The Voice - Match preview 5: Bradford City vs Carlisle United Saturday 7th September 2024 3:00pm

EFL League Two Fixture #5
Saturday 7th September 2024 15:00
Bradford City vs Carlisle United
University of Bradford Stadium

Record:
Games Won: 23
Games Drawn: 15
Games Lost: 22

Last 5:

07 May 2022: Bradford City 2 – 0 Carlisle United
26 Dec 2022: Carlisle United 1 – 0 Bradford City
21 Mar 2023: Bradford City 0 – 0 Carlisle United
13 May 2023: Bradford City 1 – 0 Carlisle United [League Two Play-offs]
20 May 2023: Carlisle United 3 – 1 Bradford City [League Two Play-offs]

Carlisle United:

Carlisle United return to Valley Parade 16 months after knocking Bradford City out of the League Two play off semi finals at the back end of the 22/23 season. Eventual promotion and a buy-out by the Piatak family seemed to signal a potential new era for the Cumbrians, but it seems things will not be that easy for the newly enriched club. Relegated in 24th place last season, Carlisle United were never at the races, and finished a full 11 points behind 23rd place Port Vale.

Jordan Gibson departed for Doncaster Rovers, and home grown left back Jack Armer was sold to Burton Albion. Midfielder Alfie McCalmont headed to Australian outfit Central Coast Mariners, while striker Danny Butterworth to Swindon Town late in the Summer transfer window. Veteran defender Paul Huntingdon departed after receiving his release, as did giant goalkeeper Tomas Holy.

In have come players like former Bantam Charlie Wyke and winger Jordan Jones, both on free transfers from Wigan Athletic, as well as goalkeeper Jude Smith (Newcastle United, Free), defenders Aaron Hayden (Wrexham, Free), Terell Thomas (Charlton Athletic, Free), Archie Davies (Dundalk, Undisclosed), Ben Williams (Cheltenham, Free), and Cameron Harper (Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Free), as well as midfielder Ethan Robson (MK Dons, Free).

Despite the ins and outs, Carlisle United’s season has yet to really get going. A 4-1 opening day drubbing at league leaders Gillingham started things on the wrong foot, before a 2-0 defeat in the EFL Cup against Stoke City followed. Carlisle United did bounce back with 1-0 home win over local rivals Barrow, but an ill-fated trip to Stadium MK saw them sent packing with a 3-0 defeat. Their first home league defeat of the season came this past Saturday when Tranmere Rovers made a successful raid scoring a 2-1 away win.

That means Carlisle United currently sit in 20th place in League Two, having scored just 3 goals across 5 competitive fixtures. At the other end, Carlisle have shipped 11 goals in that same span. Charlie Wyke is yet to re-open his account in his second spell at the Cumbrian club, but 19 year old forward Daniel Adu-Adjei, on loan from Bournemouth, does have his first. The other 2 goalscorers are defenders Archie Davies and Jon Mellish – not, perhaps, the two that would have sprung to mind amid a squad that boasts Luke Armstrong, the aforementioned Charlie Wyke, Scottish winger Dylan McGeouch (yet to appear this season), ex-Bolton midfielder Josh Vela, and winger Jordan Jones.

If there were any doubts about the sense of underperformance, then the move to sack manager Paul Simpson after just 4 league games will dispel them immediately. Mark Birch has taken over the reins on an interim basis, the former Carlisle United right back having played over 100 games for the Cumbrians back in 2000-03. Having been with the Academy for 8 years, Birch is keen to make the most of his current opportunity, even if it’s likely that the big spending owners will look for a higher profile candidate in the long run. He will take control as Carlisle United head to Valley Parade on the back of consecutive away day hammerings at promotion favourites Gillingham and MK Dons.

Tightening things up at the back might be the priority but getting it all going up front is just as pressing for an out-of-sorts side struggling to regain any sense of momentum after a miserable campaign last season.

MK Dons 3 – 0 Carlisle United



Carlisle United 1 – 2 Tranmere Rovers



Bradford City:

Bradford City suffered a second setback in Cleethorpes in the same calendar month when an EFL Cup Round One exit was followed by a 2-1 league defeat – the Bantams first defeat over 90 minutes this season. It takes some of the shine of an otherwise promising start to the campaign in which the Bantams had amassed 7 points from their first 3 league fixtures, and sends them tumbling from 2nd in the table to 9th – directly above Bromley and Grimsby Town, their last two opponents.

