The Voice - Match preview #41: Bradford City vs Crewe Alexandra Saturday 5th April 2025 3:00pm

It's a big ask for us to win all 3 home matches and like you I'm not convinced we will. 7 points from those would be a good return and would mean we've avoided defeat v Notts which is an absolute must. I think we will need to win at least one of our away games if we are to make top 3, which despite our poor away return is most definitely doable.
All starts today though and l go with the general consensus that this is one we absolutely have to win.

 

Me neither. I think today and Notts are going to be a struggle. I'm thinking we get 5-7 points at home and we're going to need a similar return from our away 3 for the top 3. As long as we don't lose to Notts and Donny I think we still have a good shout of top 3.

 

Totally agree with what you've said, but as bad as we've been away, I still see the scope for us to scramble 1 win out of the 3. It's what we do!
Frustratingly it was our inconsistent home form under MH that cost us the autos, as our away record was very good. Complete reversal this season!

 

I don't disagree with anything you've said. What I meant was I'm more nervous about the home fixtures because if we f*ck them up, it's game over. I'm already resigned to the fact we won't get much from the away ones.

 

S. Walker

Halliday
Baldwin
Shepherd
Crichlow
Adaramola

Khela
Smallwood

Pattison
Pointon

J. Walker

 

Without Sarcevic this is absolutely our best team available.

 

Agreed. Even though Walker is traditionally a midfielder, I’ve liked his performances in attack and I’m not sure if Mellon or Kav offer anything that Jamie doesn’t

 

He has the nous that the younger players just don’t have.
Need experienced heads all over the field at the moment.

 

We are limited whichever of the three we go with. For all Jamie's qualities, he isn't a striker as you say, and that was clear at Birmingham with the amount of times he was caught offside.
In our great run, our limitations up front were masked somewhat, as we had a firing midfield that was far and away the best in the league.
Since the injuries though, our complete lack of options up front is glaringly obvious

 

If we miss out on promotion, it will be criminal that we didn't go all out and bring in an experienced striker in the moment we knew we had lost Cook for the season.

Whatever league we find ourselves in next season, this is one area that is vital we address in the summer, no excuses.

Has a promotion chasing side ever gone into the last few weeks with such feeble striker options and get over the line?

 

It's so tight isn't it. Interesting hearing everyone's permutations. I'm confident of only one thing. There will be a post match thread of doom and gloom saying we've blown it and another one saying it's in the bag before our fate is sealed. How we end up I haven't got a clue. It's 50/50 right now.

Bookies usually get it right. At 2/5 for promotion, they seem more optimistic than this board feels. Surprised myself at how short we are. I'd have said evens.

 

I would say evens money too, you know bookies will always err on the side of caution though.

It would be interesting to hear what @bantamdave41 thinks what the odds should be right now?

 

I get the sentiment but who would you have gone out and got? January is a crap window and there isn’t a chance in hell we would have found someone to replace Cooks goals.

 

Yes January is a difficult window for sure, although we did get Wyke in that window once upon a time.

Gent and Sharp with the backing of Rupp should have been able to get someone who was a better option than Vadaine Oliver, personally not sure who, but not what I am paid for.

I can only presume back in January, the powers that be didnt think we had a chance of going up after losing Cook and were already looking forward to the summer window with another league 2 campaign in mind?

 

Just win, don’t care how.

With our form this season is 3 wins, a draw and 2 defeats unrealistic? That imo would see us up on 80 points. May need to rely on GD though.

 

So long as Kelly stays away from the team.

 

Not to GA it isn't.

 

Why would you pick our 6th best defender when everyone is fit?

 

Fully agree
However we should have had a suitable replacement in the building long long before he got injured
Plain as day Oliver and Smith were never up to it and even surer Cook would succumb to either injury or suspension
This mistake was made 2 seasons ago not just last January plenty on here could see and even commented on it

 

On the cubs very own website;
"Kelly excited for Crewe clash"
Prepare for meltdown!
* i would have Shep in on the left but have to wait and see