The Voice - Match preview Bradford City vs Walsall Saturday 3 September @ 3:00pm

3 fortunate points. CBs, particularly RC had on off day, CM overrun and poor Banks, has he got out of the no 6s back pocket??

The saviour, DP was a liability in the defensive 3rd and offered only glimpses moving forward, as Walsall were camped in our half, allowing space.

Truthfully, good result, poor performance. Add that to Colchester away, Barrow away. So so performances vs Donny & Crewe... Far too many questions than answers.

Have some fecking width MH

 

I've got credit cards bigger than those shin pads

 

On the one hand, I watch some of our games and am wondering why we're so open and why we give away so many opportunities - but then I look at the quality of those opportunities, and a lot of the time I think it's worth the pain as we try to really find our rhythm.

I do think these are growing pains, and while today was probably the worst performance of the season (certainly at home), we got through it.

Defensively we were really riding our luck, but even there goal was a poor quality one.

If we can improve and get better at what we're trying to do, we could be a real force.

I'm still very confident of a top 7 finish.

 

Smallwood was on at Platt the whole game for not bringing it forward or losing his man. Not Platts best game for me. As for Sutton he was totally ineffective unfortunately. I can’t see how he gets in front of East or Songo’O. If there’s one criticism of the window it’s the lack of recruitment in CM.

 

Soft under belly? Nice in possession but...

I'm fairness Jon, we are in the "growing pains" process and this team is, potentially, very capable.

 

Not a game for east today far to physical

 

Young with his 4th of the season. Not bad a for a bit part player aged 20.

I remember a few writing him off in summer when he signed first. Released by FGR, crap goals per game record blah blah.

At the car wash......workin at the car wash girl...

 

First thing to say is to give credit to Wallsall they were really up for this match got people forward in numbers and were very unlucky to go away with nothing
That being said we won a match at last against the run of play and we very seldom do that it’s usually the other way round
Also at last we have a keeper who actually won us the points with a great display. Two great goals as well today the first won was a brilliant piece of work from the full back and the second a great shot from Young.
Just one last comment I thought we saw out the game well both new signings did well as did the much Maligned Oliver who for the first time in the match won a few headers and held the ball up well. Not a great performance but a good three points

 

Thought Yann was excellent in that last 15 mins

 

Yep I thought today was Platts worst performance for us looked at sixes and sevens. Both him and Critchlow need to take the space offered by the opposition more effectively. I think if Timi had been on the bench I'd have taken him off.

 

Yes I think I mentioned that as a possibility earlier.

 

I’d somehow managed to get him confused with Banks in my head.
Was thinking no wonder Hughes got this kid on loan, he’s quality!

 

Thanks Dave.

 

Remember listening to the Barrow v BCFC commentary on I follow and a recollection I have, was the local commentators saying under pressure Platt is prone to mistakes and poor positioning.

That said I thought he was the "better" of the two CHs

 

Don’t think there was much wrong with our CB pairing they withstood a battering. Platt was sound enough defensively however I thought his distribution in the first half in particular was very poor. Critchlow was a little shaky first half but did well second.
For me our weakness today was midfield Sutton and Smallwood were poor and once again we missed Gillead in there

 

Isn't it great when you play poorly but manage to grind out a win? A sign of a good team, or so they say. Onward and upwards!

 

We have Timmy time too. .......if any of the centre backs are having a wobble

 

My thoughts on the game

Tactics
Poor from the get go. We were set up in a 4-1-4-1 formation that left Smallwood exposed an had players all over. I understood the idea of playing Sutton in a more advanced role so he could make those runs behind the defence but it was fairly fruitless as there was only Cook to aim for in the box on most occasions. The goals ultimately changed the game although we didn’t make it easy for ourselves. A more clinical team would of pulled more than 1 goal back in that second half. Hope people now understand the importance Gillead has on this team. And this is coming from someone who criticised him throughout last season.

Players
Good Goalkeepers will win you 10-15 points a season. Great performance from Lewis. Hasn’t had a bad game since he’s joined. Terrific bit of scouting from those involved. Halliday was poor at the start but grew into the game. Ridehalgh was steady. Someone said this earlier an I fully agree, Our CB’s play like we’re 3-0 up. They need to bring the ball forward quicker rather than passing sideways and backwards

Smallwood’s poorest game imo. But I understand why that was the case to an extent as he was left isolated in the middle on many occasions. Young an Chapman seem to have good chemistry. I still don’t believe that Chapman belongs in the middle though. He is a confidence player though I’ve noticed, he needs to get the ball under his feet a few times before he’l feel confident enough to make things happen. Similar to Banks but on the opposite end of the spectrum, as he kind of packed it in the moment he realised he wasn’t getting the better of Walsall’s Left back. What a goal by Young. His best years ahead of him. Hopefully Hughes can help him reach his potential

Don’t need to say much about the Cookie Monster. Give him a chance in the box an he’l score. Felt he struggled in the air against Walsall’s CBs. Harratt wasnt as sharp as he usually is. Felt like he was playing at 70% today. Better performance from Oliver today, There is clearly a player in there an I hope the city faithful have patience with him as I feel he can be a great signing for us. Great to see Periera back. Wright looks like a good acquisition. Very direct an has pace to burn. Glad to see Songo get minutes as well. His influence certainly played its part in the win today.

Opposition
Best team to come to VP this season. They were organised, Compact & Direct. Defence was both strong and quick. Unfortunately for them, They had a loss of concentration for the first an their heads dropped which played its part in the second. But they were a constant threat throughout the game. If they could play like that every week an had a striker on the level of Cook, They’d be in or around the play offs come May for sure.

 

Having seen the goal and celebration from Jake Young, I think the ref made an error thinking that Jake had jumped into the crowd, when in fact he’d jumped the first advertising board in front of the boards around the perimeter wall. Unfortunately there’s no appeal for yellows.