Questions will be asked about the level of City’s performance, which did not match that of their opponents, at least for much of the 90 minutes. Once Ollie Sanderson had halved the deficit, though, City did find an extra gear, but it was too little, too late. Sanderson, on loan from Fulham, converted from close range after Clarke Oduor’s shot from range was spilled by Jordan Wright, but Wright still had a better evening than his opposite number, Sam Walker.

Walker was guilty of a poor error from a floated cross from a free kick, allowing Danny Rose the easiest of finishes for his first goal of the season. Icelandic international Jason Svanthorsson doubled the lead with a fine strike early in the second half, and for periods Bradford City looked distinctly second best.

A 9th minute injury to new defender Aden Baldwin didn’t help, and Barnsley loanee Jack Shepherd was unable to shore up a back line also consisting of Ciaran Kelly and Neill Byrne. But it was out wide that Bradford City seemed to struggle most, the combination of Brad Halliday and Tyreik Wright in the wing back positions tested by Grimsby’s pacy attacks – much as they were against MK Dons on the season’s opener.

Graham Alexander will expect his team to bounce back. There is no feeling sorry for yourself at this stage of the season, and despite being outplayed, City will take some consolation that they at least pressured Grimsby late on.

On to Carlisle United, now, and a game where City will be out for revenge – and, they might feel, they are much more likely to get that revenge at Valley Parade. Bradford City have only lost once to Carlisle United on home soil in their last 11 meetings. Despite having a dismal record up at Brunton Park, where their promotion ambitions came to an end two seasons ago, The Cumbrians could hardly be less of a bogey side at the University of Bradford Stadium.

City have to ensure they are the ones piling the pressure on managerless Carlisle United, and not worrying too much about a single defeat. This would be a fine time for the vocal Valley Parade crowd to get behind their team – after all, if City fans feel their side is underperforming so far, it will be nothing compared to how big-spending Carlisle United fans must feel at the minute…

Grimsby Town 2 – 1 Bradford City



Bradford City 3 – 1 Bromley



Prediction:

Paul Simpson had restored pride to Carlisle United with an unexpected promotion in 22/23, but they now find themselves back towards the foot of the League Two table, and despite new owners and a rather expensive looking forward line, they have struggled at the start of the season. Now, though, Simpson has departed, and the inexperienced Paul Birch takes over and must work quickly to try to steady the ship.

Bradford City away is probably not the ideal game for Carlisle to try to do that. 1 win in their last 11 tries at Valley Parade is a miserable run, and while Carlisle seemed to have an edge on their own ground thanks to a slew of former Bantams among their ranks, it feels slightly different this year. Yes, Harry Lewis will be in goal after making the move to Cumbria last January, and yes former City striker Charlie Wyke will also be there (ex-loanee Callum Guy is also on the books, but yet to feature after an unfortunate ACL injury last November), but some of the characters that seemed to get under City fans’ skins are gone.

There is no Jordan Gibson, no Omari Patrick, and no Kristian Dennis, who, despite not being a former City player, seemed to enjoy putting one over Bradford City after being linked with a move to Valley Parade in the past. Instead, the pressure will be on a struggling Harry Lewis, and a back line that has failed to gel to this point. Charlie Wyke will fancy his chances of bagging another on his former stomping ground, but he has yet to open his account since returning to League Two after two scary heart-related incidents seemed to slow his progress further up the EFL pyramid.

Still, City will need to be better than they were against Grimsby Town, as Mark Birch’s new acquisitions seek to write a new chapter in their own story – and they will be expecting to start turning the corner sooner rather than later.

In what might amount to a battle between two veteran forwards, Andy Cook and Charlie Wyke will both be looking to land the knockout blow in what could be an open affair. Despite losing 2-1 at home to Tranmere Rovers, Carlisle United had most of the chances, though they were ultimately wasteful. Of 12 attempts on goal, a full 10 were off target; compared to just 3 shots total from Tranmere, 2 of which resulted in goals.

If that was a lesson in finishing, Bradford City might hope to replicate it. They have the players to do so, but the pick here will be a frustrating stalemate, nonetheless. As both sides look to respond to defeats, this might be a case of stopping the rot (in City’s case, before it truly sets in), and a share of the spoils seems like a fairly likely outcome.

Final Score:

Bradford City 1 – 1 Carlisle United