The Voice - Match preview Colchester United vs Bradford City Tuesday 16 August @ 7:45pm

Angol looks a shadow of how he was at the end of last season. He either needs to play as target man or next to one in a front two. He's doing nothing out wide.

Oliver looks lackadaisical and has awful first touch. No way he should be starting ahead of Cook.

Young was awful. Never beat his man once. Gave the ball away far to often.

Chapman needs to do a lot more.

 

I was puzzled when we offered him another contract to be honest.

Not that I think Angol should shoulder all the blame for a lacklustre display.

 

Yep. This team is an improvement. Nothing to see here.

Just a typical city performance.

MH and this team need rocket up their arses.

Fans that can't see we're crap, slow across the pitch. Are naive just like these players.

 

Was he after a weekend off or something? Daft yellow to begin with. Then tackled again late, followed by what looks more and more like a dive with every re-watch, then snapping the heels to give away a needless fk for the winner. Just a brainless game from Angol

 

After 3 games we're already "freshening it up" and leaving out the only man in our side who looks like scoring?

Well played Mark. Well played.

 

I think we're fine for 10s. Walker, Chapman, even Gillead or Banks. What we need is more pace and threat from wide and up top. And as a team we need more urgency and risk taking to our play.

 

Our passing is far too slow that’s for sure.

Think we are fine in the number 10 area. It’s Angel and Oliver that concern me.

Oliver was shocking and Angel proved a liability.

 

Apparently Lee Angol looked threatening

What are these Radio Leeds commentators smoking?

 

Halliday must be the most one footed player ive ever seen.

Offers nothing going forward. Inside or backwards pass every time he gets forward.

 

Well I have to say in the 96th minute I thought that was a good point. Quite entertaining for a 0-0, both teams were working hard and showing plenty of initiative. I also thought that both defences were holding firm - we had plenty of forward play but couldn’t break them down. Similarly for all their pressure, we were holding firm too.

But ultimately it was a stupid free kick to give away. I thought it was a great free kick out into the right area and unfortunately for us we had a not very tall Halliday marking a big central defender who just outjumped him.

The fact it was in the 97th minute was very annoying, but it doesn’t matter when it happens if you defend like that, you’ve got to stay switched on. We’ve only got ourselves to blame.

 

Must be part of their Mates Club.

He was poor when he came on. How we play isn’t suiting him at all

 

We need to graft and not fanny about looking for the pretty ball. It reminds me of the early McCall era where we had possession with no end product. It’s ok keeping the ball but the three behind Oliver tonight offered nothing. Ridealgh used to overlap Vernham but he hasn’t done it yet this season.
Stop thinking we’re better than we are and start putting a bloody shift in. I didn’t think I’d be saying this but at least Watt moved the ball forward and quickly.

 

Unfortunately our manager thought he played well also

 

To slow in possession again, but that’s no excuse not to see it out for a point. Two away games on the spin we give away a needless free kick in the same spot and fail to defend it.

The ref was appalling though, just guessed most decisions but that’s not why we threw it away like that. Need to do a lot better.

Oh well onto Hartlepool.

 

Thought we were largely fine in the defensive and midfield thirds. A bit laboured but comfortable nonetheless. Then in the final third our decision making and execution was dreadful, almost trying too hard to force things at times.

Think Hughes should've changed the midfield two in the last ten. Both midfields were flagging but we had two subs left and should've used them to give us some more legs.

Still think we're a creative player short. The three behind the striker currently has four options and two, arguably three of them are contributing nothing/very little. Walker is a bigger miss than probably any of us thought.

 

He was excellent when he took over the target man role from Cook at the end of last season. That's presumably why he was given another contract. But he's either lost all his pace or is afraid to use it for fear of his hammy going again. He certainly isn't effective out wide.
Having said that, stupid free kick aside, he did more than Young, who looked out of his depth.

 

Despite the doom and gloom, thought Gillead was very good again.

Covers so much ground and always looks to pass forwards.

 

It’s times like this you need Steve Evans as manager, you wouldn’t concede two successive defeats in injury time with him there. He’s joint top by the way with Stevenage.

 

FFS

 

Add Ridehalgh as well. Both FB's usually receive the ball facing their own goal and invariably the ball goes backwards. Been disappointed so far with Halliday if I am honest. Caught out of position a few times tonight and well beaten for their goal. He was stood with his back to their player when he scored. When I was a full back I was always told to defend sideways on at corners so you can see the oppo player but also see where the ball is coming in to the box.