The Voice - Match preview Bradford City vs Carlisle United Sunday 14th May 2023 @ 7:00pm

Yes agree Dave, he just “ poked” it with the right foot from memory?

 

I thought the ref had a good game last night, had to deal with a lot of theatricals in what was quite a physical game. Garner was at it right from the off, looked a total embarrassment for a supposed professional.

 

He let a lot go but was consistent for both sides

 

True.

 

Our biggest problem was our left side. That’s the reason they flooded midfield and had quite a lot of possession as a result . Their right side of their midfield 5 could happily sit on the middle of the park knowing we had zero outlet on the left.

 

Which Harry Kane does every week and gets free kicks 90% of the time.

 

I like to see the red try and let the game flow. I thought we got the better of the 50/50 calls but generally he was good

 

I thought the game went according to the script. I went 0-0 in the predictions, and the game had that feel to it. Very few chances created as we went with a defensive line up and Simpson doesn't seem to know what his best strike partnership is as he's the four he used last night all season. If Carlisle had Andy Cook I think they get a draw at least with the amount of crosses they were putting in. But that's pretty usual for a playoff game, most are tight safety first affairs

 

One thing for sure, if we throw Osadebe on again with twenty minutes to go, we’re inviting danger. I lost count the number of heavy touches he had, leading to loss of possession or throw ins. Then he started drifting around and did the exact same thing on the right side of the field! I know he’s a big lad and MH was probably thinking about physical battles, but I’d have preferred East to have come on, as he at least seems to have a footballing brain and knows how to pass/keep the ball. Especially protecting a lead.

 

It’s going to be tough up there and it will be harder still if sit so deep. Their defence is weak we need to pressurise them instead

 

It’s no different to the Salford Stockport game. Salfords defenders were allowed to grapple grab manhandle whatever you care to mention. Salford goal showed that they are allowing a penalty box free for all in these play off games. Last night was no different.

 

Give it a rest Fordy FFS. And they only had one very tame effort on target. And? You saw the jubilation of their fans at the final whistle, amazing to say they just lost the game. It takes 2 to tango, and Carlisle have to come at us. We will not get beat on Saturday. These are all 1-off games, total lottery, forget about last night and stay positive!

 

Was it Edmondson who missed that free header? Really affected his mentality after that. He was walking around telling himself to “f**k off” for about ten minutes afterwards. Weren’t we linked with him at some point? Ex Leeds.

 

I wouldn’t say these games are a lottery. Playing home and away at grounds the players know well. Wembley is a lottery. The Carlisle fans were jubilant because they know they’ve got a very real chance of getting something at home, in front of their own fans, with just a one goal deficit. Maybe one tame effort on target, but they missed an absolute sitter, and created a lot of crosses into the box. I don’t think either team outplayed each other. I would not be suprised to see a mirror result at their place, with them taking the game to pens.

 

Just an observation. I couldn't get used to football on a Sunday night at 7 pm. This morning I had to double check what day of the week it was, although maybe that's just my age!

 

Aye that's him. Shocking miss, it was one of those rare crosses that is begging to be stuck in the back of the net.

 

For context, if someone said at the beginning of the season you'd be going into the playoff second leg with a goal advantage we'd be fairly happy with that. Feels like the playoff games against Fleetwood where we went to their place with the advantage and saw out the game fairly comfortably.

 

Yesterday was no different to any other game this season really. We had a good start and went ahead in the first half but once again failed to capitalise on the momentum by scoring a second. We just seem to naturally drop deeper and deeper as the game progresses and as we tire, so that come the second half, it seems to be one way traffic.

We panic an awful lot in the latter stages of games and don't show the composure in possession that we need to alleviate pressure. Much of this is down to the makeup of midfield which I keep banging on about but not one of those three can put their foot on the ball and move us forwards.

The absence of that type of midfielder and the fact we have abandoned any interest of an attacking left side makes us more functional and scrappy than I imagine we'd want to be.

If you put Chapman back in this side and add a player like Moxon to the midfield, we would look night and day.

 

Ditto, I swore blind it was Sunday this morning through the mist of a few tinnies during the game! Weird !