The Voice - Match preview #8: Harrogate Town vs Bradford City Saturday 28th September 2024 12:30pm

How can 'their income be guaranteed no matter how or when they play'? Yes, they might have a contract for a number of years, but should their performances, attitude and perseverance levels show that they're consistently underperforming, I doubt they'll be given another contract [unless, it appears, Bradford City come calling].

Footballers have never been as monitored and analysed as they are today, from diet to fitness to what they do on the training and match day pitches, it's all recorded and considered. There's literally no hiding place for shirkers or underperformers.

When it's such an elite and well paid occupation, the fight to become and remain a professional footballer has never been harder or more sought after. And we're talking worldwide, not just in developed Western countries where the standard of living might be relatively high. But in the poorest countries imaginable, where even reaching the Championship automatically makes your family incredibly wealthy compared to the rest of your community.

You might not like the style that some managers employ, it bores the backside off me as well. But to say that players aren't trying doesn't make sense, we're talking the best paid job on the planet if you reach the very top of the game and even at City's level it's still pretty lucrative, not collecting trollies at Morrisons.

 

If some of our players are trying, I wouldn't want to see them if they couldn't be arsed.

 

Theres a difference between not trying and a manager setting them to make them look like they aren't trying. Yesterday was the latter, there was simply no way that starting line had a real chance of competing and the players sensed it with their approach.

 

I always say that you can usually tell within the first 10 minutes or so how our game is going to pan out .....and it''s been the same with the last 6 or so 'managers' .....

 

How many of us looked at that line up yesterday and asked the question 'How and who is creating the chances for Cook and Sanderson'? I'm not a football manager but even i can see a fundamental problem. and that leads to lethargy when the team struggles from the off, a reason why our two central midfielders failed to track anyone for both goals.

 

How many time do you hear after a game that a midfielder Bossed the Game?
It’s never a Bradford City player
Our midfield is very poor

 

It’s set up to fail. Smallwood almost plays a centre back role and then there’s a massive gap that Patterson has to fill on his own. I wouldn’t be averse to playing 4-2-3-1 away from home and strengthen the midfield, but Alexander doesn’t seem to get it.

 

He has a captain on the field supposed to transmit the managers plan?

 

Problem is his captain thinks he’s Gerrard but he’s an average player for us.

Damn this team still counting on Smallwood highlights how poor a team we really are.

 

he's generally the one telling everyone to calm down and not to rush whilst we are a goal down with three minutes to go

 

Careful, you'll have the ultras on your case.

 

Gerrard could probably do a better job.

 

Smallwood has been a part of all our recent dreadful displays, particularly away. He's done well in a defensive sense at home but contributes nothing in attack. If he gets forward the opposition just walk past him and if he stays deep it just invites them on. What if he wasn't there and we played Pattison instead. How about this team
Walker
Diabate Shepherd Richards
Benn Pattison Wright
Walker Oduor or Pointon
Cook Sanderson

 

Dropping the captain won't happen. We've no leaders in this team, dropping our only one won't happen. I mean, look at that side you've suggested above.... Richards who couldn't get on our bench last month would be our most experienced player in the back line. Wright lost at LWB again, no taa. J Walker just isn't effective deeper in midfield, this formation of a DM and 2 AMs doesn't suit anyone we have really.

Walker is a 10, he could do a job at best in other roles but he is an attacking midfielder. Oduor, no clue at all what he is. Even when he starts in a role, he roams far too often to be reliable in a midfield 3 with Walker and Pattison, who are also 2 natural attacking mids.

Smallwood isn't getting dropped and he plays like it, that's not a knock really, I don't mind Smallwood as there are bigger issues on that pitch. But we don't have another DM in the squad, his job is safe.

 

I'm sure you're right that Smallwood won't be dropped. My proposition was would we be better if he was. I think you're a little dismissive of how the others might play in that team.

 

I just don't see how that midfield would protect that's all? Walker and Oduor don't cover, Walker presses very well but his defensive duty is always in the other half rather than his own. Oduor needs discipline to play CM in that 3. Would leave Pattison sitting and protecting where as his best trait is moving the ball at his feet and driving.

It would be a very very brave manager to have no natural defensive midfielder infront of 3 CBs, all in their early 20s, none of which have really been "starters" in their careers so far. Prefer anything to this 442 though.

 

Something else I wanted to mention about yesterday, it must have been the flattest atmosphere in the away end I’ve ever experienced, absolutely silent even before their goals. Can’t quite put my finger on it, maybe we could all sense it coming, or maybe it’s cos the drummer wasn’t there, I’m not sure. But being outsung by the home fans for almost the entire 90 minutes, was nothing short of embarrassing

 

Why did we finish last season so well and are now playing so badly?

was it because the pressure was off?

is it because we’ve switched the formation?

is it because there have been big changes at the back?

its bloody frustrating, getting done over by Harrogate…….again.

 

GA himself has said Pattison would replace Smallwood if necessary.

 

Probably a bit of all.

Worth remembering we were 17th when the unbeaten run started at the end of last season. Pressure was well and truly off. We've been trying to bed in a new defence all season too but can't seem to keep them fit.

The Harrogate stat is horrendous, 6 defeats in the 9 L2 games is just shambolic.