The Voice - Match preview Bradford City vs Accrington Stanley Tuesday 11th February 2025 7:45pm

Barnsley fan at work says they are looking at kemaar roofe who although not a"target man " is apparently a free agent

 

Agree 100%. I've been wanting to see him but that 30 minute cameo showed me why GA hasn't been picking him up until now. For me, it wasn't the lack of a goal threat, it was the lack of hard work/running. There was an instance towards the end where he needed to track back to the edge of our box to cover someone (maybe Leigh?) and he ambled. He made the run, but very slowly. It just wasn't a good look for me.

I won't write him off but hopefully now he realises what you need to do to play in this team: run your you-know-whats off. The pressing and effort has been superb lately and we can't afford passengers unless they're very special players and Mellon isn't that!

 

No.

But it's for some of these reasons that alarm bells are ringing for me about Tommy Leigh.

I know not many people are on board with me (yet), but this is a lad that has been playing football and has come and looked blasé at best. He's quite a tall lad so I'd expect at least a little bit of physicality, but there's none whatsoever to his game. He is extremely reluctant to tussle for the ball.

He's got no excuses, apart from being played out of position, which looks to be a pretty significant issue actually. He should not be playing as a centre forward, full stop. He does look like he has cultured feet with a bit of time and space in behind the striker, but that's still not looking like enough for me. No lung-busting runs, no physicality, just floating through games at the minute.

Mellon had a poor cameo, but like I said in my posts after the game on Saturday, it was alarming how much weaker we were getting with every sub we made. Mellon hasn't been playing at all though, for anyone, and he's already had far less game time than Leigh, so I'm hesitant to begin judgement just yet.

 

Leigh doesnt look up to much, Mellon doesnt look up to much and Kavanagh is very hit and miss - more miss infact.

Those still trying to push the narrative that we look better without Cook are way off the mark. Sarcevic and Pattison have seen to that. If we don't go up this season it will be down to lack of goals and like I said 2 weeks ago, it is absolutely criminal we let 3 strikers go, lost of star striker to injury and only brought in 1 proper centre forward.

Heads need to roll if GA doesnt work his magic.

 

This popped up on my YouTube you can hear Leigh's thoughts about playing up front against big defenders. Seems quite immature on the evidence this tbh. Hopefully he slams a couple in tomorrow night.

 

Let's be totally honest mate Oliver was poor Smith was poor and Sanderson wasn't great as he showed that Saturday so no one can't complain all 3 are no longer here. As for Cook we all know he is irreplaceable for the goals he scores but we never played the way we do now with him in the team. The question should be why? And that answer lays at Alexander's door on that one.

On incomings bringing in Mellon I believe will prove a better option than the 3 that left however I do agree we should have brought in another forward as well. That said I don't think any of the teams around us have made what you would call an outstanding signing this window giving them that extra push and others saying wow look at that signing. I firmly believe we have a good window without being out of this world but looking at every other club I think we have the depth to compete and not weaken the squad too much. I bet others look at us and say I would love to have the cover they have at their disposal.

 

I aint gonna write either off so early on but lets be right our bullshitter owner was never gonna fund a Cook replacement was he ?????
Like you said though if it doesnt lead to promotion then my god what another big chance wasted.

 

I thought Mellon started slow but was getting better as he picked up the pace of the game. Leigh is a different sort of player altogether but he did win his share of headers but he seems to want more time on the ball they will both be better when they get more time

 

Can they do it on a cold Tuesday night against Accrington?

These are the sorts of games that make a difference. Let’s see what the players are made of. When the sun is out in April, will we be looking back and rueing a wet Tuesday night where we needed to get a result and didn’t? Or are we made or sterner stuff?

Another 1-0 home win will do for me.

 

I thought Mellon was out of a deal too but he himself when he signed said that he has two more years on his Burnley deal. Guessing he either had an unannounced extension, or a 2 year option that was triggered?

Either way, Burnley could well be in the PL next season and Mellon will be 22 next season. If he's struggling to make dents in L2, he isn't going to be getting a sniff there and might be so far down the order they let him go for nothing. I think he'd need to be registered too from next season.

 

I think I'm right in saying that rearranged matches that were originally scheduled for a Saturday are not shown?

 

It’s definitely showing up on my sky + menu

 

There was never a better time to push the boat out and bring in that one quality attacking player. I say ‘push the boat out’, the wages saved on Oliver, Smith and the return of Sanderson should have covered it. And if not, we only needed one of Lapslie/Leigh.

It could very well come back to bite us on the arse.

 

It’s

 

Don’t know if he’s played the role before, but trying Walker as a replacement for Kavanagh might be better than Leigh. They’re not dissimilar in terms of style, both have an energy and nuisance factor. We really should have gone out and signed a quality, proven striker though.

 

@Dennis

 

Who was available and how much ? Some keep saying the same thing and the answer is the same .

 

How on earth would anyone on the forum know how much a signing would want in wages though Kev or even if they are actually available?

The point is that the club employees people to source the players, it employees people to negotiate terms and it employees people to ensure they are the correct type and style of player to improve the squad.

If those employees are looking in fan forums to do their jobs for them then we're seriously in bother.