The Voice - Match preview #28: AFC Wimbledon vs Bradford City Saturday 1st February 2025 3:00pm

Is it as smart as that when our keeper didn’t get troubled by one?

 

Or Port Vale, or Chesterfield or Walsall or…. Your memory seems very selective ?

 

Im not referring to Tuesdays game. It’s pretty simple, the manager believed a player needed a rest so with the squad we have, in a position where the manager felt we have sufficient and adequate cover in, he felt he could rest.

Unless I’m misinterpreting some messages on here, some on here are suggesting today’s result is defined upon one players absence, which I’m simply disagreeing with. One game and one player won’t define our season. Today wasn’t a lottery game. His decision today wasn’t in the Hughes x Scott Banks category.

The player in reference is the very same one you yourself have previously suggested isn’t as good as everyone makes out.

 

If our season is defined by a fine margin, I’d probably look at results against Colchester, Morecambe, Barrow or Cheltenham before yesterdays result.

 

Or Salford.

 

Spot on , great points Olly.

 

The predictable bed wedding on here from some. 18 games to go and 3 points off the top 3. Enjoy the ride.

 

Imagine thinking our season is defined by a loss against of the best teams in the division at their ground? If we had played yesterday like we did at Notts County i might have reservation about our chances of the autos, but we didn't.

 

A game of extremely fine margins, yesterday we were on the wrong side of the line. It’s really that simple ….That game on another day could have turned out completely differently . More of concern for me yesterday wasn’t the defeat, rather the loss of Richards and Kelly….both could result in a game tipping into the opponents favour?

 

Yeah, but we'd have won if Bobby had played according to some, including those that don't actually rate him.

 

I agree and I think Pointon is overhyped. BUT, but when we are playing against the best teams in the division, we need to play our own best team, and at the moment he is in that best team. If players need resting it should be against the likes of Morecambe etc ( and yes I know we only just scraped it against Morecambe) and the Micky Mouse cup.

 

Although we played ok, we still performed lower than we have for the last few games due to the personnel changes. The Pointon/ Richards combo is one that gets us up the field quickly. That was certainly missing and a new combo will have to be established very quickly. The Shepherd/Kelly/ Richards left sided unit is very strong, stronger than the right in my opinion, so that will need time to find an understanding, especially if Kelly is out too. Unfortunately we can't use the cup game to get the new recruits up to speed, so it's fingers crossed they make their mark sooner rather than later. Leigh looks decent, but I can't give an opinion on Mellon because as I feared we would, the hoof returned and we started to lose possession. We need more discipline on the ball next week. Harrogate won't be as easy a game as it might have been a week or so ago.

 

All fair points , however let’s not forget, they are up there with us, have a proven mean defence and at home , so we can’t be on the front foot under such circumstances for 90 mins.

 

I can't disagree with regards looking poor up top as you say not only yesterday but the Morecambe game, I think we'd both agree Wimbledon looked what they are yesterday, the best defence in League Two, and that IMO was the only difference in the two teams we virtually gifted them a goal and as Johnnie Jackson said in his post match interview they don't lose when they take the lead something the Wimbledon commentators also passed comment on especially at home.
So we get back to training Alexander has a word and we hopefully get back to winning ways against Harrogate Town, if we win at Rotherham its a bonus and we progress to the next round but not at the expense of a very good chance to get out of this league this season.

 

We'll never know how he would/could have effected the game as he didn't start we can only offer an opinion on what we have seen of him in past games and IMO he has improved with the likes of Pattison, Sarcevic, Richards and Smallwood who also with Pattison and Sarcevic playing along side him looks a different player (apart from his poor free kicks).

As I posted there are times in a game where Pointon plays a pass very few other players dare to do, because he is young and prepared to take a risk, something we have not witness from our more experienced players until recently (always the easy ball in case we lose it to the opposition) which unfortunately is very much the way the modern game is played.

So in conclusion Alexander admits he rested 21 year old Pointon because of the heavy game schedule coming up which includes a Ventura Cup saying he has to take into account we will not have our resent signings available as they are Cup tied, yet of that group only Leigh made the starting 11 with Mellon and Lapslie on the bench, sorry mate IMO if nothing else Pointon should have been on the bench, and with regards your comment about Pointon's weakness the reason most are playing league two football is because they all have weaknesses and I'll reiterate our captain and free kicks are a weakness we witness week in week out with the odd good one thrown in doesn't that say everything with regards our squad he's the best professional footballer we have to put a ball into a certain area on the pitch, seriously @banbrotam at 76 I'd back myself to cross a modern football into a 3 yard area 7 times out of 10.

 

Looks like Bobby was rested for this one. If he plays against Rortherham I have to question the logic and motivation.

Wimbledon game was far more important to us so it would be ludicrous he has missed an important league game for a crappy cup fixture.

 

A disappointing game yesterday, fans turned up in huge numbers yet again for a long distance, tricky to get to away venue and were largely let down.
I don’t think we created more than 1 decent chance and the marking for their goal was amateurish.
It’s gone now and hopefully we get back on track with 2 home games before another long trek to Wales where hopefully the team turn up or sadly I fear another defeat on our travels.

 

I do hope you are right and he was just "rested" yesterday, had it not been the final knock ins of the transfer window I would be more inclined to believe our manager (who incidentally thinks he's better than he is ) and accept that to not even bench him a (young enthusiastic 21 year old) with fresh legs to run at them for at least the last 20 minutes a very poor decision Should he truly regard the tin pot trophy a priority over a game against a serious promotion contender is questionable at best
Of course no one knows if the result would have been different if BP had played a part but as a bare minimum the option off the bench should have been there if only to take a decent free kick/corner
The next 24hrs will obviously tell us the truth fingers firmly crossed he remains a Bantam

 

I think most would go along with your post, yet we keep seeing fellow posters quoting some believe we would have won the game with Bobby.
I've not personally read a post that suggests that, but many are questioning Alexander's reluctance to have him "resting" on the bench and if required give him the last 20 minutes or so, if Alexander believes he needs a rest then once again bench him for the Ventura Cup game.

 

We might have won yesterday if after 2 mins, Patto had shouted to Sarcs and Sarcs had heard him. Fine margins in a good game with 2 good teams.