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

My major concern with regards our home games is the pitch, we've seen when it's not been heavy we can mix our game up but if it deteriorated with even more rain and cutting up it offer us little advantage as the home side.
And during our resent good run out of the 7 games we have played 5 teams who were above us, even Crewe were above us yesterday.

 

Walker has blown hot and cold (injuries played a part) while he's been here but he's crucial to our success at present. The problem with playing a fixed system is that when you remove a component part then the machine breaks down. Unfortunately Oduor hasn't quite stepped up, despite showing glimpses of being a talented player. I still think Pointon could do a job in the Walker role.

 

Well Broncs, we play another above us on Saturday. We owe them after the lamentable first game of the season but they and Tranmere seem to be the form teams all of a sudden. I haven't seen the forecast but after the journey home last night and hearing the rain battering down nearly all night, I wonder just how many games may be off.
I understand the pitch had recovered well after Stockport but yesterday was, yet again, extreme weather.
I hope GA has given the lads two days off, fitness won't be the issue, just fatigue.

 

Hey, I'm not happy unless I'm miserable ....

 

I was as sick as the rest we didn't get anything at Crewe, even given it was not a great game by either team we deserved at least a point but football can be a cruel game aswe know if you don't take your chances (we had 4 on target yesterday) then you've every chance of coming home empty handed.
Good to hear Alexander has given them a couple of day off to help recharge the batteries, the disappointing thing to me yesterday was the poor service we got with regards free kicks corners etc Smallwood who had looked a different player under Alexander during our recent run was shocking don't we have another player who can hit the ball within a 5 yard area, anyway lets see what the first week of the transfer window brings hopefully a few loans who have hardly figured returning to the clubs and maybe having a few bob to strengthen if Alexander has players in mind.

 

I think Tomkinson might be worth a try on free kicks. Plus wasn’t Young good on set ball play?

 

Not sure with regards Young, Tomlinson being a big lad I would prefer him to be in the box, but it looked like yesterday Smallwood continued taking them until he got one right, it certainly wouldn't harm having another player who could also take one, but it's not good that a pro footballer can't consistently hit a ball within a certain area, I get it you need to mix it up but not for the first time the majority were wasted yesterday IMO.

 

Yeh, I was spot on about Bowen. Recognised a quality player in the Championship and is now an England regular and doing exceptionally well in the Premier League.

Meanwhile, your boy Jesse is done and without a club aged 31. LOL

 

It’s really heavy rain in most places Dave and has been for weeks and weeks.

Sainsbury’s delivery driver said this morning he’s been back home in Lincs this Xmas and never seen as many flooded fields. They don’t have spate rivers like in Yorkshire, neither does Norfolk and everywhere is really sodden here too. It started raining here last night at 6 and it’s still heavy now and has been all night.
It will take many weeks for soils to dry out , I expect you are right…VP will be difficult to say the least for the foreseeable ?

 

He did it for the last 20 minutes when he saw we'd created very few clear cut chances all match. Their keeper is a rookie who kept his first clean sheet yesterday. We failed to put him under any pressure despite all the hoofs up the pitch.

In terms of rotation, I mean stop flogging the players. It's an almost impossible ask to ask central midfielders to play 4 games in a short period of time. He could have taken off one or both of Smallwood and Gilliead at Doncaster or made some changes in the last 10 minutes against Stockport. The lack of quality in the Crewe match was somewhat down to tired players making poor decisions through fatigue. That's where I blame him.

He needed to work out a plan to get his first choice 11 (from fit players) playing as much as possible but also giving a few of them a break.

 

I didn't think Oduor's left footed efforts were bad. Problem is when you're a youngish kid trying to get a run in the team and the captain comes over and says "play it short", it's very difficult to tell him where to go.

There will only be a change if Smallwood says he's stopping doing them - unlikely because he either feels a sense of responsibility or is stubborn - or Alexander has to tell him to stop.

 

I don’t….Its been tried hasnt it and subbed after 45?
Send him on loan to learn the trade of a left wing back, that’s his go to in the future imho. He’s got the forward skills to cross and bomb up and down, he just needs to learn the defensive side of the role to replace Ridehalgh ( which won’t come soon enough?)

Height and heading ability becomes less of a problem in the role.

 

I feel he can play that role as well but unfortunately I don't think Alexander sees it that way.

 

Though Odour did really well against Morecambe the Stockport game was always gonna be tpugh going on where they are in the league and how bad the conditions that night .......... i thought he did ok during the forst half yesterday but god knows what hes supposed to do when the ball is getting launched over his head rather than playing it to his feet

 

Playing the way we now do it’s difficult to maintain the intensity over so many games in quick succession. I think we will have a good 2024. Not sure whether we have given ourselves to much to this season or not time will tell. Let’s see what impact Young has I still think we need another number 10 style player.

 

Or 8

Seriously an able deputy for the Walker / Pattison role , agree.

 

It was a dire game but I think we gave it a good go, so its not a result I got angry about - c.f. morecambe away etc.

how long are Richards and Walker out for? Both were missed on NYD.

I hope Young integrates back into the group ok and we utilise him. The last few games haven’t gone to plan for Smith, so it wouldn’t surprise if Young came straight back in (if he’s fit).

 

Good news