The Voice - Match preview Crewe Alexandra vs Bradford City Monday 1st January 2024 3:00pm

EFL LEAGUE TWO FIXTURE #25

Monday 1st January 2024 15:00
Crewe Alexandra (8th) vs Bradford City (11th)
Mornflake Stadium (AKA Gresty Road)

22/23 & 23/24 Results:

27 Aug 2022: Bradford City 0 – 0 Crewe Alexandra
03 May 2023: Crewe Alexandra 3 – 2 Bradford City
26 Aug 2023: Bradford City 1 – 0 Crewe Alexandra

Head-to-Head Form: WLDLW (most recent result first)

Won: 44
Drawn: 20
Lost: 37

Current League Form:

Bradford City: DDWWW
Crewe Alexandra: DLLDL

CREWE ALEXANDRA

Crewe Alexandra sit in 8th place in the league, but after a run of 7 games without a win (including 6 league games), Lee Bell has been left bemoaning injuries and illnesses that have disrupted his side’s momentum – and seen them drop out of the play off places. The 8th placed Cheshire side still sit 4 points above a resurgent Bradford City, though, and showed character in their 1-1 draw against Newport County.

Having already made 3 separate substitutions, Crewe manager Lee Bell was unable to replace the injured Zac Williams for the final stages of the away tie, but even with 10 men Crewe continued to threaten. Bell subsequently heaped praise on his players as they sought to get back into the win column, but also accepted luck hasn’t been going the way of the Railwaymen recently.

That ‘bad luck’ hasn’t just been limited to injuries and illnesses in their recent run of form. Crewe Alexandra were 2-1 up against Accrington Stanley, for instance, before having Luke Offord sent off with 10 minutes to go. Goalkeeper Harvey Davies then made not one, but two errors in quick succession, allowing Accrington Stanley to go 3-2 ahead. While Crewe Alexandra were able to grab an even later equaliser, it wasn’t the 3 points they seemed to be on course for, and left manager Lee Bell once again talking about having only 12-13 first team players available to him.

Bell, at one point a name tossed into the hat to take the helm at Bradford City, dropped Harvey Davies after that performance, opting for 19 year old Tom Booth, an inexperienced goalkeeper with just 7 first team appearances to his name. Crewe Alexandra are yet to win a league game with Booth between the sticks, a statistic that will be cause for optimism for Bradford City fans.

Set pieces have undone Crewe on a few occasions lately, especially at Walsall. A 2-0 defeat saw the Saddlers netting a goal from a corner either side of half time. Against Barrow, the standard of defending came into question a couple of times, not least when a penalty was conceded while trying to defend a move following another corner. Crewe did grab one for themselves directly from an in-swinging set piece, before defensive vulnerabilities were once again exposed from a throw in that led to a headed opportunity and a third, decisive goal.

Better quality will be expected, then, as captain Luke Offord leads the back line against Bradford City alongside veteran defender (and potent goalscorer) Mickey Demetriou,and Conor O’Riordan, a trio that probably makes for the most settled aspect of the Crewe Alexandra team. Ahead of them, Rio Adebisi will play alongside the less-experienced Joe White, in the event of the continued absence of Charlie Colkett, Conor Thomas and Joel Tabiner. Up front, joint top scorers Courtney Baker-Richardson (8) and Chris Long (8) will likely feature, though Elliott Niven (7) managed only 6 minutes in game against Newport. Attacking midfielder Jack Powell is out for the season.

If Crewe can get back to something like full strength, they will be a handful. A busy side, Lee Bell’s men have conjured plenty of good attacking opportunities even in their 7-game winless stretch and will seek to make the most of an athletic and pacy first eleven. Crewe have beaten Bradford City in their last pair of encounters at Gresty Road, which will give them confidence of starting the New Year on the front foot.

A return to form could not come too soon for beleaguered Crewe, who did not even train ahead of their defeat against Walsall.



Newport County 1 – 1 Crewe Alexandra

BRADFORD CITY

Bradford City have been comparatively lucky with injuries, then, though the dual absentees Jamie Walker and Alex Pattison make up the best part of the attacking midfield threat in the Bradford City squad. Clark Oduor has looked to fill in after Emmanuel Osadebe put in a poor 45 minute performance against Morecambe recently, and the Kenyan international had a couple of decent opportunities from range in the 0-0 draw against table-topping Stockport County.

