The Voice - Match preview Crewe Alexandra vs Bradford City Wednesday 3rd May @ 7:45pm

Same team but Osadebe in for Nevers. I say Osadebe because he deserves a chance ahead of the useless double act who have been occupying the LW role in the last few games.

No need to change the system to shoehorn Clayton back into the side. He'll have to wait like everyone else because Smallwood and Gilliead have been excellent since he got injured.

 

Yeah, I wouldn't bother with Clayton either.

Even Crichlow didn't walk back into the team, so I don't expect Clayton to.

 

To be fair, I'm not sure he's been that effective in the middle either.

 

Will likely be Osadebe I reckon however that will bring into play the elephant in the room the he has
been (understandably mind) bloody awful in 90% of his cameo's since his return.

Could perhaps forego a bit of width for this one, a midfield 3 of Gillead, Smallwood and Clayton, with walker behind cook and Derbyshire.

Harsh on banks, but he can always come on if we need to revert to type and would save us sticking someone on the left for the sake of it.

 

There was one cross , with his right peg , right on the dead ball line that was one of his best crosses of the season at Northampton. Defender just glanced it off Cookies head at the back stick.

Reminded me of Beagriesque type cross. It’s not shown on any highlights I’ve seen but it was a real cracker.

 

Agree, he’s not been as consistently effective since the return from the long term injury, however out wide, I’m not convinced Dave. We know Nevers is there to pin the full back in his own half, he has some pace let’s face it , if little skill, so the back is frightened to get too far upfield in an attacking capacity. Im sure he nullified Hoskins a tad , especially in the first half Saturday for that reason.



On balance it’s him , Osadebe or Costello for me.

The only other option, Gilly covers Walkers role , Walker on the left and bring Clayton in the middle, which has its drawbacks as then we would suffer with “ legs” and a lack of “ engine” in the middle ?

A conundrum which may see an unchanged side at the end of the day?

 

Hughes doesn't like changing after a string of wins, unless there's an injury we will be unchanged tonight. Just looking through the midweek form for both clubs over the season, City have had 11 midweek L2 games this season, with 4 wins, 4 draws and 3 defeats, with City currently having a 3 midweek-game winless run. Whereas Crewe have had 10 midweek league games and managed 2 wins, 4 draws and 4 defeats, losing their last 3 on the bounce.

Neither side have won a midweek game since February..... perfect time to score a 9-0 win and bring that GD to a bit more of a manageable target for Monday.

 

Surely Hughes can't start Nevers again, he has got to be more than a threat to Crewes full back so they don't make runs into our final third, he's offered little during his game time these last 3/4 games.

 

I don't fancy seeing him either, I'm just going off of Hughes trends when we have a run gathering. Like Costelloe playing about on par, maybe slightly better than Nevers, maybe, but he started 6 or 7 on the spin when our unbeaten run started in Feb whilst looking comfortably the worst on the pitch.

None of the other options have any game time either. Osadebe, Derbyshire, Costelloe, Pereira all very short of minutes, all yet to make an impact just like Nevers, but he's probably had the most minutes in him recently out of the lot. It's not great.

 

Maybe Abo Eisa on the left side, if fit? He hasn't done much for us but he is at least a proven goal threat and better than Nevers. Or Bola, who seems a bit defensively suspect but is decent going forward.
Clutching at straws here. Such a shame we lost Wright in January.

 

Dare Hughes risk Pereira, as you say all the above have had limited game time but we know Dion can open up defences on his day, trouble with Dion is you never know if this game will be his day will the real Dion Pereira turn up.
I would start Osadebe with the possibility of getting 60/70 minutes from the lad, with the likes of Derbyshire, Costelloe, Pereira available off the bench.

 

I don't think there's an obvious answer to our left wing problem for the season really. I wouldn't be surprised if Hughes just sticks to "if it aint broke" and tries not to alter the winning team. Probably last chance saloon for Nevers, as said earlier it's just reminding me of Costelloe when he had a run of being the odd one out. He had 6 starts before Hughes thought that was enough.

Raises a thought in my head for Monday, if we draw tonight. We get our 1 point needed, play offs are confirmed and automatics are officially done, do you think Hughes uses that Orient game to get minutes into our squad players to try push their way in for the play offs? Like Osadebe, Clayton, Derbyshire, Periera, Costelloe maybe even Kelly or Odusina get a run out, and gives a rest to the lads who have been playing 90 minutes for some time now? Or does he stick with the first 11 and try get as much form into them as possible?

 

Don't think he is adverse to risk to be honest.

Bola rocked up a Stockport without much training with the squad, ridehalgh came in from the blue when turned up expectedly

Then Christ knows where Hendrie turned up from Swindon, I forgot we even had him.

I suspect though periera isn't a Hughes person and we won't be seeing him again if that's the case although if what Hughes has said previously about there being no qualms and he is ready then I wouldn't bet against him being Chucked In

 

Many going in the home end

 

Rather confusingly I've just checked my tickets and it says they are for the Andrew Connolly family stand.

Is that the seated end behind the goal anyone know? That stand doesn't seem to show up on any of the away ground guides I've checked.


Edit - idiot should have actually looked on back of ticket, it is for anyone interested

 

Thankful we aren't in a Crewe situation for once in this league, with sod all to play for at this stage and all the fan talk being around who deserves a contract, makes a change! Seen a few have some worries over Crewe having some upset potential due to their home form, which is good but if you scratch below the surface it is panned out over some time now. Their last 6 home games it's 5 wins and 1 draw but that does stretch back to Feb 14th on matchday 29, struggling to read into that as transferable 'form' when they've only been at home 6 times in nearly 3 months. Looking at their last 6 games in all comps, it's such a mixed bag it's hard to read into what this team will actually offer us. With 3 wins and 3 losses where they either stick a few past a team or are getting soundly beaten.

Their manager is now in his tinkering for next season phase (don't miss that either) with their last few games all seeing a few changes and every game having a different tactic. In the Orient defeat that played a 442, Grimsby defeat they went 4231, last week at Swindon they went 433 with a sitting DM then switched to 442 to get the late win.

 

I'm hoping for all 3 points tonight Jordan, but if like you say we confirm a play off place tonight by gaining a point I would prefer Hughes to put out his strongest starting 11 we could possibly still get 4th depending on us beating Orient and Stockport losing at home to Hartlepool which I can't personally see happening but who knows or get 5th spot which will give us the away tie first, we've done well this season on our travels so hopefully we could return to Valley Parade with a draw or better to a full house of Bradford City fans cheering the lads on to victory.

 

The Family Stand - The Andrew Connolly Stand

The first area to undergo redevelopment was the decaying Railway End of the stadium. In 1992, this area was dramatically transformed into an all-seater area for families. The seating capacity of 638 also provided an extra fourteen spaces for wheelchair users and their carers. The construction of this stand also incorporated an upstairs suite, thus allowing supporters to enjoy a pre-match meal and host seminars and meetings.

A number of seats for the partially sighted and their carers are available where via the Hospital Broadcast Unit a full commentary of the game is available by using the headphone units situated at that end of the ground. The Andrew Connolly Stand will be used on some occasions by away supporters. This has been agreed by the club to satisfy the demands of travelling support in the First Division. This will only operate for certain high profile games.

 

The very fact we’re discussing which misfit out of Nevers, Costelloe and Pereira should play, kind of sums up our season. If we’d have had a little bit more strength in depth, then I think we’d be sitting pretty in the auto spots. Can add Oliver to that list too.