The Voice - Match preview Bradford City vs Walsall Saturday 30th September 3:00pm

My belief at the minute is Hughes won’t get us promoted but I do hope I’m wrong. He needs to play a more expansive style or we won’t break teams down at home who sit deep and play us on the break.

I don’t fall for the possession comments nonsense Hughes seems to say after each game, possession is only useful if there’s an outcome and chances created.

is your last comment stating we look like a team who can achieve promotion or we will see in December if we look like a team that can gain promotion?

 

December.....league table will probably give us an incline. And there is still enough games left to undo any damage but we would need to find the right man and recent appointments suggest we won't anyway.

 

Was just checking as I thought you might have lost your mind

 

I’ve enjoyed his tenure so far. Last season was enjoyable but we didn’t have enough quality. This season has got off to a slow start but the Newport performance gives hope.

I’m also a ST holder of 30 years.

 

Like I said it’s all about opinions, I’ve found the football mind numbing if I’m honest!

At least last season we had Wright and Banks for a period of time but we don’t seem to have the same quality out wide so far this season.

 

It'll take performances for me, even if it ends up with the odd draw or even defeat. We debated this at the start of the season so don't need to go through it again but I haven't changed my stance.

 

I agree, we could and have done much worse and I certainly don't expect everyone to share my opinion about wanting Hughes out but it is what it is, my opinion.

Fingers crossed I'm horribly wrong. It certainly wouldn't be the first time!

 

I enjoyed watching us beat Newport 4-1 last weekend.
I enjoyed the Stevenage away game last season.
I enjoyed watching Andy Cook scoring and Harry Lewis’ majority of the season.
I enjoyed us finally reaching the end of the season with still something to play for, and the excitement of the playoffs.
I enjoy tuning in on a weekly basis to watch a team that is competing and challenging for promotion rather than meekly petering out after 30 games.

Has it all been enjoyable and entertaining? Absolutely not!
Has Hughes decision making and approach often frustrated me and tested my resolve. Yes!
But right now do I want any managerial change - absolutely not!!

We would all love to be ‘watching Brazil’ on a weekly basis. However I’m very prepared to park that for a while in order to hopefully see this club progress up the leagues and believe until we can say he’s failed, I’m prepared to back Hughes that he is the manager who can achieve it.

I just want to see performances. Well thought out, tactical performances. If it’s wildly entertaining at the same time, win win.

 

That’s 2 games you have enjoyed in a season and a bit!

Not saying I want him out just yet or I expect us to play like Brazil, just some front foot football with chances created.

I don’t even mind playing it out from the back but not in the way we currently do it with 70% possession of which 99% is between the keeper, back 4 and Smallwood.

Play offs should be a minimum with the budget we have in my opinion. Granted I don’t trust the club to bring in anyone better if he did go though.

 

So you didn’t watch the Newport game I take it? Playing out from the back “ wasn’t a thing” , I know it may surprise, but we didn’t .

 

That's the kind of play I want to see more often. At the turnover, head up looking to play into advanced players on the half turn. It gave us the opportunity to create chances and if we do that, our attacking players absolutely will score goals.

Of course that's not possible every time and if the game is too quick at times there's also a reason for introducing calmness and retaining possession, I get that but in general, be brave on the ball and take some fecking responsibility now and again.

If you do that and never hide, regardless of if you have an of day now and again, I'm convinced the crowd would 100% back you.

 

like I said in a previous post I’ve only seen highlights of the Newport game.

I don’t really mind the tactics used, I just want to enjoy watching my team, a lot of the time under Hughes I haven’t!

I’ve said a few times when we have played out from the back and created very little, we would have created as many just having some lump up front and picking up the second balls etc.

 

I agree, it has been mind numbing so far, but I’m hanging all my hopes going forward on the Newport game!

 

GK - Lewis
RB - Halliday
LB - Richards
CB - Platt
CB - Stubbs (c)
DM - McDonald
CM - Pattison
AM - Walker
RW - Oduor
LW - Tulloch
ST - Cook

Subs - Doyle, Oyegoke, Ridehalgh, Gilliead, Smallwood, Pointon, Smith.

Stands - Richardson, Rowe, Kelly, Osadebe, Wilson, Afoka, Derbyshire, Youmbi.

Injured - Taylor, Tomkinson, Chapman, Oliver.

 

Agree on starting XI. I would probably put Smallwood in the stand and have Wilson as a sub.

 

Smallwood could be done for when Chapman and Oliver return. His place on the bench is under threat if Hughes decides he only needs Gilliead as a CM back up and Oyegoke as an option.

 

You did say you'd enjoyed his tenure so far though? Surely it can't be both?

Like you though, hopefully he's realised he's under pressure and maybe the players have had a small input in wanting to attack quicker?

If not, and we see the same, slow turgid build ups then I can't really envisage that much will change in terms of enjoyment.

 

I feel a little sad this morning reading the posts on our forthcoming match to Walsall.

we are here as City football fans to share our views and opinions with each other and the wider audience if they visit. You don’t have to agree with another’s point of view; however disparaging comments about those you disagree with is a big turn off for me.

Whether we want Hughes to stay or not is a point of view and both arguments have equal merits, plus ppl who may change their mind during the course of the debate. In my view I doubt he can gain promotion unless he is able to send a team out who are confident of going forward and scoring. The pragmatic and slow build up style of play will not work in this league in my view. We only need that style of play towards the end of the match if we are 2/3 goals in front. Obviously he may be right and prove me wrong and we gain promotion. If that happens well done and he will have proved me wrong no problem with that outcome.

Nevertheless, I don’t like watching possession football at this level, and it is not the players fault they are playing in league 2 for a reason. It is not exciting and provides an anxiety provoking atmosphere in the ground. Middlesbrough provided a glimpse of what it looks like higher up the food chain, and it is much more enjoyable. We are allowed to ask for entertainment along the pathway of promotion?

 

Can't argue too much with that because if MH feels Oyegoke is good enough in CM then we really don't need 3 on the bench and Smallwood is the least versatile.

 

Well I have some good news for you, we will win this 1 - 4.