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

Early doors Derek had us buzzing.. Oldham home, Stevenage home, Mansfield away...

Their id a point to this comment...fortunes can change and do change... Can this MH team adapt?

As fans and a team we are well within the remit of promotion, our ultimate goal. Concerns yes but Joey Barton brizzle were probably more pissed off this time last year

 

He ain't the winger for a 4-4-2. Hughes certainly thinks so by today's decision. He's at his best on the left from half way in to about 10 yards.from the touchline. Left side in a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 as his natural instinct is to cut inside just like Scott Banks. With 4-4-2 you're looking for a Kyel Reid who's sole aim is to beat the full back. We simply don't have that player since Vernam left.

 

There's one team in league two who have predominantly played 4-4-2 this season, second from bottom Hartlepool, the only team we've easily beaten this season.

 

First the positives our keeper could have taken the afternoon off so dominating were we.Banks was excellent and unlucky not to score which would have changed the game. And Oliver’s cameo gave a glimpse of what he could do.
But these slow possession tactics from Hughes isn’t working everything is in front of the packed defence and slow a rethink tacticaly is needed or an influx of further players good enough to play this system successfuly which isn’t going to happen

 

If we aren’t going to play two upfront (reorganise the midfield in behind however you want) what was the point in bringing in Vadaine Oliver and handing him a three-year deal?

We’re a dull, bland, slow, predictable side with one up front. Crewe did what Donny did and we had no answer.

Yes, we beat Newport, but it was a nothing chance that Smallwood rocketed home to get us rolling.

We have to do more to win matches as Smallwood rockets won’t win us many other matches this year. We badly miss our best player, Walker.

 

How many other teams have a big unit like Oliver, who dominated on aerial stats for Gillingham last season?

 

I dasgree to an extent. We tried going direct second half and looked awful for it. It wasn't the formation that was.failing us first half, it was the imbalance with Angol on the left. Stick Vernam out left today and I'd suggest we win that game. Would allow Ridehalgh to get forward more and not be as.isolated. Wouldnt take a lot to turn that first half into a successful one today

 

Oliver thrives off crosses. Our deliveries into the box from open play and set pieces are appalling irrespective of formation.

 

I agree about Angol who just doesn’t suit that position but we went 442 second half in name only with Banks coming infield a lot more and still the aimless slow build up.It’s not easy when teams set up the way Doncaster and Crewe did and Walker who I saw today still hobbling on crutches miles away From a return a big miss and also Gillead missing the game was a blow. But we have decent players and I am afraid Hughes isn’t getting the best out of them

 

Which helped his team to what exactly?

 

Walker is a big miss and is pivotal to us having a successful season. We are going to have to learn to be patient at home because teams will sit deep at every opportunity.

 

A point not mentioned.. A few boos at the end..

 

Agree on this. Ridehalgh and Smallwood’s deliveries were particularly poor.

I felt there was some decent enough performances. Banks particularly. Crichlow, though he was barely troubled, is quality - his distribution is class. Young had a decent second half - most of our limited threat came from him.

Thought Oliver’s cameo was decent enough.

Crewe are another team in a list that have done a number on us at home and we couldn’t find a solution. I really hope the Pereira scenarios changes and we can welcome him back as for me he’s exactly what we are missing in these games and think we could see more from Oliver with him and Banks either side of him.

 

Why sign a target man if you have no intention of playing to his strengths? Genuine question.

he’s been handed a three year deal not just a token contract til May ala Lavery and Robinson. I’d wager good money he’s one of the higher earners, too.

 

Spot on. The service is non existent, which makes his signing - making up a large chunk of the budget i reckon -even more bizarre!

 

If we had Gus Uhlembeek and James Meredith in this XI we might get crosses from the full backs for the strikers but Ridehalgh and Halliday are more akin to Darby going forward.

foulds deserves a chance now and Im yet to be convinced Halliday is an upgrade on Hendrie going forward wise.

that said, its another clean sheet at home. Maybe Hughes won’t mind attacking deficiencies. Its just so painful to watch. East and Smallwood are replicas. We need Gillead in there over East as a short term fix as at least he can beat a man. We missed Chapman’s pace second half as Young couldn't stretch them.

 

Im happy for Cooks form but wonder if Hughes perhaps didn’t expect it and was planning Oliver to be his starting forward, which has thrown things somewhat??

You’d like to think he wasn’t that limited in his plans, but do wonder if the form of Cook has slightly thrown him? For me, with the right service Oliver and Harratt could be very good in this league. Today they barely got a sniff - as neither did Cook.

 

Agreed. Our whole approach is flawed. Too cautious, too slow. We’re tough to beat but it’s just turning into Derek Adams football. 16k fans bored stiff today. Lads next to me left at 78 mins and who could blame them tbf. We’re going nowhere unless we bring in fresh faces before the window shuts.

If 4-2-3-1 is our way then we need upgrades on Angol and East right now and, longer term, better quality full backs.

but Cook and Oliver will forever cut frustrated figures as they did today. We just don’t get them in the game.

 

Ridehalgh was statistically our best crosser season. Due in part to having Vernam in front of him who allowed.to get in good positions to cross. Now he has literally no one in front of him which means he's crossing a dead ball from closer to the half way line than the byline. He has struggled this season but I put a lot of it down to having no natural wide player in front of him. Heck there were Muppets in the kop complaining that our fullbacks weren't beating their man, like somehow that's a.fullbacks job. That's a wingers job

 

Yes that’s a fair observation - he was putting in a lot of lofty crosses from deep positions today.

we just don’t have the right balance to the side at the moment do we and it seems like a lucky dip if we’ll take the three points each week.

The GK looks a find and the CB pairing very promising. Smallwood and Banks are looking decent. Cook been in great form…..but we’re half a dozen games in now and half the team still not fully convinces me in this set up at this moment in time. How long do we give it?

I just dont like this set up, but I take the point Hughes has recruited for this set up (with the exception of Oliver, whose signing makes littke sense given our approach) so looks like we have to sit and suffer while Hughes tries to make us more cohesive.