The Voice - Match preview Doncaster Rovers vs Bradford City Friday 22nd December @ 7:45pm

Good win. No surprise to me. I repeat that the squad is good enough and I don't think it is any worse, than say Mansfield's.

Problem is, it looks like Barrow could be this seasons Stevenage.

Still plenty of matches left for us to keep climbing. We're simply doing what Bolton did three seasons ago.

Remember though promotion would be unique. Replacing a sacked manager in L2 hasn't yielded a promotion for at least ten seasons.

 

I had Cook to score and 3 - 0 to City so Lewis owes me a Christmas dinner!

 

I know it sounds daft, but tonight’s match is the kind of game that I have seen City trip up on soooo many times over the years. Great result and two very good goals and a goal from a corner(!) What a turnaround. Gent and Sparks maybe need to be viewed through a slightly different lens by some, especially if this run continues. Roll on Boxing Day. Merry Christmas!!

 

The rest of us beg to differ.

 

Well that was a poor game of football however our new found knack of winning doesnt half help. Weeks ago we were 18th now we are 8th. Mark who?

 

Great result. As I said earlier in the game, quality was generally low but our 2nd and 3rd goals were two moments of real quality.

Hope Walker isn’t badly injured, he’s been great the last few games and was my MOTM today.

 

Idiot

 

It may have been a poor game of football (in difficult conditions, to be fair) but it was still about 500% more exciting than the borefests we were seeing under Mark Hughes.

 

Skill, flair, desire and commitment like we haven't seen for years, oh, and Cookie on fire
Why did we put up with that last waste of space of a manager for so long, he got it wrong so many times and we let him...!!
Really good being a City fan at last, I don't think it's a fluke...

 

Never understood the issue with Gent.

He brought us Lewis, Halliday, Platt, Stubbs (lets not forget he was our most consistent player for around 30 matches) Smallwood. And we can see that Pattison is a gem if he can stay fit. Richards hasn't had a bad match. Plus Kelly and Smiths are also now proving decent signings.

It's not his fault that Hughes and Young didn't get on. Young is still a good talent that Gent spotted

 

McCann has given us a lot of praise.

Stated that "they had too much for us" and was very impressed with Smallwood (who of course he managed at Hull)

 

Like a few others have said it was a poor game overall and tbf I've heard this same thing many times from our fans and opposing teams fans during our current little run we're on, but them opinions don't mean a thing in the grand scheme of things as I'm beginning to understand how we are currently successfully operating, we are out grafting teams while slogging it out with them at their game and meanwhile we have extra gears in reserve if needed.

 

I thought Smallwood had an odd game to be honest.

He old manned them a few times in the middle but far too often for me he played that seemingly lazy hook round the corner to no one.

I likened tonights performance from him as one like a rugby scrum half who often just kicked for territory and turned Donny round a lot.

Having said that, It worked

 

Yep the squad is good enough and the recruitment didnt get a fair assessment. Yes you judge on the results but clearly it was down to one component - the dinosaur in charge.

We moaned that Crichlow was never replaced, its still early days for him but looks like JT could be that man.

Richards is looking far better as a LWB and coming into his own. Smith has been a revelation as part of of two and Pattison will do his thing when he is fully fit and gets his chance.

Those were the 4 areas we needed to strengthen - LB/LWB, CB, CM and CF.

 

Our old friend has gone AWOL. When things arent going our way, he is never off here, tapping away on his keyboard. Training ground, Gent, Sparks, Rupp all in his firing line.

6 wins and nowhere to be seen. He feeds off negativity.

 

Add Crichlow, Banks, Wright and I dont think Chapman was a bad signing either. He is just a bit unfortunate this season.....

Yes there is a group of duffers in there too but there always will be at at any level.

 

Lewis - Absolute howler early on but steady away for the rest of the game, though he did nearly lose control of a dropped cross later on. Cost me £70 - 5
Halliday - Mr consistent, and player of the year so far, with another solid performance and contributions towards the first and last goals - 8
Tomkinson - Strong without the ball and calm with it, dare I say a Rolls Royce of a player? - 7
Platt - Stood up well to everything thrown at him, much more comfortable now he's been given licence to get rid. Almost had his pocket picked (though it was a borderline foul) to let Donny back in but was saved by Kelly - 7
Kelly - Growing with every game, gets his head in where it hurts and likes to get stuck in. Potentially game saving recovery tackle with a lot of ground to make up to make it - 8
Richards - Solid game without threatening all that much, think he will go on to be considered another great signing by the much maligned Gent! - 7
Smallwood - Ran the show and was clearly pulling the strings of Alexander's plan to keep their defence busy and turned at every opportunity, though there were a few sloppy balls - 8
Gillead - Another all action performance from a player firmly proving his doubters wrong in a set up which is suiting him better. Runs on Duracell batteries - 8
Walker - Making up the last of a trio which completely dominated the midfield, the high energy pressing style we've adopted under Alexander is bringing out the best of him and he's starting to show he's a level above most players at this level - 8
Smith - Great running, great technique when he got on the ball, great finish - another great performance - 8
Cook - What can I say? Best striker in the league, complete League 2 forward - 9

 

For those who weren't there, a good VLog from the opposite side, shows some of goal celebrations etc.
Up the Bantams.

 

Lewis still worries me with his lapses of concentration. It's not the first time he's been caught dallying on the ball, and it cost us a goal. In tight games against the better sides, those lapses could cost us the points. Hopefully, we'll put enough in at the other end for it not to be a problem.

 

And for clarity on the 2nd goal.
A perfectly timed run from Smith.
Never offside.