The Voice - Match preview Bradford City vs Mansfield Town Saturday 4 February 2023 @ 3:00pm

I know we were doing this with Walker, but where is Banks? Can't help but feel we would have won yesterday with him in the team.

Eisa has done well since returning, but he doesn't have the guile Banks has imo

 

Something wrong with a muscle behind his calf, I think that’s what MH said a couple of weeks back JB?

 

Yeah both teams missed a couple chances

 

Songo'o .... oh

 

Dropping who? East?

We’ll suffer if that happens and struggle

 

Entertaining game, enjoyed the first half in particular, where we played some great football in an open, end to end game. Once again though our failure to capitalise when on top cost us. Our first half dominance only yielded a couple of decent chances and we only scored once. Mansfield we’re able to regroup at half time and then deserved their equaliser.

Keep playing like that though and we will win more than we lose, especially as the likes of Walker and Bola get more game time and match fitness. Overall though I can’t be too downbeat about the game, it was an enjoyable game with chances are both ends. Can’t say that about a lot of our recent games.

 

I thought we played well yesterday until the 70th minute then lost all composure.
Players like Walker, Clayton, Bola and even Cook who haven't played much or at all in the last 2 months looked improved us in areas of the pitch.
It's giving me reasons to be optimistic going into the back end of the season.
I've always said we will finish in the play offs and I stand by that, and after the failures of previous seasons that's a marked improvement.
There is no guarantee that any of the managers employed at the top 2 teams would have brought success here.
The pressure here is 10x what it is elsewhere, and imo Hughes has revamped the whole squad and playing style in 12 months and has us fighting for promotion.
We've been dealt some really crap hands with injuries.
I think once the team settles going into the last 12-14 matches we will be strong enough to go into the play offs on form and a match for anyone.

 

We suffered from tired legs and a weak right back that both contributed to conceding. We needed to hold the ball up more and perhaps Derbyshire with his experience would have been a better sub choice. The lack of Songo to boost the defence was telling and amistake to let him go as he would have been perfect to bring on the last 10 mins

 

My reflection on yesterday is an odd one for me as my normal mood after a game like yesterday with a late equaliser is I'm normally well pi55ed off, but for some reason I'm not too bothered. It was a good game with entertainment and despite late disappointment with the equaliser they were worthy of a point. I've totally lowered my seasons expectations recently from thinking we got to get autos to nowadays just thinking fk it all we gotta do is hit 7th. Yes we should definitely be aiming higher but this line of thought as certainly helped my mood swings regarding City games
New players my early thoughts are, well I got to say I'm very impressed with Clayton so far, no thrills but what an experienced head he looks in the middle, he's like the Smallwood we all thought he was going to be. Bola I'm still not totally convinced as yet but tbh is improvement yesterday in regards to his debut performance was a huge leap in the right direction so if that improvement level continues he should be a decent addition, with Nevers he looks very raw but I dont mind these types as no one has a clue what's coming next could be row Z or top corner.

 

What a terrible result this was. Symptomatic of the whole season. Just awful in the second half. It has happened so frequently that the manager needs to be asked why

 

we just sleep walk into these situations .......... I said at the time that I would be amazed if Rochdale where still a league club come the end of the season but they beat us without causing there keeper any problems ........... yesterday was just a long line of not counter acting what the opposition are doing to us .......... amazing how other sides will switch tactics during the game but he won’t ...............

 

the thing is for all our good play we yet again failed to get the job done I just hope he just goes for it now if the season is gonna end with us in midtable then at least give us something to entertain us with like yesterday ........... would rather lose 3-2 going for the win than a full 1-0 loss

 

Genuine question. What was the point of that tweet?
Hasn't he got anything better to do with his time than dig up the past for what appears to be an anti club agenda. Shameful.

 

I'm not him so I have no idea! You can ask him if you like.

 

You must have an opinion on it though.

 

Don't think he has an anti club agenda, they have previously been very pro club and have often been a sounding board for the club when gauging fan opinion. They have previously been granted access to interviews etc, so don't think they have any agenda.

More a case of highligting yet another Rochdale defeat yesterday, to go alongside the list of them either side of the win against us

 

No, sorry, I have no opinion on this!

 

I agree that Smallwood can't walk straight back into the side. I think Gilliead's performance yesterday was partly down to being given the captaincy but mainly down to Adam Clayton and bringing in Ryan East who has had a raw deal this season with limited opportunities. For maybe the first time this season it looked like a proper midfield. Adam Clayton showed his experience by creating time for himself, I'm sure I wasn't the only one to notice how he has a quick look around him as he receives the ball. I think he is probably the player we hoped Smallwood would be when we signed him.

 

I think that's the last we will see of Songo'o in a City shirt, pity I liked the guy's attitude and commitment.

 

Good lad. No mileage in looking backwards at poor results.