The Voice - Match preview Bradford City vs Accrington Stanley Tuesday 11th February 2025 7:45pm

TBF the ref was quite shit tonight. Inconsistent at best with throw ins.

 

https://www.skysports.com/football/bradford-city-vs-accrington-stanley/508432

 

We don't really need to improve our goal difference. If you look at the table it's decent compared to other teams. The problem is that we're only winning by a goal but +12 compares well to most teams.

My concern is that we are creating virtually nothing aside from the goal. The last two matches have been pretty dull. The Pointon/Wright combination is far inferior to Pointon/Richards unfortunately

 

I sense the past three games have been approached a bit “workman-like” and been a case of getting a job done, rather than much else. Given the oppositions league position it’s been more about getting the lead and managing the game from there, rather than a more expansive game against a somewhat higher placed team. I’m ok with this, especially when it returns 3 points, but echo others that the approach will likely have to be tweaked in some of the games we have coming up simply by the nature of who we are playing. What I like is that it shows we have the ability to adapt our approach and still get the win required.

Just on last night, I thought Sam Walker commander his goal very well when called upon. There was a corner he came for and took in the second half right when they were inserting pressure, which took the momentum right out of it. TBF he’s been the same for the past 4-5 games, done the basics very well. Fair play to him.
I also like Huntington in there in games like that - his experience in reading the game and his positioning is reassuring.

 

Haven’t read the last few pages but I thought Huntington was immense when he came on. Just what was needed, and made a couple of fantastic blocks - one header he made from a low hard cross surely preventing a goal.

Overall great to get a win in just the type of game we’d have lost in years gone by. Makes a nice change.

 

Correct, we now have a good set of defenders mate!

 

The ref spoilt it as a spectacle with his stupid needless yellows which for some reason he stopped giving 2nd half,as for the liner at the kop end,what happens to them in that corner ? they all suddenly go blind

 

I never saw Johnson put a foot wrong, very calm and went on with his job quietly and efficiently.

Another good defensive option in my opinion.

 

Our whole right side went missing , although in fairness Accy’s tactics down that side had us hemmed in against the touchline preventing pacy balls forward or critically balls directly into midfield . Credit to them for that……It wholly negated Johnson, Halliday and Leigh . Neither of the three knew how to combat it Dave.

Good luck with your op Dave….. I know what sleeping is like with a painful shoulder joint.

 

You didn't see him get easily rolled and have to bring his man down for the booking?

That was just one of quite a few times he got caught wrong sided and should have been taken off sooner than he was.

 

He’s able defensive cover Idle but not a starter for me tbh. He did his job defensively but defenders on the left and right of the centre back need to be able to produce good combinations with their wingback and if necessarily their front man of the three. He just doesn’t seem to be as fluid as Baldwin ?

 

For me, he was too close to Halliday, it was if his head was still in right back mode. At times it was as if we had two right wing backs.

 

I dislocated my left shoulder falling up some steps in Bradford interchange.Got the bus home with my arm feeling like it had been severed.Got home,feeling like death,when suddenly my shoulder popped back in.Within an hour i was driving to take my wife to her friends.Good job i did not look a the NHS website.Have to say though that my left arm and shoulder have never been quite the same since.

 

On a brighter note this drab morning.


Walsall were booed off last night according to their forum.

 

Johnson did not get booked last night...

 

Spot on , Leigh was joining in that malaise in the first half as he just had scraps from those behind him . It didn’t work at all .

 

Then I apologise. He either got away with it or it's a case of mistaken identity. It was a challenge on the halfway line in the first half which the forward rolled our player and was about to go clear before being dragged down.

Him not being booked probably only strengthens the case that he wasn't very good though because I doubt GA would take a defender off and reshuffle the back line with just a single goal lead if he didn't absolutely think he needed to.

 

I do remember it he got rolled made a mistake but brought him down rather him do that then let him go, was a booking but believe Baldwin was actually booked for kicking the ball away which wasn't a booking either but that was the referee last night, i thought Johnson was Solid yet unspectacular. Hes missed well over a year of football coming back from something like 6/7 muscle tears, no pre season either. Don't think we will see a fully up to speed Johnson until well into March/April. Ill judge him then.

Same with Leigh, Lapslie and so on, none of them played more than 10 games yet.

We have a good squad but think we may have to have a cushion going into the last 6/7 games. Difficult run in but 1 game at a time as they say.

 

We are going to get this Kev. With games coming thick and fast at a point in the season when pitches aren't at their best, injuries and fatigue are going mean we have to rotate players.