The Voice - Match preview Bradford City vs Crewe Alexandra Saturday 26th August 2023 3:00pm

A consistency of performance is a good predictor of future results. We won, and in any single game that's what matters. But our performances are pretty well set - they're pretty mediocre at best and awful to watch. Without Cook pulling off a personal best on his own, Hughesball is laid bare. It won't be good enough, even for the playoffs. We're just wasting more time with Hughes at the helm.

 

He's been crap this season. Either it's a case of he's got his new contract and had a hot girl summer, or the fact that Hughes looks to be setting us up even more negatively than last season is taking its toll on him.

 

After Lewis's comments on his resent pod cast you have to ask are we any nearer understanding what Hughes wants the team to play, take the goal away and I honestly can't take many/any positives from the first half, much better second have and we should have run out comfortable winners.

 

Speaking to a Crewe fan pre match who said they were playing very well going forward but poor at the back and are unbeaten. We were fortunate to be still in the game after 45 minutes. But instead of sitting back second half we were took the game to them two wins out of two at home so a decent three points

 

Clean sheet = Positive.

 

Please please please let that be the last we see of the 343. We looked so much better with 4231.

Smallwood looked like he gave a damn when he came on and put in some good tackles and played with some intensity so hopefully dropping him is the kick up the arse he needs.

 

Impossible.
He’s biased against us and we never get owt when he refs us.
Held a grudge against us since 2006 apparently.

 

Most of the time it looked to me like 5 at the back in the first half.

 

A win is a win, but by Jove that's a hard watch still.

Meander around for large parts of the game, long periods where nothing at all happens and a back six who couldn't control the proverbial bag of cement.

What is the plan going into these games, answers on a postcard please.

I seriously worry about us coming against a half decent side, as someone will have a field day

 

It's absolutely a 5. It's a 541.

 

Crewe had a lot of possession in the first half but never remotely looked like scoring, so don't understand your view that we were lucky to be still in the game?

 

A draw would have been a fair result.

 

Yes very true. They pimme

I think the intention is to be 343. But yes I agree, when played poorly it becomes a 541 which was the case first half.

 

Forgive me for being a dinosaur but I believe after 60 mins when we went 4-4-2 it was a much better watch, players seemed comfortable on the ball and we created chances.
Shove your modern tactics where the sun don’t shine

 

Yes, specially that free kick that sailed straight into touch, fantastic!!!

 

343 or 523 whichever it is always leaves you a man down in midfield against 532. Against a better side we'd have been well behind by halftime. A wins a win but not really giving us much hope going forward. Cook looks completely gone for whatever reason. The lack of backup there is going to cost us. Smith is going to find himself in the same boat as Young and Harratt last year. A front player asked to play wide. If you play a back five the width has to come from the wing backs. But we've got two wide forwards as well. Result - overwhelmed in the middle. It's beyond me how we're trying to play. And it was so obvious how much more solid we looked when we went to a back four but God knows how we ended up.

 

Speaking to a Crewe fan pre match who said they were playing very well going forward but poor at the back and are unbeaten. We were fortunate to be still in the game after 45 minutes. But instead of sitting back second half we were took the game to them two wins out of two at home so a decent three points

they were totally in control first half but we pressed second half when we normally sit back even so we defended well with McDonald organising things a lot still to do but better

 

He’s still crap. Hypocrisy in full swing? There’s always a tweet

 

Good result albeit another poor performance. McDonald brought some much needed composure in midfield.

Highlight of the game was the car bringing the match ball!!