by half time.
Like you, I expect us to win on Tuesday, but the pressure is on now.

 

You're old school like me where that was always the case because many clubs like ourselves didn't have the luxury of the size of squad clubs carry now a days, Alexander openly admits we don't have cover in every position, I'd say we don't have players with the ability to play dual roles.

I had a smile on my face reading that mate, you will remember back in the day most teams has a long throw expert and then it faded out as it was classed as dark age football etc, yet over the last few seasons we've seen more and more of it, we've even tried it but some teams have players who can hit the penalty spot or further, so why do some think its dark age when it can cause so many problems for the defending side and at times can be more accurate than corner kicks as we've experienced many times, where players can't beat the first defender.

 

Well said mate.

 

He apologised in his after match interview

 

We don't have a midweek match after Reading so it will be full strength.
And we will be there too.
Big match.

 

So the poor sods who turned up today
The poor sods who turned up at Huddersfield for that pathetic effort
Same at Lincoln,Mansfield and luton should simply fork there money out and put up with this shite because we save ourselves for home games ???????

If thats the case then maybe GA should tell us all and save ourself the efforts of yet another no show

 

It is an overreaction though. Too many would be managers who think they have a clue. We don’t know every detail of the players fitness. We don’t see them day in and day out in training.
Of course we would love our best players out on the pitch every game but it’s not realistic.
The same people on here commending the Mullin & Sibley signings in Jan are now perplexed they got a game today.. our 3rd game out of 5 in just 14 days. It’s fine for people to be disappointed and especially for the fans that travelled but Wimbledon were better than us today. That’s football.
We haven’t been out of the top 6 by the way since August. While some results are poor we couldn’t have wished for a better league one campaign so far in my opinion.

 

Perhaps the overreaction is down to the manager making the same fook ups every time we play away from home ..............i bet everytime we have lost the majority of us could see it happening before a ball was kicked so why does he continue to do it its also becoming tiresome

 

keep Jackson send the pile of shite back from where it came.
we need a striker we need a striker that's all I kept reading about well you got what most of you wanted
crap the 2 strikers we already have are better. cooks gone so Jackson is our third striker now.

 

I agree its been a fantastic campaign thats way exceeded expectations. I've said in an earlier post, that I accept that an element of rotation is inevitable to ensure we keep players fresh. By the same token, by making 5 from Tuesday meant we lost all element of continuity and the team looked totally disjointed as a result. The fact that GA once again had to make 2 changes at half time is evidence that once again, he realised he got it badly wrong. For me at the very least we need consistency and continuity at the back, injuries and suspensions permitting.

 

GA has decided that it's the best way to maximise our points total. We lose our home form and we lose our play off place. I appreciate it's frustrating when you've traveled but his job is to get us the most points possible over the course of the season and this is the strategy he's settled on.

 

Sibley, White, Wheatley and Mullin look shite to me. Not seen enough of Ashby. Jackson looks ok, but Evans im not convinced over.

Poor recruitment in the winter window. Weve gone down the cheap loan route and the majority arent good enough to fill in.

 

So our away record is about 12th overall over 17 games. It’s really not as bad as you are making out for a newly promoted team.
We lost 10 away games in league 2 last season and our away form over 23 games was 16th.
Some of you like I said really need to get some perspective.

 

I believe in the old adage,,,,,,do not change a winning team unless you have to ,,,,,, but yet again he tinkers and changes and we get beaten.

 

We may not have the experience or as you say "clue" but it is after all a football forum where fans have different takes on the game some tell it as they see it others defending our manager even after a dire performance once again, I'd say fans have every right to ask about todays starting 11 especially those who travelled down to Wimbledon.

 

Hopefully Hump can continue chipping in and gets his shirt back. Swan hopefully back soon.

I dont care to see Mullin or Wheatley in a City shirt again. Bargain basement.

 

I sort of get what you are saying but thats a very dangerous strategy if thats the case.
So given top 2 is out of reach, its all about getting sufficient points for the play offs and in that respect it really doesn't matter whether we get mid 80s ( probable 3rd place) or lower 70s which may clinch 6th, so yes we do have a bit of leeway to play with.
There are no guarantees though and we will inevitably drop points at home over the run in, which means we will still need to find a couple of away wins at least from somewhere. Today was an opportunity missed from the moment that team sheet was handed in.