The back line for Bradford City has been steady for a few games now, with Jonathan Tompkinson, Matty Platt and Ciaran Kelly making a surprise run in the team. Brad Halliday, operating at right back, seems to be a perennial man-of-the-match contender this season, though Bradford City saw Liam Ridehalgh step in for Lewis Richards against Stockport, with Richards failing a fitness test. Richards may be back in contention against Crewe Alexandra, though in truth Ridehalgh put in a solid shift in his absence, potentially dampening the desire to rush Richards back in.

Other than that, everything else looks like it should be the same. Alex Gilliead and Richie Smallwood comprise the central midfield area, while Andy Cook and Tyler Smith continue to try to make the most of their little-and-large pairing. While both players found the going tough in the last 2 home games, and Vadaine Oliver looking a handful at times off the bench, Graham Alexander may choose to stick with a pairing that have done very well in the last 3 away games. Cook grabbed a brace and Smith the other in a 3-1 win over Doncaster Rovers on the road, while Cook has also scored away at Gillingham and Forest Green Rovers.

That away record looks mighty impressive and will give Bantams fans confidence ahead of a trip to a bit of a League Two bogey ground. While City have beaten Crewe in League One in the past decade, the last 4 trips to Crewe in League Two specifically have resulted in defeat. That’s a run that Graham Alexander and his players will want to end on Monday afternoon.

If there is a sense that Bradford City’s tactics under Alexander might just be better suited to away days, then Crewe Alexandra will be a very good test of that theory. While both draws at home to Morecambe and Stockport County were creditable, the former for a solid come back and the latter for holding the top-performing team in the division, there might just be a sense City’s momentum is slowing a little.

After 6 straight wins, Bradford City have risen to the top half of the table and there they remain, but there is plenty more work to be done. Crewe sitting above City and on a poor run of form will make this as close to a must win as you can get at this stage of the season.



Bradford City 0 - 0 Stockport County

THE BREAKDOWN

15/8: Crewe Alexandra
5/2: Draw
11/8: Bradford City

Bradford City will come in as favourites, and as much as Lee Bell tried to play down the excuse-making for injuries and illnesses ahead of the Walsall defeat, those very same excuses got more air after their most recent draw against Newport County. If Crewe Alexandra are determined not to feel sorry for themselves, they remain somewhat focused on their spell of bad luck!

Still, there are green shoots of recovery. Chris Long returned to the first team and scored against Newport County, and Elliott Niven also made a cameo off the bench. Together with Courtney Baker-Richardson, that is Crewe Alexandra’s 3 top goalscorers all seeing action, and Lee Bell would no doubt love to unleash that firepower on Bradford City on Monday.

Bradford City, however, boast an even more prolific goalscorer in 10-goal Andy Cook, who despite drawing a pair of blanks at home recently, still bristles with danger anytime the ball finds him in the penalty area. Indeed, Cook could have won the 0-0 stalemate against Stockport County with a quality effort that was brilliantly denied by opposition stopper Ben Hinchcliffe. With Tyler Smith having made the most of cup competition to emerge as Cook’s regular strike partner, there is also the added element of Vadaine Oliver breathing down both strikers’ necks from the bench – never a bad thing!

There is, though, the key loss of Jamie Walker and his deputy-of-late Alex Pattison, who finds himself ruled out for a few months. While the prognosis was better for Walker, it will also be a matter of weeks for the Scot. These absences have affected Bradford City’s performance and must be considered ahead of a clash against another top half side trying to come back to form.

Still, under Graham Alexander Bradford City have been sharing out the goalscoring. Brad Halliday helped himself to a rare goal against Morecambe, as did Clark Oduor. Against Forest Green, Matty Platt also scored, and has had opportunities since while attacking corners.

Set pieces, then, look to be a major danger for the Crewe Alexandra defence. With the likes of Platt, Cook and (later in the game, perhaps) Oliver ready to cause problems from corners and long throws, Crewe’s rookie goalkeeper and somewhat susceptible back line will have to be at their very best to deny Bradford City in front of goal. It seems likely Bradford City will score, but with Crewe’s busy and pacy attacking style, they too are likely to have their say in the goalscoring stakes.

Expect both teams to score, and a draw might be the most likely outcome with key players absent for City. Bradford City haven’t looked the same without Jamie Walker, and while Clark Oduor can cause problems, Walker’s non-stop involvement has been a key factor in City’s high press and attacking success. 1-1 will be the pick, but perhaps City can nick a winner from a set play.

PREDICTION:

Crewe Alexandra 1 – 1 Bradford City