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

That’s the problem with 1-0 wins in the first leg. Yes, it’s an advantage but believe it or not the less pressure is on the team playing the 2nd leg losing by only 1-0.

They can go for it from the off or keep it tight for 75 mins. It’s up to them. They know if they make it 1-1 in the tie that they then become favourites to go through. Even if Bradford score first to make it 2-0 in the tie it’s still no panic ( unless the goal is scored after the 75 minute) because it’s then all out attack. Either way they will be a 15 -20 min spell or attacking pressure. It’s just when.

While the team winning 1-0 are totally undecided on what to do for the best.

One of Stockport or Carlisle will turn the tie round. If not both.

 

“Abandoned interest” sounds as if it’s deliberate. It’s not, rather an issue caused by circumstances. Wright being pulled by Villa and Chappy injured and no one decent player to replace both. Neither could have been foreseen if we were being honest?

 

Carlisle are a big tall side all over the park, they should really have scored and had the headers in our box to have done so, one that was goal bound bounced off our centre half so we got lucky there. we need to try hold possession better next week and not get sucked into lumping it, that is playing into their hands.

We went gung ho at Crewe and it backfired so Hughes is doing the right thing with the players he has, it just doesn't make for a great watch but the results now are all that counts. It does feel like Hughes options are VERY limited.

Hopefully we can frustrate them next week, get in an amongst them in the box, and come away with a point minimum, I feel its going to be a close call but one we can grind a result out from.

 

I fear the refereeing , judging his record? Always liable to give a ridiculous decision.

 

With the benefit of TV angles you could see their keeper was actually positioned more to his near post, leaving his left side quite widely open. Was quite an open chance in the end which felt like Banks ended up having to ‘poke’ at, rather than hit clean and true like we’re used to seeing from him.

All this said, Banks had a very decent game. You could see how much Carlisle saw him as a thread since he was doubled up on, leaving us opting to go out left for most of the second half which is why I think we were so pegged back. Wonder if we had tried Pereira who has the ability to beat his man, if we would have been able to peg them back more…?

 

The stats say otherwise

 

Don't make out like they're the ones with the advantage, that's not how a 1 goal lead works. To beat us in normal time they have to score at least two and they've struggled to score as of late and last night you could see why.
They have to come at us now and we play better way from home. We definitely hold the aces at the moment.

 

I think Mark Hughes would have snapped your hand off for a 1-0 before the game. And as a result, its very decent. I just think we have a real risk that we'll see it as a missed opportunity; there was very little attacking intent once we went 1-0 up. I think Carlisle will fancy their chances and will play with more attacking impetus in the second leg, for longer than we did. That crowd last night could have been really engaged and with more attacking purpose it could and should have become 2 or 3. The crowd were good, but boredom set in. It should have been a really rocking night and we should have had them on the ropes for the second leg. Its now all to play for. I just watch how we set up and its so frustrating, perfectly illustrated by the moment in the second half where the ball was played through the lines to beat Carlisle's press to Smallwood, who had 30 yards of free space to turn into and build a dangerous attack and without even looking or thinking he played it back to the defenders, who nearly f**ked up and it led to a Carlisle attack instead.

 

I don't disagree. But I think there's very, very little in it. If we'd played at their place first and lost 1-0, we'd fancy our chances of turning it round at home. They'll be the same. Its no more than 60/40 in our favour at the minute. I just hope we go there and play with a purpose. Not all out attack, but we have to have a threat on the break. I worry we'll try and defend a 1-0 from the outset and then if we concede, we'll never get going.

 

At last, some perspective instead of the pages of "we are rubbish". Thanks @Bronco I was starting to think I'd watched a different game.

They came and had a go, almost like it was a one off match, but we won, restricted them to one shot on target (which Lewis easily caught) and most telling of the way they allegedly "battered us" is their corner count was only three. That's not the sign of a battering.

Ok, it was stunning football, but it's job done and apart from Peterborough, no-one in any of the play off matches has more than a one goal lead.

Anyone would think reading some of the comments on here that we lost, but it's advantage us and a nil all draw up there will do very nicely. Before writing us off, just remember how many games we have actually lost by two goals this season.

 

It was a routine catch straight down the middle. They didn't actually create a single serious chance all match, apart from the one that hit the side netting. Job done in my book, or at least job done for the night.

 

I remember the play you talk about, a neat triangle opens up space for Smallwood but his first thought was to lay off backwards which went short, I think it was Garner who should have done better. I've said all season we lack the sort of midfielder who can turn and go, Wharton at Blackburn springs to mind as someone who aims to run in space at any opportunity. If we do go up, this squad needs a fair bit changing, would struggle to stay up as it stands. Hopefully that's a problem that we face next season.

 

But likewise if we score first it's pretty much game over as they don't look to have two goals in them. As it stands we now dictate the way the game goes. They have to come at us and we are a better side away from home.

 

Before we went in front we were tearing them apart but once the goal went in we went back to default sitting far to deep. A good summary of the match from Morais we need to be at least 10 yards further up the pitch believe in your player Mark please

 

And ultimately they have won twice in 12 , scoring just 8 goals. We have to respect Carlisle but we don't need to fear them. 6 wins and 19 goals in same period for us . I'd have taken a lead going to Carlisle and delighted we take an advantage.

 

Twice. To the Champions and promoted Northampton. Last time December 5th. There's context USG..to the doom merchants this morning.

 

Their fans are complaining on twitter about an incident with Critchlow and Garner, saying he elbowed him and like Mellish, should be banned for the season. A lot of crying about the ref too.

As said loads by now, we could play with that little more belief, maybe another gear to go up to but they need to really press on and if the three games we've seen this season are anything to go by, it will need to be a huge step up. They play some pretty stuff and the midfield want the ball, but it's a lot of flash, with little to show.

 

What makes you think Carlisle are going to up their game? What makes you think we can’t up ours. For goodness sake!

 

Amen sister

 

With a side order of "Praise the lord". Carlisle showed nothing last night that has me in a cold sweat, wish I could say the same about the after effects of my Sheesh Mahal curry, which is currently making a swift exit.