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

TBF Cook only scored about 200 goals in that period. I would have hoped we could have gotten a bit more out of him.

 

Absolute twaddle.

 

Sorry I was referring to the next 3 games. Throughout all the squad rotations in recent weeks, he has still been the one permanent fixture because GA clearly sees him as being fundamental to how he wants us to play. I don't see anyone in the squad who could just slot in as a direct replacement which gives GA his biggest challenge of the season imo, as he has to find a way of suitably protecting our back line. I agree btw that he is clear favourite for POTS.

 

No way we have had better boo boys targets over the years.

Kelvin Mellor for starters. Took a good boo did the lad. Class act. Smallwood not even in the top 50. Get a grip lad. Stop panicking and get behind the lads FFS.

 

Only one suggested he should never play for the club yesterday based on ONE tackle. Let’s be honest here some can’t think for longer than 3 seconds to come up with such a comment . He’s been player of the season by a country mile.

 

Alexander said: "I think it’s a challenge you see in the middle of the park, week in and week out. I see bookings for certain things, but not even free-kicks for others. That's enough said on that side of the game and I am not going down that ‘rabbit hole’. It’s difficult to be honest and if I can’t be honest, I’d rather not talk.”

I think we’re gonna appeal the red card.

 

Speaking to the T&A after the defeat to Swindon, he said: “There’s a lot to take from our performance, certainly the first 15 minutes before the red card to Richie (Smallwood).

“You saw the other side of our game thereafter, but we also have to take on board the fact that we could have avoided a couple of the goals we conceded.

“The biggest thing for me is character and personality, which I saw bags of from my team today.”

It made the defeat even harder to swallow, with Alexander admitting: “I’m just gutted for my players and the supporters.

“We didn’t win the game when we should have done, because our record is phenomenal in matches where we’ve gone 2-0 up.

“Even when Swindon pulled it back to 3-3, the players showed spirit and commitment and didn’t buckle when other teams would have done.

“We went up the other end and scored again, and you saw the endeavour and team ethic from these players, which is almost frightening at times.

“Unfortunately, we just couldn’t see it through until the end.”

Every one of the 10 men on the field for City gave it their all after Smallwood’s early dismissal, which at least bodes well for the challenges the players may face in their crucial final four games.

Alexander said: “I’m always proud of these players.

“Every day I’m with them, they’re great to work with, with the attitude and commitment they show.

“You didn’t see a team that felt sorry for itself out there.”

And that is the key now, as City simply cannot afford to dwell on this heart-breaking defeat given they face a crucial fixture at home to promotion rivals Notts County on Thursday night to kick off the Easter Weekend.

Alexander said at full-time: “I’m over this game already.

“It’s happened and that’s it, so we look forward to Thursday now.

“I only look forward to the next challenge, though we will take the things we need to, analytically, from this game.

“The biggest thing now is to go into the Notts County game with the confidence we went into this one with.

“We’re fair wind if we can play the same way as we did in the first 15 minutes here and hopefully that’ll be enough for the three points.”

 

I still can’t bring myself to watch the highlights or even think about the game. Really really disappointed. Yes it’s great to score four goals and I’m really happy for Kav, but I can’t budge the feeling that we threw the game away. I hope the players don’t have the same depression, because Thursday will come along very soon.

 

Same here

 

Siege mentality time. We can maybe use the loss of Smallwood to our advantage. Ramp up the rhetoric. I'd be telling the team to reward Smallwood for his impeccable contributions up until the Swindon game and remind the players that there are a clutch of teams trying to wrench promotion out of our hands and that we can't let them. It's rightfully ours and we need to hold onto it.

 

Saw this one floating about on social media. Very random to have so many occasions against 9 or 10 men in one season, but also to score as late as they do every time. At least the fans know not to leave a game early this season!

 

Playing the Phil Parkinson and the old Wimbledon %age game . Lump it into the box rely on the big man for direct headers , and knockdowns in packed penalty areas and the ball could fly anywhere even from defenders. Effective but crude.

 

Im sure we will be over it thing is now is to get the win and really put the pressure on the chasing pack

 

100% this! It’s the only way to react. If we all dwell on Saturday it will continue to hurt and frustrate. We’ve shown enough in the first 15mins on Saturday and many many more times this season, that we are where we are on merit. Time to see it through and get the job done.

Im confident GA won’t let the team get caught up in the emotion.

 

Well that confirms my theory. That Swindon are WUM’s. Part of the plan to cut the opposition down by 1 or more then they can win.

 

Let’s not forget that we were 2-0 3-1 and 4-3 up at various points of the game.Two of those times when we had 10 men so we didn’t completely capitulate as soon as Smallwood was dismissed.
10 minutes at the end was the pivotal point of the game.

Yes,losing Smallwood is going to make a difference but we are still a half decent side in a very good position.

Managers and players always talk about playing in a big stadium and in front of a big crowd as a factor when they sign for us.
Time to stop the sound bites and show that you mean it.

 

Switching off, plain and simple. Two own goals, how avoidable were they? Their second, again not being aware and it was seconds before the HT whistle that we had to see out, but didn't. Then again switching off around 90 and added time again when we should be in a shape and rhythm by that point, but the second half was just anything but organised. It was in our own hands a few times to at least take a point. Crazy we didn't, but we cant dwell either.

 

I didn't think they did that TBH.

They put in a brilliant cross for Smith's goal, otherwise they played very similar to us.

We were the team scoring from long throws, though it was so easy to do so you can't criticise us for it.

 

The sending off cost us in the short term but what it is going to cost us in the long term is what worries me. We don’t have a replacement for that position who is anywhere near as good.