The Voice - Match preview Bradford City vs Carlisle United Tuesday 21st March @ 7:45pm

League Two Fixture #37

Tuesday 21st March 2023 19:45
Bradford City (6th) vs Carlisle United (4th)
Valley Parade (AKA University of Bradford Stadium)

Most Recent Results:

1: Gillingham 0 – 2 Bradford City
2: Bradford City 2 – 0 Colchester United
3: Walsall 0 – 0 Bradford City
4: Newport County 1 – 1 Bradford City
5: Bradford City 2 - 2 Hartlepool United

Form: DDDWW

1: Carlisle United 1 – 0 Colchester United
2: Crawley Town 2 – 5 Carlisle United
3: Carlisle United 2 – 0 Grimsby Town
4: Swindon Town 1 – 2 Carlisle United
5: Carlisle United 0 – 0 Stevenage

Form: DWWWW

Head-to-Head Results:

Head-to-Head Form:

05 Dec 2020: Bradford City 0 – 1 Carlisle United
13 Mar 2021: Carlisle United 3 – 1 Bradford City
08 Jan 2022: Carlisle United 2 – 0 Bradford City
07 May 2022: Bradford City 2 – 0 Carlisle United
26 Dec 2022: Carlisle United 1 – 0 Bradford City

Head-to-Head Results (All Time):

Won: 22
Drawn: 14
Lost: 21

Biggest Margin of Victory:

24 Nov 1951: Bradford City 6 – 1 Carlisle United
07 Apr 1953: Bradford City 7 – 2 Carlisle United

NEW FEATURE!

For Better or Worse:
First Half of the Season vs Second Half of the Season Analysis

Colchester United: DEFEAT followed by WIN
Walsall: WIN followed by DRAW
Newport County: WIN followed by DRAW
Hartlepool United: WIN followed by DRAW
Carlisle United: DEFEAT followed by ???

Results so far: The second half of the season has seen a regression by 2 points



Carlisle United 2022/23:
A draw against Stevenage saw Carlisle United drop out of the automatic promotion spots amid accusations from Steve Evans that Carlisle were 'terrified'

Talking points from this fixture when previously scheduled back in January included Carlisle United having scored 8 more goals this season, with both sides having conceded the same number. Carlisle United had won 3 of their past 5, while their would-be opponents, Bradford City, had managed just 2 victories in that same span.

Fast forward 2 full months, and little has changed. Carlisle United continue to out-score the Bantams, but have now increased their advantage to 13, though they have also conceded 3 more. Carlisle United are on even better form, with 4 wins and a draw from their last 5 outings, while Bradford City have again achieved just 2 wins in that same span.

A ruthless side under Paul Simpson, Carlisle United have won by multiple goals 6 times since Christmas Day alone, including a 5-1 hammering of Barrow, a 3-0 away win at Crewe Alexandra, and a 5-2 away day win over Crawley Town. An uncharacteristic 3-game slump in early February culminated with a 4-0 home defeat at the hands of Mansfield Town, easily Carlisle United's heaviest defeat of the season. Since then, The Cumbrians haven't lost a single game, and have continued to pile the pressure on the likes of Northampton Town and Stevenage.

Goals from all over the pitch have seen Carlisle United establish themselves as the division's most potent attackers. With an unmatched 58 total goals in League Two this season, Carlisle have been bolstered by the superb form of 17 goal hitman Kristian Dennis, but he is far from their only threat. Jon Mellish (5), Owen Moxon (5), Omari Patrick (4), Ryan Edmondson (4), Morgan Feeney (3) and Callum Guy (3) have all enjoyed relatively productive seasons. In total, no fewer than 17 players have been on the scoresheet for The Cumbrians in the league this season, compared to just 11 Bradford City players.

Containing all those threats was certainly the order of the day for Stevenage last time out, and for all Steve Evans' bluster and mind games, Carlisle shut The Boro down completely – Stevenage managed 0 shots on target – a feat they also managed in the 1-0 Boxing Day win over The Bantams...

Bradford City 2022/23:
More points dropped against bottom half opposition, but not for want of endeavour as City waste gilt-edged chances to see of strugglers Hartlepool United

By all rights, Bradford City could have – perhaps should have – battered plucky Hartlepool United, who remain undefeated under new manager John Askey. With no fewer than 18 shots on goal, including gift-wrapped opportunities for loan men Dara Costelloe and Scott Banks, Bradford City fans were left frustrated when Andy Cook's brace only salvaged a single point.

