The Voice - Match preview #37: Wigan Athletic vs Bradford City Saturday 14th March 2026 3:00pm

I was surprised he'd started Pointon and Sarc. The fact he's hooked them both at half time with us still in the game is pretty telling and indicative of the fact that he probably regrets his decision to start them.

I've been banging on about my support for the 'rotation' for months. It's the reason why we are in the position that we are. We keep our players fresh for the home games where we know that all the controllables are in our favour and it's been the foundation for our home form over the past year. I keep hearing about how there is no excuse for being 'tired', but this is not just about being fit, it's about keeping the first team fresh enough to win every home game and it's worked a treat. Our home form has been unreal and it's because of GA's approach to team selection.

I hope we don't suffer on Tuesday.

 

Yet it was shown that both Lincoln and Cardiff made less changes than us and they've run away with the top two positions.

 

Alexander needs to find the middle ground in relation to rotation. It's either all or nothing when it comes to away games. He needs to make fewer changes not wholesale, and definitely make changes after a midweek game on a large cow field at Port Vale. He could quite easily have started Humphrys instead of Pointon and Lapslie or Swan instead of Sarcevic. Like you I hope we still have something in the tank on Tuesday, because Mansfield will be a tough game.

 

They've got far better squads.

 

Yet still make less changes.

 

A reason to make more changes then, when in fact, they have made alot less!

 

Just a shame a season is 46 Games
23 Home
23 Away
Not fair is it

 

Exactly. If every other team had to play half of their games away from home I'm sure they'd find it as difficult as we do.

 

I think yesterday highlighted how shocking the January window was for us.

We brought in 3 strikers, and to date they have scored 1 goal between them.

We brought in Lee Evans to cover for Power's inevitable suspension, overall a terrible signing

The Newcastle lads have been terrible, indeed one of them has disappeared altogether.

Sibley, again shocking, and disappeared.

The window clearly tells me that Rupp didnt back GA when we were in such a strong position to challenge for automatic promotion.

I do think we will limp over the line and secure a playoff place, which would be a tremendous achievement given the budget and for a newly promoted side.

Is Rupp terrified of what promotion would cost him to assemble a side good enough for the Championship perhaps?

 

The front six is virtually unchanged. For all their alleged better squad you mention, the likes of Moylan, Hackett, Street and McGrandles have started virtually every game of their unbeaten run, note their manager doesn't rest them. Same with Varfolomiev, hes played the last dozen or so games unchanged, there is no squad rotation there. What Skubala does seem to do at times is alter the way those players line up, i'm guessing to suit a particular opposition and Alexander doesn't tend to do that.

 

Both have serious “ family “ issues to contend with, so benefit of the doubt . Mental tiredness is far worse than physical .

 

Five across their back was a hard watch first half yesterday RT. Long aimless punts after they took the lead at a set piece. I didn’t watch their second half . It sure is effective but not very exciting tbh as a spectacle .

 

It's worse than that Idle. Rupp DID provide extra funds in January, it was mentioned in the Radio Leeds 'fans forum'. I also seem to remember Sharp getting quite annoyed when asked a question about the quality of signings and more or less said they are costing us a lot of money. If that's the case, it's been money very poorly spent imo.

 

An unbeaten run of 20 games, a goal difference of +35, they must be doing something right. Best team in this division by some distance. The top two are streets ahead of everyone else, look at the goal difference for 3rd and 4th, its +6 and +4 against +33 and +30

 

But they possess enough quality in their first XI to negate the need to rest them as they can get results even when they're not performing at 100%

 

Fortunately for us 20 of those sides are not managing the demands of the fixture list as well as we are.

 

When we get beet there’s always space where we let teams run through midfield
Id have Evan’s on the bench to come on to sit behind our midfielders and CHa

 

when we play away teams now no we are a soft touch so they go for the jugular.

 

Yes no question , rather a comment re yesterday’s game . County 70%+ possession pretty much says it was like that all game . They have gone back to the “old” Wimbledon way of doing it under Bassett, but refined . It’s damn effective when it works with the right players . The in game stats other than the above are pretty similar otherwise .

 

Yes, 2nd place and a golden opportunity for promotion. Shifted on a few not deemed good enough - Pattison, Halliday and Cook, plus a few more who were disposable like Byrne, Leigh and Kavanagh.

To be frank, weve brought in some right shite. Evans is clearly not up to it because GA never uses him unless forced too. We had Pattison and Leigh a few months ago as options who he actually gave time too. Joe White a complete waste of a shirt and Sibley is dreadful. One couldnt get a game at Orient and the other hadnt started a game in 18 months or something.

Dont get me started on the forward options. Jackson has looked ok but now injured. Wheatley has had one decemt game but is a terrible finisher. Mullin is a complete waste of a wage - clearly not up to it and his face doesnt fit in the way we play.

If Sharpe is correct and we have 'invested' then thats on him and GA for the bad business.