The Voice - Match preview Leyton Orient vs Bradford City Saturday 3rd December 2022 @ 12:30pm

I thought the same with regards their first goal but watching it again Halliday looked to be playing him onside as for the second its criminal to allow a player stood along on the edge of the box a clear shot on goal very similar to Banks effort at Sutton although banks made space for himself.

 

And yet we still think square pegs in round holes is going to miraculously work.

It won’t.

 

If you watch the first goal again Smallwood appears to Hallidays right as their player goes through so he could have been even deeper than Halliday.

 

I'm not disagreeing with your comments with regards Gilliead, but earlier in the season many on here were saying Hughes had found Gilliead's best position along side Smallwood, funny old game when we lose certain players are not fit for purpose and shouldn't be playing in said position.

 

I have NEVER booed city!
I just want a team to perform, and a manager who is not afraid to admit he is wrong and change things.

 

They seem undroppable though.
East played really well at Salford when Gilliead was missing but was dropped the following game at Grimsby when Gilliead returned.
We have to get a proper midfielder in January if Hughes doesn’t think any of his current squad can do better than Gilliead on a regular basis.

 

Watching it again it was a very close call one way or the other but having got through the kids finish was quality.

 

I agree many quoted East deserved another start after that performance.

 

Platt has no idea where Smallwood or Halliday are standing behind him yet still complains to the linesman.

 

It must be a little disheartening if you don’t think you are getting a decent go at cementing your place.

 

I think its comes a natural Instinct to have a go at the officials when they concede most defenders do the same, Platt was very poor today we need Critchlow back along side him neither Songo'o or Odusina instil confidence in Platt who up until recently has had a steady season.

 

Always rated him, just Hippo Head didn't , Moncur was another he threw under the bus. Gilliead is supposed to be the one with an engine, yet out run by Pratley.

 

I honestly believe some of our players are not really up for it before we kick off.
Smallwood typifies my train of thought, he's far from the battling motivational midfielder I expected in fact the total reverse.
Recruitment seemed fine but having now witnessed what I would call a fairly settled side in terms of personal the end product on the field falls way short both tactically and physically.
If we are to achieve anything at all this season things have to change over 90 minutes and at the moment that's not happening.

 

The worrying thing is if as i posted with players available that was about the strongest 11 he could put out will Crichlow and Osadebe make much difference, surely we don't need to bring in another 3/4 players to get this squad to perform maybe Sparkie and Hodges need to look at the system they are asking our players to perform in, but sitting = 5th in the league does it really need a big overhaul ?.

 

I think it’s clear we need a quality CM in the Jan window. The only issue I see is that players will be need to be shipped out as we already have a massive squad and the other being a cm that we need isn’t going to be cheap or even available.
Getting clubs to let their best CMs leave in the Jan window will be near impossible.

 

East did have a good game that day but Salford allowed us lots of time on the ball. They were not a shade on Orient today (or Northampton) who pressed, squeezed especially off the ball. East would too have found today a real challenge.

I'm with the general assessment on AG in the main but the problem is not exclusive to him. The shape, desire, tactics and body language across the squad is a concern for me. We have far too many players whom simply don't provide enough assists/goals and not working hard enough atm.

I do wonder if the players are in sync with Hughes....

 

I don't think they're markedly better either. They're just deployed more effectively for the most part.

Similar games. Bright start, early chances missed, opponent scores with first goal after sloppy distribution out from back.

 

It’s fairly clear that I’m no fan of Gillead but if you are in his position and an ex Premier league/international manager keeps picking you week in week out,what are you going to do? Tell the manager you don’t want to play in that system? No ,course you don’t.
This is what concerns me..That Hughes thinks 2 defensive midfielders can play together in team that he wants to bring the ball out from the keeper.
We know Gilliead is lacking in a lot of what makes a good midfielder.Hughes either can’t see it or chooses to ignore it.
That’s worrying.

 

I bet this thread is full of pulling players apart ????
Get with the plot these players are’s good enough but they are simply being fooked over by a manager whose arrogant attitude will end up fooking us over

 

If only we had a player with a genuine engine that could play box to box driving forward and even chipping in with the odd goal now and again.