The Voice - Match preview Carlisle United vs Bradford City Saturday 26th January 2022 @ 3:00pm

For the love of christ we need to ditch this set up.

 

if he hasn’t by now then sadly he ain’t gonna

 

This season is yet another lesson in judging progress on performances rather than results. I don't know how long it will take for the penny to drop that are forecasts need to be judged on how well we are playing rather than where we are in the table.

Anybody judging our performances since September can tell you that we will struggle to finish top 10. Despite this some supporters persist in referencing our current league position / how many points we are off play offs. It's meaningless. Watch the games. There's been about 3 performances this season where we've looked remotely like a promotion side. Somehow we've scrambled enough points to stay in the picture but the performances eventually start to reveal our true league position.

 

Agree we have to be up there with the squad we have although looking at the league table I'd say Orient, Stevenage and Northampton are the three best teams I've seen so far this season even though on paper we spanked Stevenage at Valley Parade those who saw the match know it wasn't as the score line suggested.

 

Mid table finish in coming.

 

glad I haven't had the glorious idea of flying from Austria to England just to watch Bradford v Salford.

 

I agree although some have a different opinion, unfortunately it's hard to try and justify Cooks misses today they were all chances he usually takes, but I can't see where the competition comes from with regards keeping Cook out of the side, unless it's just a matter of changes for changes sake, Sparkie certainly has work to do to keep us there or there abouts.

 

We didn't get stuck in today....they did, every team I see sees to have energy and guile and we always get pushed off the ball and give the ball away lots in a game... that experienced players giving the ball away.

 

I sometimes think the football gods hate us for some reasons.We get Hughes and a good budget a few months later and Evans who we turned down is heading for promotion on less money.I,m sure I read ages ago we buried a holy well under the pitch,we,re cursed.

 

Well Dave, as much as I admire the efforts of Cook, I now feel that the time has arrived for a massive shake up of the underperforming players. If nothing else it would give them a kick up the arse.
Yes Cooks goals have got us where we are but now I'd like to see a completely different set up (not that Mr. Untouchable will do it). For goodness sake, lets give an Oliver/Young partnership a try up front, East in midfield dropping Smallwood or/and Gilliead. The speed of Banks and Wright on the wings (Eisa far from ready as proved today) and a fit Walker for the ineffective Chapman.
Hell, we have nothing to lose at the moment and listening to many fans tonight, VP won't be bouncing on Thursday, in fact it could turn toxic.
Can we afford yet another snoozathon with Hughes' crap tactics???

 

The only thing bouncing it down will be the rain.

 

The xG has said for months we are shite and heading for midtable, so it isn’t coming as any great surprise, sadly.

the system is flawed and Hughes won’t adapt

 

But nothing suggests an Oliver/Young partnership would make any difference, Hughes brought both those players in and the kid Young can't make the bench, I'm as mystified as the rest as to why he continues with the formation and playing mainly the same 8/9 players within that formation.
IMO we have as good a squad as any of the top teams in this league unfortunately the likes of Wellens, Evans and Brady get the best from their players by allowing them to attack teams as we saw to our detriment, we know Hughes game is about possession and only going forward when the correct ball is on, he's actually made that comment, that to me is one of our biggest failings the movement or lack of it when we have worked the ball into dangerous areas, so our default is to pass it sideways eventually playing it back to the keeper to keep possession.
I believe we would see a far different Bradford City if the players were allowed more freedom going forward as you mention we've seen what the likes of Wright, Banks, Walker, and Pereira are capable of on their day, its Hughes call but I cant see wholesale changes mate.

 

That then raises another massive issue.
A lack of goals from all other areas.
If Cook isn’t scoring others have to step up.
This is clearly not happening and no team gets promoted automatically without 3 or 4 non strikers getting at least 5/6/7 each.
We are past Xmas now and our 2nd best scorers are 3 each.
Chapman has played 23 games and got 1 goal.(Young has 2 goals in a fraction of the games)
Gilliead 16 games 0 goals
Smallwood 20 games 2 goals.

Whilst it’s technically not the priority for defenders, not one of the regular starting back 4 have got a goal.

Teams that tend to finish in the top 3 have a knack of nicking the odd game 1-0 with a centre half or full back sneaking a goal if the striker is off form.

At the moment I can’t see any other player reaching double figures this season.

 

4-2-3-1 does not work. Its too rigid

The full backs aren’t quick enough. They are capable given a specific formation, but in one where they are relied upon to produce the width an the bulk of our chances, its a recipe for disaster

The midfield is a joke and has been all season. We have 2 players that bring attacking flair to it. Osadabe, who brings drive an creativity, an Walker, who provides creativity and goals. Both injured. Both will take time getting back up to speed.

The wingers look frustrated. Analyse Wright’s body language. He was pissed off. Isolated. Given the ball when he’s being marked tightly. No one to work alongside. Foulds can’t hack running up an down the wing every 2 minutes, an Halliday can’t on the other flank either

The Centre Backs, given too much time an too much responsibility. They’re entrusted to create our attacks an dictate them. It slows our game down

This fault solely lies on Hughes. Its his team. His formation, His tactics.

Stop playing that god awful formation, it does not work

Get Walker back in the team. He’s the only player that can play behind the striker. I recon Jake Young could do a better job than Chapman in that position. Get Chapman back on the wing. its the only place he looks effective

Drop Smallwood. Im all for pinning the tail on the Gillead but today he actually played decent. And if you had to put them 2 in comparison, i’d honestly say that Gillead comes out on top. Get East in because at least he passes the fecking ball forward

I guarantee you, the moment Hughes grows some balls an chops up that shitshow of a midfield, we’l see a different Eisa, A different Wright, A different Chapman an most certainly, a different Perriera. The one of last year

This bs game plan Hughes has drawn up means every single game we lose the midfield battle an every single game week, we have the opposition team pressing and doubling up on our wingers, meaning we have no creativity

 

With regards Walker Sparkie mentioned him being in bed ill this week so at least its not a reaction from his recent game time.

 

I left the sofa, and peeled potatoes after 60 mins and occasionally glanced over to the match. That's how interested in the game I was. It's not losing that bothers me (much) but more the manner of defeat. Absolutely mind numbingly boring. No creativity in the team at all. No player that gets bums off seats, unless its Platt with a poor backpass. A dreadful midfield feeding a tired looking striker who is on a hiding to nothing most matches. And pretty much like for like changes when they are eventually made. Do we honestly think that Oliver is going to change the game when he comes on?

The club must use the transfer window next week to make changes. Both ins and outs. I'm slowly starting to doubt Hughes.

I'm now settling down on the sofa to watch Arsenal play. Saka - now there's a player who gets fans standing as soon as he gets the ball. If only we had someone who played like him.

 

Post of the night.

The league position is false and we are only in the mix because of the previous away run of results.
Sadly that looks to have fallen off now and so we need home form to take over.
However, the way we set up at home I just don’t see that happening and the league position will rapidly reflect how we are playing which is very poor.

 

We've Harrogate at home Thursday.

We all know what's going to happen. Another well led scrappy team we can't cope with.

May have a chance against Salford on New Years day though, may arrest the downward trajectory for a week or so.

 

Where was Walker today?