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

It's only for now until the injured return.

 

I'm really not looking forward to Tuesday. They'll put pressure on the back four, we'll concede and heads will drop. It'll be another lucky dip as to who starts in midfield.

 

Who would you have changed? I said before the game that it looks just about our strongest line up, not just available but with all the injured players available too.

 

I don't think the prospects are any better when the injured return. Just a very average squad of players.

 

If you are playing two up top and a back four you can't play Walker and Pointon as wide players. Theres no out ball for Pattison or Smallwood. If we had gone 4-2-3-1 i can see where can play Walker or Pointon central and have Wright in the position which got him a move to Plymouth, wide in a three. Could play Oduor or Pointon wide on the other side where Bobby has looked a threat, but not as an out and out winger, he's looked lost since being brought back in. Would mean Sanderson is unlucky and drops to the bench, but i'll be honest our best asset in the whole side is big Andy Cook, we build the side round him scoring goals. And that starting line up yesterday simply has no way of creating chances for either Cooky or Ollie Sanderson.

 

This highlights the imbalance in our squad. It’s a mess.

Swallwood shouldn’t be classed as a 1st curtain starter. He isn’t good enough and for him to have no competition as such is an utter joke.

We’ve Pattison, Walker and Pointon who are all similar players.

We lack wingers and pace.

Holliday isn’t going to produce the season like last.

Manager is mainly safe and boring.

The recruitment once again has been poor and we have a clueless CEO, so again this season already isn’t going to plan in such a poor league!

 

You can go on about tactics you can go on about players but neither matters if you have no heart
We must have known what Harrogate was about before a ball was kicked we should have known they would be up for it but no another defeat because we aint got the stomach for the fight.

We are in a nutshell a team with no heart and at this level that alone will cause you issues

 

4231 would work best with the injury issues we have at the minute. We need outlets, we've assembled a lot of attacking mids, I wouldn't say many are blessed with pace so they need Wright and another wide and up top to stretch teams.

I wouldn't say it's too unlucky on Sanderson as he doesn't really look comfy at the minute in this team. I get wanting 2 strikers to try get chances off, but in the last 2 games Sanderson hasn't had a shot on goal, hasn't connected with a key pass, or a cross and he hasn't won an aerial contest in either game. The change to a narrow 442 isn't helping the partnership.

 

They did that last season and got mocked for it because Rupp came out with his bullshit and the happy clappers fell for it again

 

Good tactics will beat giving 100% for the shirt every day of the week Gaz. Got to give the lads half a chance with the formation first.

 

I simply do not believe that tactics will always win you a game even if your not up for the fight especially at this level.

We simply have no leaders look at PPs promotion side in 2013 a team full of leaders how many of this lot have the fight for the battle ?????
Honestly what a shame that another season is about to go down the pan because folk who have failed for years now are still at the helm.

 

Players coming out with statements in the media saying they didn’t do enough…….we know. How about you just do your jobs you tossers.

 

We've found ourselves in an odd position of not having wingers or real wing backs.

Very strange situation to be in.

The sooner we get back to a 5 3 2, the sooner we'll need fewer actual wide players. Until then, we're going to struggle.

 

Why does are captain never do post match interview after we lose? It’s always other players and never him.
Says it all really about his leadership in my opinion

 

Exactly. Several of whom were banging on about how we have to give Rupp and sparks yet another season to walk the walk. Funny how they are missing off these boards lately, arguing to the death that we have assembled a much stronger team to add to the brilliant team that finished last season. You know who you are, bloody cowards!

 

It infuriates me, and even more so when they do it a couple of days before a game….contractual interviews or not, I don’t wanna hear it. Been there, done that. It’s like groundhog day and we are firmly stuck in Punxsutawney. Aaarrrrrrggghhh

 

Obviously can't name names as that would be seen to be playground bullying.....

 

A player with a bit of pace that can play out wide and stretch teams you say? Like the one we've loaned back to his former club and has scored 2 in 6 games? I know it's at a much lower level but in the few times he did play for us he gave the opposition something different to think about and certainly didn't look any worse than Wright.

 

It’s a catch 22 really. If we were to sign leaders they would invariably be labelled as journeymen and half of our supporters would be up in arms.

I’m coming to the conclusion that the players aren’t happy or comfortable with the tactics, this then makes them look disinterested. On the few occasions where we actually looked like a free flowing team, Cook was out injured and Kav, Walker, Odour and Pointon were at their best. I’m not blaming Cook for that, but it certainly reduced the number of aimless punts upfield.

 

Sounds like a script they have been given to say! Honestly they are all adults, yes we know it wasn’t enough but my question to any player is WHY???