The Voice - Match preview #42: Swindon Town vs Bradford City Saturday 12th April 2025 12:30pm

I’d play Baldwin, Shep, Critchlow. But I think it’ll be Byrne, Baldwin, Shep.

 

Khela/pattison is a headache. Prefer patto to be next to Smallwood but we looked better with Khela also on the pitch. He may change formation given our poor away form and go 3 in midfield. Hard to choose between Walker/Lapslie given both are capable of a brilliant game. Shepherd/Baldwin/Byrne for me

 

Well if he goes 3 in MF then both Walker and Lapslie miss out. Bobby takes that shirt.

 

Why would he change formation when we're top of the league with 5 games left? I know away form hasn't been great but it just wouldn't make sense to risk a complete shape change now as I'm assuming you're also suggesting 4 at the back?

 

City 3-0 win tomorrow. Statement win.

We're top, we aren't letting go type win. Up the chickens!!!!

 

That £2 has really got to you hasn’t it?

 

More than you'll ever know!

I just feel like GA will be the type this week to say "you're top now, go f***ing show it"

 

There's always exceptions which prove the rule. I'd also argue that Vale are the most physical of the teams we have / had to play.

If you'd asked me to rank away matches in terms of difficulty before Accrington. Vale and Accrington would rank as the ones I was least confident.

However, I expected better than we got. But as I pointed out to someone on the T&A a recent away record of W3, D3 and L3 shows, that when when we have the majority of the our players to chose from - we're not that shabby away from home.

As an amusing aside, I love the way you post a comment when your interest is basically been bitchy about a fellow poster. Let's remember, you're the person who basically wrote of Baldwin after not much more than ten matches.

 

Believe it or not, but I have seen a few posts on social media suggesting a 4-4-2 despite us having a back three all season and current 1st

 

This just reminded me of when I miscounted the midfielders last week and seemed to suggest going to a back four - I do NOT think that's a good idea at this point haha

Like I say, a literal miscount on my end!

 

I think that would be most City fans' preferred back three. Assuming that everyone plays to their highest level, these are our best three centre backs IMO.

Huntington was so bad against Vale that I'm not sure he'll play for the club again unless it's a cameo at the end of the season. He got run absolutely ragged.

 

Ah, called out so it's a classic spin tactic of mentioning Baldwin (while leaving Byrne out, obviously).

You're wrong about my thoughts on Baldwin though. I wrote him off before I'd even seen him play!

Upto about Christmas I thought I was still correct that he just wasn't good enough but fair play to him, he's been ultra consistent since the turn of the year and deserves all the plaudits he's getting lately. Long may it continue.

 

Really?
At what point was he at fault for any of their goals. Kelly , Baldwin and Ademola were the main miscreants if my memory is working. Hunts was played to look after their c/f who played poorly and wasn’t a threat , so Hunts height wasnt needed hence he was taken off second half?

or am I dreaming?

 

It's a shame as Huntingdon was having a really good spell in the middle until Byrne came back in and Baldwin was shunted across.

Perhaps the PV performance was partly rust from too few minutes but either way, time is running out for him and I suspect you're correct.

 

I thought he was terrible Kev and I'm a big fan of his this year. He constantly let Stockley either bring it down or receive it and turn with ease as he was always at least 5 yards off. It was just far too simple for PV to make the ball stick in our final third although as you correctly pointed out, it could has be been any of them that was hooked.

With the ball though he was even worse, he couldn't even find a 5 yard pass at times and that cemented it in GAs mind I think.

 

Fair enough, I’m working from memory… I thought it was Kelly myself who was the weak link. It’s GA probable admission his tinkering got it the better of him.?

 

Kelly was also terrible, perhaps even worse. My post certainly wasn't an attempt to defend his performance.

Perhaps it's given GA something to ponder though when thinking about mixing up the back 3 too much? 2 changes in that back line, and both lads who hadn't played much lately, was clearly a step too far.

 

110% and he alluded to it himself . Lesson learned .

 

I just hope pre game anxiety turns into post match happiness

Safe journey to all those travelling - City 2-1 scruffy win will do!