The Voice - Match preview MK Dons vs Bradford City Tuesday 24th October 2023 19:45

Makes loaning Odusina out seem foolish.

 

It needs major surgery. No doubt. Less than 50% of this squad would be good enough to be part of a promotion set up.

 

We haven’t even tried the American defender to see if he’s any good.

 

Well, I mean you have to account for the fact that some players are going to be squad players in a promotion set up.

Let's not forget that players like Zavon Hines, Will Atkinson, Ricky Ravenhill and Michael Nelson played a reasonable part of our promotion side under PP. None of them are good players.

Remember Andy Gray, Ritchie Jones and Ross Hannah?

We also had a ton of loan players that weren't good enough that season, too.

A squad isn't filled with promotion-calibre players, but the first XI needs to have at least 5 or 6 players of very good quality: Andrew Davies, Nahki Wells, James Hanson, Rory McArdle, Gary Jones, Kyel Reid and Nathan Doyle were all good enough for promotion, but didn't always play.

At the minute, too many of our 'promotion calibre' players are injured or bang off form: Andy Cook, Alex Pattison, Richie Smallwood, Sam Stubbs, even Harry Lewis if last season was anything to go by: these players should be good enough, yet Brad Halliday and Alex Gilliead are our best players on current form.

 

Macdonald should've tightened things up when we got back into the game. We were too open and left glaring holes in midfield and defence. His lack of experience told there, added to sticking with the same 11 for the start of the second half. He's done well so far so won't slaughter him, but there's a weakness in the mentality of this squad. Will he make changes at the back on Saturday? You could realistically drop Ridealgh, Stubbs and Taylor, but I don't think he will. He'll probably go with the same back four in the hope they get back on track. As for Osadebe, I don't think he'll ever be more than an impact sub. Certainly offers very little along with Wilson.

 

I agree. Even so, this squad is a long, long way short.

 

Taylor really worries me because i watched him during the second half and most of the time he marked no one and pressure it puts on the other centre back.

 

We've 33 players but no cover for Cook, no quality wide men, limited options in centre midfield and no back up goalkeeper to push Lewis.

 

That was a truly miserable watch. It was the most one sided game I can remember for years and often looked like a cup game between a Premier league giant and a Sunday league side. The gulf in quality between the sides was absolutely frightening.

MK Dons are an excellent footballing side. From 1-11 they're all comfortable in possession and always want the ball. Contrast that to our lot who shy away from the ball and look completely clueless when they have it.

We'll be ok against the Wrexhams of the world who believe there's grass in the sky but as soon as we play a side like this it's a long day for us. We've got a team with no pace whatsoever, ageing players with no energy throughout the spine and collective fitness levels that a professional team should be ashamed of.

I was actually watching that tonight more gutted that we've missed out on an excellent manager in Mike Williamson than the fact we were getting a hiding. I hope you were watching Ryan - that's what you could've had.

Only consolation is its an hour home for me.

 

MK fan in peace.

I know your keeper has got some stick for our second goal from the free kick but the ball had some wicked swerve on it. There is some footage from behind the ball below.



We are all still in shock how quickly Williamson has had such an impact and we are playing football again. I hope for your sakes you don't end up with Alexander.

Good luck for the rest of the season.

 

Why was your support so bad today? Not picking a fight, just curious. I thought you were well-supported but the crowd number shows otherwise.

 

It went straight through him. Should save that. Was at fault for the first dropping a simple ball for the former but then made several good saves afterwards. Frankly we made you lot look like Barca. One of outmost abject performances of the season. And there’s been a few.

 

It was weird a scattering of fans behind their goal. A few at the side. And we were stuck up in the top tier corner. God knows what the capacity is but it’s soulless when so few watch. Reckon about 4K were there.

 

From your point of view you did play well,from my point of view,we were awful

 

But he can't even make the first eleven in the National League! Every time I've checked Woking's team, he's been an unused sub!

 

Well done MKD. I can’t remember us being dominated from start to finish like that for a long time. We looked so far off it. It should have been 8-1 at the very least, maybe 10-1.

Promising start for Williamson

 

We were averaging 7.5k season ticket holders in league 1 but after 18 months of sh*t performances and relegation means attendances have dropped off.

Season tickets at around 5k now not including pay on the day but the hope is that now we are playing entertaining football under Williamson things will change and people will start coming back.

I go to nearly every game home and away but the last two years has even had me question my sanity.

Really, hope you guys sort your manager situation out as you are a massive club as this level. I've always had time for Bradford fans.

Looking forward to the trip to your place later in the season, the last time I was there was in our league 2 promotion season in 2008 when Keith Andrews scored for us to clinch promotion to league 1.

 

Not felt as helpess watching a match since Swansea embarrassed us at Wembley in the League Cup Final tbh

 

Just back, thanks for a great night City.
I’m sure they’ll be many more nights like this over the Winter, I can’t wait!!