The Voice - Match preview Barrow vs Bradford City Tuesday 23 April 2024 7.45pm (with exciting New Poll)

Our home form is pathetic and has been since Parky left.

 

Correct. Hughes's style meant that you have to play him in that system with Clayton supporting him - that produced his best form of last season.

GA plays more expansively and direct, so that mean Smallwood must have two busy bees just in front of him - great news as we've got around five players like that. Plus 3-4-3 system helps him as well - Wright and Halliday do a lot of the heavy lifting.

Strange, that it was clear from the start of the season that either 4-3-3 or 3-4-3 was always going to be the best system for these players, but it's taken until these last few games for it to bear fruit.

 

I wish Kev. 2 half extra minutes dunno

 

Mansfield had a good win against Gillingham on Saturday with 2 late goals and only made 2 changes from their last match so still a strong squad. Grimsby have been very hit and miss, they beat Crewe away a few weeks ago but Crewe are another team who are collapsing in the play offs losing their last 3 home games 0-3 to Wrexham, Grimsby and Forest Green. A few days after that Grimsby lost away at Colchester.

The good thing for us is that we know we have to win to stand any chance so there's nothing like last season where a draw was enough so we held on for the draw rather than going for a win. If we don't win then other results are irrelevant so focus on ourselves then see where we are a 5pm on Saturday.

 

Is Walker back on Saturday?

 

Yes just a 1 match ban for 2 yellows

 

Newport are on a really bad run and just this week the chairman gave the manager the famous kiss-of-death vote of confidence.
I'd expect them to come and try and least get a point. They need a result as much as we do.

 

You're not that wrong. There was that good season under McCall first season of his second spell, when we won 12 and lost just the 1. In fairness to McCall that was the best footie we played since 1998/99.

 

Brilliant news.

 

I think he is. Bring him in for Pointon or Gillead? Replacing Kavanagh most preferable for me.

 

I can see Grimsby getting a result at Crawley but Mansfield obliging with a relaxed performance, just like Orient last season, enabling Barrow to get what they need to get in the play offs.

 

Indeed. And it'll be a bumper crowd on Saturday, most likely. So although we're outsiders, there'll be lots of pressure - and these players don't do well in front of large home crowds.

 

No way should Kavanagh be dropped. He had a poor game tonight, but he is a starter with Young injured. It would be absolutely bizarre to drop Pointon too. No way ever should Gilliead be given the nod above Pointon, Smallwood or Walker ever again

 

It wouldn't shock me if Crawley and Barrow don't win. But we know full well, that an agonising 1-1 draw awaits us

 

Gillead looked light weight tonight, bottled a couple of 50 50’s.

 

He's completely wrong!
We went the full season under Stuart unbeaten, the season we lost to Millwall at Wembley.

 

I thought Orient gave it a go, but we played well and showed that we were, along with them, one of the best teams in the division.

Any era of Clough team will not be relaxing on the last day of the season.

 

Correct. I initially realised that, but then checked and for some reason I was reading a web site with a 25 home match season!!!

 

The home record and the goals scored go hand in hand.
We’ve only scored 25 in 22 home games.
Simply not good enough.

 

That's largely because of the fact we now have Wright at left wing back, and Pointon in midfield. Especially Wright; it's not that he's been brilliant there, but he has the mobility to be up and down the wing, and is positionally decent. How many games have we played with Ridehlagh there FFS. Compromises the whole system.