The Voice - Match preview Most liked posts in thread: Bradford City vs Crawley Town Saturday 6th January 2024 3:00pm

I've made no secret of the fact that I am not a fan of Alexander's style of football and the last three or four games are why.

It's absolutely terrible hoofball nonsense. The style of football that no successful side plays anymore, at any level.

As others have said, the fact we went from Hughes to this, is indicative of the lack of plan and structure at the football club. No club that is professionally run, goes from Adams to Hughes to Alexander. But we have a cowboy CEO and owner who continue to run the football operations at this club like a circus.

As for the team, well what can you say? It's an appalling squad, lacking in depth and quality from back to front. Alexander is kidding himself if he thinks that this squad is any better than bottom half.

Aside from the obvious, it's just not an enjoyable watch. There's no flair in the team, no pace, no one to get you off your seat when they get the ball, nothing. It's dull and boring, playing agricultural football with a group of players who treat the ball like a grenade.

The fact Derbyshire is still getting minutes at this level is laughable. Well it would be if Chapman and Pointon weren't sat on the bench all afternoon. That in itself is absolutely scandalous.

This run isn't a blip. The blip was the unbeaten run where we had a number of favourable fixtures that inflated the statistics and made us look better than we are. We're mid table at very best.

Properly fed up.

 

I've raised this question before but look at the complete mess Crawley were in a couple of weeks before the season began. Look at the issues they've had since. And yet they have a team of skillful, mobile and pacey players who've beaten us comprehensively twice. Look at Swindon and all their issues. Look at the clubs who were in the National League not long ago. All have passed us by. And we have huge crowds, we're solvent and we have by all accounts a very competitive budget every season. You'd have to try really hard to make such a mess of things as we manage season after season. It's beyond depressing.

 

It's really annoying me so much how GA has frozen out Chappers and Pointon, it's bonkers to me

 

Its just sh*t being a City fan. We’re a poor side, horribly run, and consistently failed by incompetence in those running the club. The fans of this club deserve so much better.

 

We were actually dominating the game at that point. We were all over them from the start of the second half until we went ahead. Crawley were in disarray at the back, slicing it everywhere and unable to get hold of the ball or out of their half. At that point I thought we were going to go on to win 3-1 or 4-1. Then we let them straight back in after we took the lead and their confidence came flooding back.

 

GA is on a hiding to nothing am afraid
Lost count of the number of managers we have had since 2016 there is a theme running through the club and it won't change till we get rid of the top two
We could bring in Klopp and Pep as joint managers and it still wouldn't change

 

To be honest, today was SO Bradford City - the Young 'will he won't he' fiasco before kick off, the proof during the game just how mediocre we are and how miserable our recruitment really has been, chance to sneak a win then total capitulation, for the first time GA being far from convincing in his after match comments, fans saying this might be the final straw for them this season etc etc

We really are a shit show aren't we! Forget his occasional commercial success, Sparks really needs to take a good look at himself for the continuing calamity thats going on under his watch but I fear humility isn't one of his virtues. As for Gent, be glad if i never hear his name mentioned again in association with our club. Which leaves Mr Rupp, I just wish he cared a bit more and had greater interest because if so he wouldn't allow himself to preside over the points I've made - but we are where we are and as one poster said you just have to laugh and get ready for the next time

 

Whilst Crawley imo is very much overperforming this season, that does not mean we can take them lightly either. Orsi is a very good player and they play well as a unit. They do concede a lot of goals and we need to exploit that the best we can.

As others have said, will Young play or not? Good question, but for me personally think if he does make the squad it will be on the bench. Last game was a hard watch, hopefully this one is a bit better.

Don't care if it comes off Cook's ass or Smallwood has to hump it in, we need these 3 points if we want to be a true playoff contender.

Myself, along with some other USA Bantams members, are having a watch party at a local bar, hope its a celebration afterwards!

 

We played kick and run while Crawley played football and passed there way through us for all 4 goals. Nothing short of a disgrace but well done to them they deserved the win

 

What a shambles, totally embarrassing.

And to those who started believing in Gents recruitment shame on you, overall the guy has been a fraud.

GA being found out very quickly, if we can force an attritional win then his 'style' is just about acceptable but shit shows like this and things will turn against him (and Sparks) pretty quickly

What a dreadful day!

 

The same Bolton who came down to this level with a 100 million pound debt ......administration etc and shock horror despite all that they got out of this level in no time

You can go back through the years to clubs with our kind of support
Coventry
Pompey
Plymouth
Bolton even clubs with half decent support Oxford,Luton all clubs that have had there fair few of problems yet still got out of this mess within a few years ............. i mean the likes of Stockport,Wrexham and Notts County all non league clubs 2 years ago yet there gonna be out of this league before we are.

Its a fooking mess and you can blame the managers but one thing has remained all the time during there spells and thats a piss poor owner and piss poor winner of sponsorship deals and a crap recruitment team and until all that is changed then this sham aint gonna change

How many years we been at this level and still no sign of us getting out after 3 sessons we should be looking to get out but this is laughable

 

I've seen all our home games so far this season and without doubt for me Crawley were the best team I've seen the movement on and off the ball was a delight, BUT having gone 2 - 1 up around 80 minutes we should have been capable of man managing the game, but once again we let the opposition have far too much of the ball after going in front, we started to defend deeper and deeper once again, as Fil Morais said you dont allow a team like Crawley time on the ball.
Just listening to Alexander on the radio saying "Young out with a slight injured but no worse than what he came back from Swindon with but he pulled himself out of contention on Friday in training sorry Graham you sounded anything but confident in what you was telling Raynor.
Swindon deemed him capable of playing the last 2/3 games for them but he doesn't think he could play any game time for Bradford City, could this be another Nahki Wells situation.

 

Alexander’s refusal to make changes to the starting XI or mid game has cost us points over the Christmas run.

 

How come Crawley has a small budget and can play like that? A simple question really.
I hate seeing my team in this mess. I bereft of words.

 

Whilst handing out numerous chances to Odesebe and Odour, both of whom don't look good enough.

I get Odour does little bits now and again but for literally 70 minutes of every match he's not even involved.

Compare that to Walker, who's role he has taken and it's like chalk and cheese.

 

If I was Alexander, I'd be rethinking the LWB situation in Richards' absence.

Ridehalgh isn't up to it and kills off that entire left side. Maybe Oduor at LWB and Pointon centrally if Walker is still unavailable. That would instantly improve the attacking threat and quality of the side.

 

Young, Pointon. Let them go and the cash we raise will be wasted on complete and utter shte 'has been' players.
And you wonder why we are mid table league 2.

 

I'm not making a judgement on GA as a manager after such a short amount of time and I like how he comes across, but the decision to go from one extreme of playing style to the other - and GA is as much a polar opposite as you could find, mid season, is utterly ridiculous and once again lays bear the incompetence in the Board Room.

Nothings changed. Without competent leadership, this club will go nowhere

 

Crap as it was could anyone see that result coming in at 2-1 up

To much shit down there to many mentally weak players ............ but hey not to worry we are in the transfer window with all hopes resting on a recruitment team who have brought this lot together .............bleeding come up here with 103 fans and they stroll of into the night with 3 points .............honestly dont deserve this shit but while we ALL continue to fund it then sadly nothing will change