The Voice - Match preview Bradford City vs Crawley Town Saturday 6th January 2024 3:00pm

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

 

Strange outcome in the end but not unexpected. I don't think you can question our desire or commitment atm but the lack of quality and decision making is blaringly obvious. The balance isn't there between hard-working and talent. We desperately need Walker back and find a way to get Pointon and Young into this team, then we might just have more of a balanced side.
If it means a change of formation again or just a tweek then so be it, because as it stands we are achieving mid-table at best.

 

But why did we let them straight back in? That should have been a comfortable 2-1 win. The lack of character and nous in this squad is clear for all to see.

 

People willing to admit themselves yet that we are just not a good side?

Sooner, you can do this the more it will help you!

 

I was amazed when we went on that run under Alexander because it made no sense. It defied all logic. It was bonkers.

But then it turns out it was just a new manager bounce, not some genius appointment.

 

The lack of any real quality in all areas is so obvious it’s embarrassing.

 

Similar to MK Dons

 

This.

 

In all honesty who wants them............i mean Matt Derbyshire on a 18 month contract just shows how fooking crap our recruitment is or how clueless they are .

I honestly think its way to early to start picking on GA hes probably dealing with a squad that simply aint up to it .............. the main aim now is to get that recruitment team sorted out and until that happens then simply look forward to years of it.

I mean was it down to GA that we couldnt see out the game at 2-1 against one of the poorest teams i have see down there this season.
Still had we won today it would have been another papering over the cracks game.
To much work needs doing but sadly we are relying on a owner who doesnt give a shit and recruitment staff who in a nutshell are fooking embarrasing.

 

Poor penalty Cook hit it well enough but no direction in his shot.

 

Players simply no where near good enough, L2 beckons into 2025.

After Boxing Day and xmas results I didn't go or listen to the game, could see this coming a mile off after an indifferent xmas period and missing walker. It's another write off season this lot are just too inconsistent and as much as Smallwood seems better under Alexander he is a pale shadow of Gary Jones in drive, determination, and leadership.

I don't blame Alexander, he didn't choose these players.

 

I saw it differently. Crawley controlled that game, pretty much from start to finish. We had s spell for 15 mins or so in 2nd half where we had pressure, bit didn't create much. I'd imagine the Crawley view was, sit in and deal with the long balls then look to break. As soon as Crawley had to deal with losing the lead, they did so, quickly, with ease and comprehensively.

 

well were do we go from here. That was as poor as it could be. Crawley were basically dreadful and still were better than us were it mattered , in the opponents goal area. we had the chances yet fluffed our lines, both our goals were luck not quality,
Something we lack in spades.
Jake young, its obvious he want's off, pulling out of training after 5 minutes yesterday apparently. Player power is killing the game.

 

So our season is innthe hands of two injury prone players and a striker who doesnt want to be here which in a nutshell sums how bad it really is ............... no long term plan no nothing.

Honestly everyone of them in power should fooking hang there heads in shame that another small club have walked off into the night with 3 points .............. i know crowd size shouldnt make a difference but it should help............... or maybe us lot are the problem that we continue to fund this shite and help line the pockets of a Twit who doesnt care.

 

What an absolute abysmal capitulation. As bad as the players are, GA needs to shoulder the blame for this one I’m afraid. To bring Ridehalgh off for Derbyshire was gobsmacking, totally disrupted our shape and we lost what little balance we had. Suddenly players didn’t know their positions and little shitty Crawley took full advantage. They smelled blood and went firmly for the gullet. I have liked most of what I’ve seen so far from GA, but this one is firmly on him

In hindsight, WAGMI would have put us in a much better position than we are now

 

Given we should comfortably pick up another 16/ 17 points, I would like us to sign nobody in this window and save it all for summer.

In the next two windows we need to getbrid of:

Ridehalgh
Odusina
Walker
Pattinson
Osadebe
McDonald
Derbyshire
Kelly
Stubbs
Taylor
Platt
Oliver
Cook. Yes Cook.

 

Where on earth do you start to dissect that game. Entertaining but mainly for the wrong reasons.
Crawley the better side the first 35 minutes, using the overloaded midfield to great effect, Smallwood and Gilly struggling without the legs of Walker or Pattison to aid them. Last 10 we managed to get both full backs up in their half, half time coming at the wrong time. Second half more pressure but virtually no quality from either side bar Ridehalghs finish. Our penalty courtesy of one of the worst bits of defending I've ever seen and an equally poor pen taken by the very poor Cook. Then Crawley produce the best football of the game and score.one of the best goals I've seen at VP for a fair while. The last two goals just capitulation defensively.
To be honest I'm still not sure what I've just witnessed but generally I thought we were very poor with no other tactic than to just boot the ball down field. I can see why it's hard to predict what Crawley will do, one minute they look like a amateur side, but in parts they passed us off the field on a tricky surface.
It seems the new manager bounce effect has gone completely flat, has a rip it up and start again feel to it.

 

And if Young made himself unavailable he should be played in the next match even if it costs us a year's rent in.lost fee.

 

Me but I did have a sick note.

 

Of course JY wants to be off (who authorised his loan) ??
He and Pointon will be off before the end of this window
Never mind we have Derbyshire McDonald and the rest of "Dad's Army" ready to step in
Or even worse we task our recruitment team to source replacements
Difficult to see an end to our L2 tenure in the near future

 

Well, thank God I’m going to miss the next few games. I get the feeling if Crawley tried hard all game it could have been a caning. They looked happy enough with a point then as soon as we fluked our way into the lead, they just turned it on again. We look feeble pretty much all over. Bottom half finish beckons. Very depressing afternoon.