The Voice - Match preview Carlisle United vs Bradford City Saturday 20th May 2023 @ 3:00pm

Funnily enough someone said they spoke to one of our players who said they were like rabbits in headlights.... great didn't seem to effect Carlisle at Valley parade especially in the second half.... I would have hooked Halliday after 20 mins he was really really bad.

 

He was. He was on the end of a bad tackle early on for which one of their lads got booked. Not sure if he was carrying an injury after that but thats the only explanation I can come up with. He's had a good,solid season overall but as you say, on Saturday he was beyond awful

 

It was an over the top tackle in the first 10 or so minutes . Armer ( ?) got booked and he went into his shell the rest of the game too.

 

Instructions from Simpson? He knew we were relying on supply from Halliday to Banks nothing on the other side, so no creativity.

 

One never knows.

 

This one does

 

Looks like they had a disturbed night before the game.

https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/sport/sportlatest/23538093.carlisle-fans-wake-bantams-fireworks-outside-hotel/

 

I was surprised by our energy levels and have been most of this season. Then I remembered a quote from Hughes not long after he came to us. Something about not having a timeframe for each training session. Once the players had done what he wanted, he finished the session and didn’t see the point of training for training sake. Maybe he should use the extra time to build up fitness.

 

If you remember second half of the first leg Carlisle obviously planned to target Halliday. They were hitting high balls into the wide player on his side from all over the pitch

 

Looks like we owe em one?

 

Totally agree. The amount of games we have looked lethargic this season is quite worrying. Fitness needs to be on the agenda for next seasons team. Patrick absolutely dusted Halliday for pace several times. Stubbs often gets dusted for pace by most forwards

The only exception is obviously Banks, and Gilly, who has a fantastic engine on him despite his little assist ratio

 

This comes from the lack of rotation in matches.

Our squad wasn’t good enough. Carlisle gave up the chase for automatic long time ago. Started to rest players. Yes, they were losing but knew they could go for it in the playoffs. It was highly unlikely that LO, Stevenage and Northampton would get caught.

 

If they lived near me in Bradford, then they would be used to the fireworks

 

He wouldn't know because he's always facing the other way

 

Can we ask do any the City players live in bradford.

 

That's the only possible excuse I can find for Smallwood's level of performance this season. But, even so, a player who's played for twelve seasons in the Championship and was Captain of a Championship side last season should have been capable of so much more than we've seen. I expected a player who would boss the midfield and be a real leader, but he did neither of those things. It even took him over half a season to work out how to get the ball in the middle of the penalty area from corners, which is inexcusable for such an experienced player.

 

Offcum. I heard he is a new dad?!!??

 

That’s old !

 

Yes at the time he missed the Tranmere home game it was said he'd become a dad.

 

Yep, when they don't go up all meet up in the queens then when they come out of the interchange do em'


....... or did you mean thrash them home & away next season at football

Haha