The Voice - Match preview Bradford City vs Crewe Alexandra Saturday 27 August @ 3:00pm

I agree with you regarding Platt. He’s been solid not only in this game, but all others that we have played. A shrewd signing by Hughes. But from an attacking perspective, who in our team will actually get the ball forward? besides Banks. Because Angol hasn’t got the confidence to take people on and Cook & Harratt are playing off the last man. The only player finding runs made by Banks, Young & even Oliver was Smallwood. East looks like a tidy player but he needs to come out of his shell an take the game by the scruff of the neck. He plays too safe

 

The positives I will take away from our opening 6 games is we haven’t played anyone who deserved to win, and at the same time, we haven’t played anywhere near our best yet we’d be unbeaten if it wasn’t for 2 last minute goals

 

The full backs do need to create more tbf, but trouble is it’s league 2. They aren’t Man City or Liverpool. Halliday currently has joint most assists at the club this season, it would be interesting to see how he fairs compared with other full backs. Ridehalgh has zero.

 

He's trying too hard to please everyone. I think by the end of the season he'll be our most consistent player

 

He did it yesterday a few times although looks uncomfortable when looking to cross. Banks used him as a foil for his second shot which hit the bar

 

Or a fact / stat.

 

Bang on with that comment. He can complete a pass and make a tackle. He's done really well so far.

 

He is there to sit break up play and distribute he does it well. His set piece play was poor yesterday though. I thought that was Banks forte

 

He is there to sit break up play and distribute he does it well. His set piece play was poor yesterday though. I thought that was Banks forte

the trouble is his play is to similar to Smallwood Gillead is far better in that position we badly missed him yesterday

 

At home there is hardly no play to break up. He needs to up his game and improve on his forward distribution. Spends too much time looking at our back four instead of our front line. Change that and we start to score more goals.

 

That’s not his game though it’s his partners job to do that and Gillead does it well

 

Remind me the last time Gillead hit an incisive forward pass.

 

Meaningless drivel I would suggest. You believe otherwise…..It’s called differing opinions.

 

he hasn’t done badly, but both he and Smallwood are crabs and we need more drive going forward. Two crabs together makes us too slow when we need a higher tempo

 

He didnt play badly i just dont like two crabs playing together - which is what he and Smallwood effectively are. We are too slow and patient in our build up and need more drive from a ball carrier in midfield.

 

Not sure that’s accurate tbf, I believe they are stymied somewhat because the outlets they and we need are injured. Walker and Osadebe. It’s our “three” that’s not working at the moment. We can’t spread it because we are weak from the centre of the three to left of the three. Banks is a danger to the oppo and that’s why we see them having the luxury of doubling up on him. The left is glaringly weak imho.

 

Gillead drives the ball forward complimenting Smallwood unlike East who is nice and tidy but static

 

Gilead has had 1 or 2 decent games. He isn’t the answer though.

We need better.

 

Ridealgh is struggling to get forward on the left because Angol doesn't play as a traditional winger looking for his overlap. If he bombs forward, Angols instinct is to try and shoot rather than look for his overlapping run. Ridealgh would end up in no mans land because Angol wouldn't trust his hamstring to run back and cover.

With a couple of days left in the window we need to sort that left hand side out. Vernam is a bigger miss than I first thought he would be, but we've time to loan an out and out winger who'll stick to the line and open the space in the middle.