The Voice - Match preview Bradford City vs Crewe Alexandra Saturday 27 August @ 3:00pm

I've not been Gilliead 's biggest fan but I mentioned we missed him straight after the game on Saturday for this very reason.

 

The centre halves also need to be causing more trouble at corners. Where's Rory McArdle when you need him !

 

Its not the c/h’s , rather the problem is the DELIVERY. Not one on the money, most often overhit.

 

I never mentioned Hendrie, I was talking purely about Hallidays defensive performance. But seeing as you have brought it up, i have seen nothing so far to suggest Halliday is better thsn Hendrie, but I'm prepared to give the Ginger Cafu the benefit of the doubt due to his long lay off. Neithet am I saying Hendrie is better than Haiilday....but he might be

 

True.

 

I don’t think defensively we have many problems it’s our link up play that is costing us our play is far to deep we make it easy for packed defences to organise

 

We need a winger who can get to the bye line and put in crosses not the rubbish crosses we get now, Oh and Angol needs dropping he just not suits our play,

 

I think McArdle stood on Hanson’s head would struggle with some of the shit we put into the box.

 

What really annoys me is when a full back or winger gets well into the box and then hits a high, fast cross. Fire ot in low ffs. See Harratt for Cooks first goal against Hartlepool.

 

I'd like to see Critchlow carry it out of defence with a bit more urgency. He has the skill and pace to do that and then we have an extra man in midfield. Instead he just seems to stroll around and pass sideways to Platt. In fairness to Platt he has had the occasional foray forwards wuth the ball

 

Absolutely Rod, it’s goes without saying set piece play is basic weapon in any teams armoury. Likewise in open play even Ridehalgh, who can whip a ball in, is lying and thus crossing from far too deep. This is resulting in the angle being all wrong for his type of cross. This is created solely by our left side weakness in the “3”. Who would have imagined that within the first two games of the season we would lose two key players from the intended “3” .? It’s ok having cover all round the field, but Chapman covering Walker, and Angol /Young covering Osadebe …..?
As it’s proving, crosses from both open play on the left and set pieces from anywhere are creating an inbuilt shortcoming.

 

Chapman’s pace was missed on Sat. Young tried his hardest but he’s right footed and wasn’t naturally providing any width. We should have swapped him and Banks over but Banks scored a beauty cutting in at Hartlepool and hit bar on Sat so I guess Hughes was happy to leave him there.

That then made it imperative we had a drive from midfield but we had none.

Sutton is a better short term option, or Gillead, as they at least move us up the pitch. Pretty six yard sideways passes boost the possession count but they don’t create goals.

our chance creation is appalling. If this is what we have to put up with for the rest of the year, I’m done.

 

Smallwoods are awful. Lofty floaters. Give them some whip if you are reading Richie!

 

Steady on…..

 

First priority in training needs to be crosses. We need a strategy from open play just like you would from set pieces. It might be naive and simplistic but I'd recommend pre rehearsed routines and direct instruction about where the ball will be delivered. I'd have a session with the the wingers and strikers and get them to agree where the ball will be delivered. Too often the ball gets slung in miles away from any forehead. I'd literally be telling the full backs and wingers, 'this is where your cross is going to land and tell the strikers' this is where you're going to be'. It needs to be mixed up to avoid predictability but it needs to be pre planned.

 

Mentally I mean. Physically I’ll turn up but when you aren’t mentally invested its not the same is it. Many more 0-0 bore draws and will be looking for excuses not to go.

 

I'm amazed as professional footballers they can't hit a 2/3 yard area within the penalty area consistantly.

 

We have someone working on routines - remember that one we worked for the Hull game I think it was. Straight off the training ground. Agree we need better generally though.

 

They do practice those set plays when I've been down at Rawdon Meadows.