The Voice - Match preview Gillingham vs Bradford City Saturday 16th December 2023 @ 3:00pm

Where would he play, and who would he replace ? Can't put him in instead of Halliday or Richards, he's not striker in the same sense as Smith & he's behind Walker & Pattinson for the 10 slot. He might have potential, but lets not make him the new Messi when shoehorning him into a team that have won five on the spin would unbalance it. Let's just accept GA's assessment, because so far it's working.

 

You are missing the fact that we lost four on the trot with him in the team and have won five on the trot with him out of it. Yes he has potential, but at this point he doesn't fit the set up and that is the most important thing.

 

Just watched the extended highlights - how Halliday doesn’t get sent off for two-footing one of their players I’ll never know. Lucky boy.

 

There's no "shoehorning" to be fair. People are just suggesting that he's a better option than the likes of Derbyshire and Osedebe from the bench.

 

Two footed? Did I miss this challenge?

 

Was difficult to see clearly on i follow but at the time I thought he had dived in and left the ground doing so and was expecting a straight red. Wasn't typical halliday that's for sure.

 

Definitely. It is evident in his movement on and off the ball that he is far classier than League Two, he's very Cullen-esque.

Bobby Pointon will play at a much higher level than Walker and Pattison - 100%

 

Yes, points taken.

Having analysed GA's squads - the first two matches against Barrow and Notts in which we lost, Pointon started.

Since Pointon was hoisted off at HT against Notts County we have looked a transformed team, for the better. There is no need to change a winning formula.

On a side note - due to various commitments/reasons i've not actually seen or followed much of any of the past 5 matches (the last I watched was the Notts game) so I wasn't quite sure what had happened to alienate Bobby but it does make a little more sense now.

 

No idea. It’s in the extended highlights.

 

I would like to know this too. Pointon looks out of favour but Chapman missing was a tad perplexing.

Derbyshire made the bench, is GA making space on the bench for that 2nd striker in anticipation for he new year?.............

 

I would have Pointon on the bench over Osadebe and Derbyshire - that's for sure.

 

TBF folk said the same about Reece Staunton. I also remember Reece Burke was going to be a future England captain.

I like Pointon, and he looks a decent footballer but far too early to say he will play at a higher level. At the moment he gets on my bench - but not in the starting 11.

 

I don't think it's 2 footed as his right boot is on the floor when making the challenge but he goes over the ball and lunges in, he's fortunate he missed Williams here as I think that's all that saves him. I thought it was a bad challenge when watching live and couldn't understand why Bower was say it wasn't even a yellow card, watching it on a replay he is very lucky. If that is the other way around I think we are wanting a red card

 

Totally agree. He's got potential but to say he will be better than Walker is a tad premature. At this point he looked decent in a poor team and is worth a spot on the bench, but current results dictate he shouldn't start.

 

Williams is a diving little cheat, players like that are always susceptible to a nasty challenge as it’s human nature to get wound up by little cockwombles like him when your adrenaline is sky high. I loved Halliday’s tackle and 10 year ago there wouldn’t even be a discussion of a red, it’s such a soft game now even lower down.

 

It seems (unsurprisingly) that Alexander sees Pattison as the attacking CM cover for Walker. And he sees Osedebe as the late ‘chaser down’ because of his pace. I guess the only way Bobby gets on the bench at the moment is if GA wants an option to change the formation, with an extra midfielder or wide man, when chasing a game. You certainly wouldn’t bring him on to shore up a winning position.

 

I think the best thing for Pointon is to go out on loan in January.
Right now he needs to get more experience and it's probable he won't get that with us for the rest of this season.

 

Probably, too busy staring at Cooke’s buns, lustfully.

 

The problem we had under Hughes is that the midfield pairing were expecting to do too much, they weren't allowed to play their natural game. If the roles of Smallwood an Gillead is to cover ground, protect the back line, break up play an keep things ticking then its a decent pairing for this level. If they are then expected to be the main chance creators in the team, we have a problem. Thankfully that burden has been taken primarily off their shoulders

 

In regards to the loans, I think its safe to say we need to send back Afoka an Tulloch. Tulloch doesnt fit into the system an Afoka has been pretty shit. Remove Derbyshire, Mcdonald, Ridehalgh from the wage bill.

As far as forward options go, come January, Young will be back so thats enough options for those 2 spots.
In regards to the wings, Chapman, Pointon, Wilson is enough, with Osadebe as a "super sub"

Maybe Odusina an East can come back an be squad fillers, who knows. Either way, we should free up enough funds come January to bring in one quality player