The Voice - Match preview Stevenage vs Bradford City Saturday 11th February @ 3:00pm

Not great options tbh. Are you coming on the train?

 

So...Stevenage - like to get the ball into the box, tend to have quite a lot of shots and have been scoring and winning games - versus - City - who appear to have confused their team with a changed pattern of play, don't really have a lot of shots and don't regularly score more than one goal.

Doesn't feel like we'll win, that's for sure.

 

No, in the car. I was thinking, maybe just head to the pub closest to the train station tbh

 

Sigh.

 

Steve Evans plays the sort of football our fans would love. I'd have him here in a heartbeat.

 

Winning football?

 

There isn't really a style our fans love.

Even Parkinson got pelters for being too direct, even though that's the style that causes the big teams problems. It levels the playing field and negates talent differentials somewhat.

But no sooner do we switch to attractive, attacking football and start winning games by scoring 1 more under Stuart, that's no good either!

Now we've modernised under Hughes, and guess what? No good.

It's the result of being a big rudderless lower league battleship with no purpose or direction I'm afraid.

 

The harvester Rod has linked to here is ok as is the Toby Carvery which is a similar distance to the ground but more on the other side of it. The problem is parking - you'd be able to park at each for a short time but not for the duration of the match.

You'd either be best parking in the town centre (don't worry, traffic not that bad) or there is a car park opposite the ground which is free but takes a bit of time to get out of some times.

There isn't really a pub close to the station. They closed the Wetherspoons in town. This one https://goo.gl/maps/LqBS8sDXoAK5x44k7 (if the link works) is called "The Chequers beerhouse" on google but is basically The Chequers is nice and you can usually park around it. Other than that you're in the old town really.

 

Yeah, goal of the month usually means just that ...

 

I disagree that fans disliked Parky's football. There were the odd gripes that EVERY club gets, but for the most part fans loved what we were about under Parky. Same with McCall in 16/17 - there was just frustration that we lacked that little bit of cutting edge.

Direct, attacking football. Aggressive, doesn't need to be technical but high intensity, lots of crosses and shots, getting the ball forward fairly quickly, looking for overloads and getting bodies in the box in a way that's reasonably well coordinated. Do that, and put City in the top 3, and fans would soon forget that he likes to wave his c**k about.

 

For everyone moaning last week about how Critchlow isn't a leader and how rubbish Bola is, let's see how much we miss them on Saturday...

 

We will definitely miss Critchlow, although if fit I'm expecting Stubbs to be a quality stand in CB. I wonder how fit Ridehalgh is?

 

Steve Evans at it again bigging City up in the local media labelling us the special ones of league 2.

Read somewhere this week that some City fans reckon Evans wouldn't leave Stevenage if we offered him the job 12 months after he put his name forward.

Let me tell you this, he would walk over broken glass all the way from Stevenage to Bradford if we offered him the gig

 

I think most people are enjoying Hughes' football.

They'd enjoy it even more if we went up.

I still stand by the idea that City fans only enjoy a style of football if we're winning.

It literally has nothing to do with minor aesthetic or tactical preferences; purely results.

 

Yes, he would.

And I'd walk over broken glass to escape Valley Parade if he ever took the helm.

 

The first and third lines would appear to contradict. I personally disagree with the first line.

 

Strange sentence in MH's pre-match interview.

"Stevenage play a certain way, that's why they are higher in the league table""

Begs the question, why can't we play like that then.

 

Hughes said in his press conference yesterday that Orient tried to go toe to toe with them and found themselves 2-0 down a decision they probably regretted. I would think that we can expect another Stockport type performance with little attempt at going forward. Best we can hope for is another 0-0.

 

Doesn't look like teams get many chances to attack Stevenage at their place regardless of their tactics

Tough place to score goals.