The Voice - Match preview #11: Rotherham United vs Bradford City Thursday 2nd October 2025 8:00pm

EFL League One Fixture #11
Thursday 2nd October 2025 20:00
Rotherham United (23rd) vs Bradford City (1st)
AESSEAL New York Stadium

Record:
Games Won: 29
Games Drawn: 13
Games Lost: 38

Last 5:
16 Sep 2017: Bradford City 1 – 0 Rotherham United
07 Nov 2017: Bradford City 0 – 3 Rotherham United [EFL Trophy]
23 Jan 2018: Rotherham United 2 – 0 Bradford City
19 Nov 2024: Bradford City 0 – 1 Rotherham United [EFL Trophy]
04 Feb 2025: Rotherham United 0 – 1 Bradford City [EFL Trophy]

Rotherham United:
Bradford City fans will be familiar with (and may have some sympathy for) some of the narratives coming out of the Rotherham United fanbase at the moment, with manager Matt Hamshaw struggling to stamp his mark at the AESSEAL New York Stadium this term. Phrases like “we can’t keep sacking managers” is one that has been repeated ad nauseum on this forum, at least prior to the stabilising influences of Mark Hughes and Graham Alexander, so it’s perhaps no surprise to hear similar sentiments that follow in the wake of Paul Warne’s 6-year stint in charge of the South Yorkshire side.

None of Matt Taylor (13 months), Leam Richardson (5 months) nor Steve Evans (11 months) managed to last particularly long at the helm, and with Hamshaw having been in situ for just 6 months and already coming under some scrutiny with the club languishing in 23rd place and struggling to score, there’s a feeling emerging that recycling managers as opposed to backing them simply isn’t working.

Then again, Hamshaw’s record this season is really quite poor. With 2 wins, 1 draw and a full 6 defeats so far, Rotherham United’s tepidity and timidity are beginning to weigh heavily. 7 goals in 9 games is a poor attacking output by any team’s standards, and while their defensive record of 13 conceded in 9 games is far from the worst in the division, the two stats haven’t made for a pleasant combination. Rotherham United have lost 1-0 4 times already this season and been beaten 2-1 on 3 other occasions. Losing by narrow margins isn’t always cause for hitting the panic button, but doing so on such a consistent basis suggests something is very wrong at the AESSEAL.

How, then, does Hamshaw turn this round?

With very limited experience as manager to draw upon, the long-term coach might not have long to figure out an answer to that question. While defeat at home to league leaders Bradford City might not sound all that bad on paper, the AESSEAL New York Stadium has been the sole source of positivity for Rotherham United fans this season. Having lost all 5 of their away league fixtures, it’s to Hamshaw’s credit that their home record has been a much more credible 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 defeat in the league. Having played a full 2/3rds of their fixtures so far this season away from home soil, perhaps the table – and overall outlook – is slightly skewed. Now, Rotherham United embark on a run of 6 games from their next 8 across both league and cup at home. They simply have to make it count, as well as prevent the away day rot seeping into performances at their own ground.

Sam Nombe is a big loss for Rotherham United, the highly rated striker having opened the season with a brace in their 2-1 home win over Port Vale, 1 of only 2 outings he has made so far. After hobbling off with a severe hamstring injury against Stevenage in the second game of the campaign, the £1 million signing has been badly missed since. He even remains the club’s joint top scorer, with only Jordan Hugill matching his tally of 2! Denzel Hall, Shaun McWilliams and Martin Sherif are the only players credited with a league goal. Those dismal tallies have to improve – quickly – if Hamshaw and Rotherham are to avoid a miserable year.

Mansfield Town 2 – 1 Rotherham United
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Rotherham United 0 - 1 Stockport County


Bradford City:
Show me a man who thought Bradford City would sit top of the League One table entering October, and I’ll just as soon show you the city’s greatest optimist! That’s the case, though, even if City fans are still pinching themselves. But with success comes its own pitfalls: expectations are starting to rise.

While few will have had any gripes about the nature of City’s 1-0 victory over strugglers Blackpool this past Saturday, luck still arguably favoured City. Off went Blackpool’s most dangerous striker, Niall Ennis, after just 37 minutes, while players like Ashley Fletcher and Josh Bowler were left to register feeble shots on target when really the Tangerine’s fast and incisive counter attacks deserved much better. Josh Neufville showed everyone else how to do it when he lashed home a powerful drive from close range – no feebleness or timidity there!

