Match Thread Bradford City v Everton U21 EFL (Vertu) Trophy Tuesday 14 October 2025 7.30pm

If we win this game we’re through. There’s zero point in the Doncaster game. Might as well just go straight to penalties to decide winner.

 

I think I’d like to beat them - don’t like McCann.

 

Start Cook and Humphrys up front for this....get them some goals, extra confidence going into the Barnsley game.

Lapslie, Metcalfe, Power (missed Rovrum), J Wright, Baldwin, Pennington, Halliday and hopefully Richards should all play if ready. Maybe 20 mins for Kav too.

 

We have a big squad and a perfect opportunity for Richards and Kavanagh to get some minutes in their legs. Hilton needs games as do Metcalfe, Lapslie, Halliday and a few of the CBs.

 

Agree it’s convenient and we need to beat the Everton kids so that we can treat the Donny game like a pre season friendly

 

He won’t give a toss if they lose and neither will we.

 

Well alot of the decent everton kids may be with their national teams so I can see a walk over.

 

I think GA might. He takes this competition seriously and winning the group will a) give us a home tie in the next round and b) give us a tie against a side who came 2nd in their group.

 

I agree with this.

Apart from the EFL games, we are broadly at a game a week, until the 9th December against Port Vale. Between then and the 10th January at home to Rotherham we will play 8 league games. Of course there could be postponements etc, but we will need to make good use of our squad through that period. Teams that perform well in that period will be set up well for the second half of the season, hopefully that includes us.

 

Aye and the fringe need to be ready for the December period because they will be called upon. Our 2nd string can beat Everton kids and get some minutes in legs for those that have missed through injury

 

I get that but does it really matter who we play or if it’s home/away? Have we won the group in the last 2 seasons we reached the semis ?

 

Won a group and finished 2nd - I think GA treats this tournament relatively seriously. Maybe it doesn’t matter that much but success breeds success!

 

Pre Everton interview , GA

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0m7xnbg?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

 

Team for tonight, good to see Kavanagh get a start and Richards, the rest of the team pretty much picked itself based on minutes needed and options available. It will be interesting to see if we start as a 3412 with Lapslie in behind Kavanagh and Humphrys or if they play as a front 3. Hopefully no Cook on the bench means we are resting him for the league rather than he's picked up a knock.

 

No Cook or Pennington.

Hope the latter is back for the weekend but would probably need minutes tonight.

 

Dont mind that team. Lets hope we're quick out of the traps and on the front foot

 

Good strong bench as well.