The Voice - Match preview #1: MK Dons vs Bradford City Saturday 10th August 2024 @ 3:00pm

Yeeeeah... up to a point, but Baldwin was on the touchline on the halfway line for their goal, which is VERY wide for a CB, even in our system.

If it's just that that's how we're going to play as a very pressing team, then so be it and you need to hope less technical teams on smaller pitches find it harder to break the press, or otherwise the back 5 need to work on when to pass their man on better. Either way, that wasn't a normal amount of space even for the system

 

Absolutely, same for Man U and Man City, that’s the fallability of a 3-2 defence. The back three need pace to permit it, that’s why Stubbs and possibly Platt were sidelined or allowed to leave under GA because they didn’t have “recovery pace” .

The actual benefit of the system was shown to its full extent yesterday when Wright got beyond or down the side of their defence on a least four occassions…Two of which led to goals.

 

Spot on. In the last week there has been much comment that MK would kill us on that wide pitch. Yes we were a little fortunate at times but how many times have we all come away from VP moaning that we have battered someone and lost?.
As you say we played a team that move the opposition around with the benefit of the size of pitch all of which highlighted gaps from time to time but as one of their guys said to me after the game "We don't loose many here, you have to be a good team to get anything, everytime we are behind at half time we win, your lot did everything right". He also went on to say we were a diffent animal to the last time at MK.
Don't get carried away by any means but we didn't crumble and in the last 10 minutes actually collected ourselves and saw it out. That's seven wins and a draw from the last eight. Long way to go, much to do, one or two were not themselves yesterday but then we know they can do better rather than hoping they can.

 

To your point on "we should have had a couple more", which chances should we have scored?

I've counted five clear chances that MK Dons missed. Only one resulting in a good save from Walker. Those we poor misses. They're going to miss Max Dean. He needs replacing.

 

Arguably, from the point Shepherd came on and we binned off the idea of playing attacking players at wing back (Wright, Oduor) we were much stronger and better defensively. That is a move GA should probably have done earlier because it almost completely cut off their right sided attacks. The last 10 minutes they struggled to create anything. He probably should have made those defensive changes earlier.

 

Whilst some are getting carried away with this result (3 points are always welcome) saying
We've won 7 in the last 8 MKD are promotion favourites etc etc
Just a reminder in their last 2 matches MKD were smashed for 8 scoring 1
Any win is a good win especially as we were hanging on 2nd half
But let's have some context if we are carrying forward results from last season we luckily beat a team coming back after 2 heavy defeats

 

Yeah it's only one game and it can certainty be worked on but I just feel there's still a lack of ability in there and Byrne looked every bit as slow as Stubbs in there so for me, I'd play the better player. That's clearly not going to happen though so we'll have to hope they either improve as a unit or that the old from Barnsley can add some more stability in there.

 

That's fine Kevin but Byrne looks every bit as slow as Stubbs and certainly slower than Platt. I wouldn't necessarily say any of the other two looked particularly quick either if I'm honest.

 

Come on Steve, MK Dons are a good side and massively changed from the play off disaster against Crawley. I was there last season when they walloped us 4-1 and it could have been 7. Yesterday was a good win and few will win there. Forget club politics and enjoy the victory.

 

Maybe it suggests momentum is a good thing we've seen it many times Wrexham and Stockport County last season, but I cant agree with regards your MK comment coming back from 2 heavy defeats last season they have kept most of the squad according to the commentators and added that wide man from Notts County, are you saying on yesterdays performance MK Dons won't be challenging for an auto place, sorry mate I disagree, at times they carved us wide open but we stuck at it and got the three points, what more can we ask of our team, you maybe have to question why knowing there was interest in their club did the last owner sell their leading scorer from last season, I would think money would be no object going forward, a bit like us we know if monies required we have an owner willing to put his hand in his pocket to provide money to the club .

 

I am enjoying the victory 3 points always welcome in my book just not getting carried away and including results from a failed season to add to the narrative is wrong
Who says MKD are a good side this time last year Crawley were relegation certainties judge any team after first half dozen games new players don't always improve a side we above everyone else should know that
A win is a win and happy with that but let's have a balanced view

 

I think it’s all about perceptions Dave . I thought whilst being pulled out of position several times they recovered pretty well on most occasions . Without injuries I cannot see Stubbs being featured at all this season , the young lad on loan looked rapid and will feature a lot is my guess as he can cover centre back and Kelly’s position .

 

A result that shows what I know about football but what the hell.

 

You're last sentence gave me a good laugh Dave !!!

 

As you know I was hoping Baldwin would be a revelation for us this season, but I was shouting at the screen at one point when we lost the ball on our right and he was sauntering back miles behind the play. Had that happened on the left side Kelly would have bust a gut to get back. Thought he looked comfortable on the ball though

 

Their goal where he ends up nearly in the dugout chasing a man that he should be leaving alone or passing on was horrendous awareness from him. That's a worry considering that he's 27 and not a young kid just learning the game.

I did say that I wouldn't risk Johnson at right centre half but at this point he might end up being our best option.

 

I went to the Sunderland friendly and didn’t see anything in him. He gave the ball away and didn’t look comfortable. Maybe he’s getting used to the position,but a quicker RCB like Tomkinson or Oyegoke would’ve been a priority for me.

 

In terms of a settled starting 11, I think it’ll take a few games to work itself out. As mentioned previously, we have to find a way to get Walker into midfield.

 

A good friend of mine has been in Pete Winkelman company several times over the last few years and with him being a Bantam struck up a friendship Winkelman telling him the sort of finance he'd put in during his time there and said financially the club weren't in a good way, so on watching the game yesterday I was surprised to hear they had been bought out by the Arab consortium, we've learnt from experience sometimes its "better the devil you know" Julian & Mark than a new owner who sounds the part but fails to deliver and in our case take our club backwards, but I'd take that risk on someone with real clout and interest in improving the club.

Just to add I've search too try and find how much they paid for MK Dons, IMO their stadium is by far the best in League Two and with them being in the play offs last season would it generated a little more money unfortunately I cant find any figures, it would be interesting to compare what they paid against what we hear Rupp is asking for Bradford City ?.

 

I think he was trying not to concede penalty and possible sending off