There will be more times when City need a little good fortune no doubt, even against the divisions’ stragglers, and especially away from home perhaps. While an outstanding 3-1 win at Cardiff City built upon a fine 2-1 away win at Stockport County, the 3 games City didn’t win all came on the road – and twice against struggling sides in Northampton Town and Peterborough United. Doncaster Rovers remain the sole side to beat City, having beat them well.

Neufville now has 3 goals in 3 league outings, finding himself on a par with veteran midfielder Antoni Sarcevic, and just behind Will Swan (4) and Bobby Pointon (5) in the scoring stakes. Andy Cook, for his part, has already snatched 3 goals (all in cup games) despite having yet to start. His presence on the City horizon remains ominous for the other League One clubs.

As those stats suggest, Bradford City aren’t having any of the firepower issues plaguing Rotherham United. Where Rotherham have scored a paltry 7 league goals, the table topping Bantams have smashed home 18 – putting them top of the goalscoring charts to boot. Despite that, City aren’t top of the xG table, nor are Rotherham United bottom of it. City sit 5th in the expected goals stakes, while Saturday’s opponents Rotherham sit 5th from bottom. As one side overachieves in terms of efficiency, the other underachieves – perhaps suggesting this game will be closer than some expect.

In terms of xGA, Bradford City are no great shakes. The Bantams sit 12th in the expected goals against column, perhaps understandable given the number of defensive injuries in the camp, with Rotherham United sat behind them in 17th. Again, perhaps less disparate than some might have thought.

City, then, will just have to do it again. The momentum is with them, and their defiance of both statistics and expectations continues unabated. Even in games as favourites possessed with a largely counter attacking style, City have shown they can adapt and beat struggling sides. It’s not about getting a cricket score – sometimes it’s just about winning.

Bradford City 1 – 0 Blackpool


Cardiff City 1 – 3 Bradford City


Prediction:
That this game represents another potential banana skin will be lost on no one at this point, and South Yorkshire rivals Rotherham United would love to continue their fine head-to-head form against City in recent years. That City have dropped points away from home against two sides in the bottom half will weigh heavily in the minds of Bantams’ fans, but given how consistently Graham Alexander’s men are churning out results at the moment, few would suggest it’s guaranteed to happen again. Rotherham United, for their part, are losing narrowly with just as much consistency, and their rookie manager is struggling to stem the tide.

All things, then, would point to a City away win, especially after an impressive and rather resounding win over Cardiff City last time out. The away day blues of last season could well have been banished already! But let’s not count our chickens, so to speak.

Bradford City will have to be at their best, and if they can continue to get the best out of Swan, Pointon and now Neufville in attack, they should have the firepower to overwhelm Rotherham United. Factor in veterans Antoni Sarcevic and the potentially fit again Andy Cook, and there are a number of attacking threats Rotherham United will struggle to shackle.

It’s true that Tuesday night’s results (Burton beating Cardiff City and Blackpool holding Luton to a draw) did Rotherham United no favours, seeing them drop 2 further places from 21st to 23rd, but by all metrics but one, Rotherham United deserve to be exactly where they are. Their potential get out of jail card? Their acceptable home record.

The away fixtures have piled up for Rotherham United so far this season and contribute towards a very bleak picture for Matt Hamshaw’s men, whereas at home only Stockport County have beaten them (0-1). Interestingly, Bradford City’s promotion push last season was built upon a string of midseason 1-0 wins over lesser opposition (Carlisle United, Morecambe, Harrogate Town, Accrington Stanley, and Bromley for example), with a variety of different players grabbing the winner.

This season’s tie with Rotherham United feels like it should follow that same pattern. A narrow 1-0 win for Bradford over struggling opposition who at least have some backbone at home, while coincidentally adding another 1-0 defeat for the Millers at the same time (their most common result so far this season). Add in that any one of City’s most dangerous hitmen is more than capable of getting on the scoresheet, whether it’s Bobby, Sarcevic, Neufville, Swan or even Cook, and a low scoring shut out could very much be on the cards.

Final Score:
Rotherham United 0 – 1 Bradford City