The Voice - Match preview Bradford City vs Salford City Sunday January 1 2023 @ 3:00pm

Big improvement, great game to watch and great to get back to back wins at home.

Next 2 fixtures are biggies, both winnable. After that we have a hard run of 8 games.

5th place looks great now but we are only 2 or 3 losses from midtable.

Still work to do in the transfer market and on the training pitch for us look like a promotion chasing side.

Cracks merely papered over for now....

 

I’m not saying they will collapse but stranger things have happened. It’s not often the top 3 at New Year’s Day are the same teams in May.

 

Very true, but it is even rarer for the team who are top on NYD to not get an automatic spot, even rarer when that team has averaged 2.25 points per match. In my book, Orient are 10 wins away from what will ultimately be automatic promotion. promotion. That means they could lose 12 and still go up.

 

Theyve only taken 2pts from their last 3 games. A little bit of a blip. Donny be no push overs at the weekend.

That said they will probably go up.

 

I agree ,I did say it’s very unlikely but it could happen. I don’t know how far you go back with City but after promotion in 68/69 City started their division 3 campaign in fantastic style, top 3, unbeaten at home for over a year, played the mighty Spurs including Jimmy Greaves and drew 2-2 then beat Bournemouth 8-1 and we were in City heaven. Then they just collapsed and we couldn’t buy a win and finished 12th. I’m just saying we shouldn’t give up on automatic promotion as things can change, unlikely but possible.

 

Looking at the last 5 complete seasons and of the last 5 teams top on new year only 1 has not got automatics and that was Newport but they were only 3 points ahead of 4th. Even for Stevenage only 1 team in the last 5 complete seasons has been 2nd on 1st Jan and not got top 3. The big thing for them is how many points they've already got and the gap to 4th. If anyone is going to drop out of the top 3 it will be Northampton but that will involve them only getting 35ish points and one of the chasing pack getting 40+ points. The next 10 games will probably tell you if there's a chance of anyone else getting top 3.

 

Marginally before my time. First match I remember is that spurs match.

 

we made them look good bud it didn’t take anything special to beat us that day ............. put it this way I doubt they would have got the goals they did that day with this set up .......... how many other average teams have we made look good .......... Harrogate looked half decent in the cup game because we allowed it ...........if we faced Northampton now I doubt the result would be the same ...........

 

they haven’t scored in there last 3 all we need is the run to go on for a few more weeks and they get dragged back into the mix ............one I think will definitely have a wobble and I think it could be Northampton ............ Orient have the gap and Stevenage have that fat low life at the helm

Northampton have
Salford away
Stockport away
Mansfield Home
Barrow away
Walsall home

it’s not a great set of fixtures then again nor are ours ............. think come the end of the month we will be a lot clearer ......... be nice if we cut the gap down come Stevenage away

 

Just watched the highlights and have to agree with @wetherbywhaler Salford lack class.

At the final whistle their manager ignores MH and walks straight onto the pitch. MH tells him to feck off.

Go to 7.30 minutes

 

We're meeting them in the play off final at Wembley, aren't we?

 

Amazing where Bristol rovers were and how they ended up getting automatic promotion.

 

look at Bolton the previous season they also came flying at the end ............ had our squad not given up that could have also been us

 

I think I'm right in saying that both Bolton and Bristol really went after the January market and strengthened? Certainly I remember Bolton doing it.

I don't think we need a huge amount, but we have such a great opportunity, we could really take a punt and go get 2-3 real quality players and make a proper push for those top 3 spots. They're still up for grabs.

 

But that's turning a draw into a win for Bradford to get 40+. Now we have a plan B I'm far more confident of getting more points than the first half of the season

 

Had a look through past 5 or 6 seasons. That Bolton season (20/21), none of the top 3 on new years day went up automatically, Cambridge and Bolton weren't even in the play offs in January. In 17/18, only one of the top 3 from NYD went up, with Accrington winning the league after being 10th on new years and 14 points off the top, ended up winning the league by 5 points. Always one or two risers in this league, usually depends on how their January window can change them, all the recent risers had cracking Januarys.

Bristol last year brought in Connolly into defence, became a rock in the spine and ended up signing him on a perm in the summer and then they also loaned in Elliott Anderson who got 8 goals 5 assist from midfield in 20 starts. They signed 21 players thats season, just look a while for them to click and the right additions in Jan.

Bolton were a similar story, over 25 signings that season so clicking just took so long to happen then in Jan, brought in Kieran Lee and MJ Williams to sure up the CM, got a good LB in Declan John and ended up signing him on a perm in the summer and the same with Afolayan on loan, quick winger to come on and run legs then they signed him on a perm and he got 12 goals from the wing last season.

Accrington very similar, over 20 new faces across the season and then in Jan added some strength up front with Zanzala on loan for when Kee and Jackson needed a change. Jimmy Dunne was a game changer in defence and pushed BRE out the side, Dunne now a starter in the Championship.

 

Bristol Rovers signed Anderson who was far too good for this division and was the key player for them. Howe loves him and he is set to go on loan to a championship side. So literally one good, albeit very good signing could make the difference in the middle.

 

Yeah, without Josh Cullen we'd have never reached the league 1 playoffs. One key signing can literally be the difference between success and failure

 

Let's hope that by the end of January we look like we have used plaster for those cracks rather than paper.