While Hartlepool United dropped into the relegation zone as a result of this stalemate, Bradford City's automatic promotion ambitions took a hit as Northampton Town recorded a second straight win over Crewe Alexandra to head back to third. Tuesday's opponents Carlisle United were the team to lose out, and with a tough run of fixtures ahead, they might find it hard going to get back in the top three.

That said, Bradford City have consistently failed to put together a run of wins capable of establishing themselves as a threat to those very same teams. The term 'nose bleed' might be appropriate for a side who seem to choke every time they get within 3 points of third place, and a run of 3 straight draws against bottom half opposition has certainly come at the wrong time.

Despite Andy Cook's top drawer efforts against Hartlepool, taking his tally to 22 league goals this season, The Bantams just don't seem to possess a cutting edge anywhere else on the pitch, but serve up a grinding, possession-oriented style that relies on experience and defensive solidity far more than pace and power. When the side are in free-flowing form, as they were on Saturday, players like Dara Costelloe have been extremely wasteful. Of his 3 excellent opportunities on Saturday, the Burnley loanee failed to hit the target even once.

Substitute Scott Banks was more effective, grabbing an assist for a sublime Andy Cook volley, but when he had the opportunity to play the division's leading marksman through just minutes later, Banks took the opportunity to shoot – and saw his shot saved by busy goalkeeper Jakub Solarczyk. Not the right decision, and an error that won't have gone down well with Cook on for a hat trick.

Still, if Bradford City can play like they did in the second half against Hartlepool United in the upcoming game against Carlisle United, they should pose more of a threat than they did on Boxing Day. The question for Mark Hughes is, who does he start with, after once again ringing the changes quite significantly in terms of both personnel and tactics.

Highlights:

Bradford City 2 – 2 Hartlepool United



Carlisle United 0 – 0 Stevenage



Carlisle United 1 – 0 Bradford City



Outlook:

Tetchy.

That is one word to describe the Valley Parade faithful at half time on Saturday, with Bradford City trailing 1-0 to relegation-threatened Hartlepool United. Boos once again greeted the players efforts, which might seem remarkable on paper given Bradford City sit firmly entrenched in the play off picture. To be jeered on such a regular basis during what might end up being a promotion season would be something to behold.

But that is the level of frustration Bantams' fans have felt watching a side that are sometimes scintillating on their travels, but rarely replicate that excellence at home. While there's a chance of a pulsating 3-2 win like Bradford City achieved over high flyers Stevenage and Salford City, more often than not lower-achieving sides have been able to shut Mark Hughes' men down on home soil.

Fortress Valley Parade it is not, with 7 wins and 7 draws from 18 home league games this season. Contrast that with 9 wins and only 5 draws away from home, and it's clear the fare offered up to the home fans is not on the same level as that afforded to the travelling faithful. Strange for a strong team with players the envy of managers like Carlisle United's Paul Simpson.

While Simpson and Stevenage manager Steve Evans have traded barbs about the money spent in their respective recruitment drives, neither have signed the quality afforded to Mark Hughes and Bradford City – and yet despite having players from higher levels and the free-scoring Andy Cook playing week in, week out, The Bantams have been unable to keep pace with their rivals.

Until now?

It feels like every week a new dawn threatens to break, offering a possibility of Bradford City really attacking the automatic promotion spots, only for a lack of consistency and attacking threat to hobble the Bantams once again. If that does turn out to be the narrative of the season, Bradford City fans will need to have everything crossed that they can reach – and successfully negotiate – a play off lottery that could easily involve a Carlisle United side that have become Bradford City's bogey team in recent years.

With 4 wins over the Bantams in the past 5 meetings, this Tuesday night's game looks a nightmarishly tough task for Bradford City.

Perhaps this time, a draw is the most that can be expected – but that would be unlikely to satiate a passionate support base desperate for the club to put a really solid, well-timed run together. A career-best performance is the order of the day, and not entirely impossible given the nature of the exciting wins over Salford and Stevenage - but at home, more disappointment may yet loom...

Odds:

29/20: Bradford City
11/5: Draw
2/1: Carlisle United

Predicted Outcome (THE VOICE):

Bradford City 0 – 1 Carlisle United