The Voice - Match preview Gillingham vs Bradford City Tuesday 28th February 2023 @ 7:45pm

For the question marks over recruitment, we do now have a couple of players who can change a game. In league 2, you need to be organised and the difference between those at the top and lower down is literally just one or two players that can take the game away from a team. We have that in Cook and Walker, we’ve missed both things in our previous shambolic seasons at this level and that’s why we’re in genuine contention for positions 2-7 for the first time.

 

Harris' view from last night...

Quote - "Andy Cook, who is by far the best striker I have seen this season in the division"

Queue Fordy; Harris is sh!te, he knows nothing!!

Gillingham 0 Bradford 2: Reaction from Gills boss Neil Harris after League 2 defeat at Priestfield (kentonline.co.uk)

 

Not necessarily. We could drop Smallwood or Gillead and play just one of them in the middle with Clayton and Walker supporting the two up top.

It would obviously need one of the centre backs stepping out from time to time and the full backs to play higher and take risks when in possession but it could say least see us retain the two up top and Jamie Walker.

 

Something Crichlow could do easily.

 

"Andy Cook, who is by far the best striker I have seen this season in the division had it given it to him on a plate really."
On a plate!!!??
He wasn't given the ball - he very cleverly stole it. He then had to cut in from the touchline, beat another defender and then dink it over the keeper from an acute angle. Not exactly a tap-in!

 

Exactly this. At home, against teams that just come to park the bus, we've no need of three defensively minded central midfielders. Three CBs would allow the fullbacks to get further forward and feed the Cookie Monster. Clayton plus either Smallwood or Gilliead in central midfield with Jamie Walker behind the front two. The three CBs would stop us being overrun in centre mid if, as you say, one of them (probably Critchlow) is given licence to step forward when required.

 

He said that about James Hanson

 

Thinking about something I wrote earlier….Smallwood is now playing much further upfield now that Clayton is the middle man in front of the back 4.

 

I am so glad Andy Cook is shite and does nothing else but score goals.
Harris is right, he is currently the best striker in this division, but that goal was workmanship, determination and pure class.

 

Osabede played right wing back at Walsall. His best position apparently. Gillead could do left wing back. Harsh on the two FB's at the moment but lots of games to play so mix it about

 

And in the comments they accuse us of using the dark arts.
It’s “game management” when it’s us,right?

 

We have certainly been victims of it many many times, especially at home .....

 

Why do we need to accommodate Gillead all the time? He's played 3 or 4 positions in his time here and doesn't stand out in any of them.

If we need a left side wing back let's use the actual left footed players we already have in Bola and Ridehalgh. Then, if we're chasing a game late on at least use someone who will actually cross the ball like a Banks or even Pereria instead of Gillead who will simply come inside and pass square.

 

Exactly my point in my reply to @Idlebantam.

 

Not sure how Harris could see it from the other side of the pitch but it was pure class from Cook.
It happened right in front of us in the ground.
The defender trying to shield it out but Cook nicked it from him with a Maradona spin and still had a lot of work to do to score.
I’d say it’s a contender for goal of season.

 

Undoubtedly.
I still think we make more of it than we should and ignore it when it’s us that do it.
It’s when teams come to do it from minute 1 that needs to be stamped on.
A referee will often take action in the last 10/15 minutes against the dark arts but some teams are it from minute 1 and know that no action will be taken.

But let’s not pretend that we are holier than thou when we have seen out some games.

 

And Smallwood looks better for it. I thought Costelloe was very good last night, his holdup play and control was much better but the main thing is he was taking pressure off Andy Cook with his intelligent running off the ball, something Filipe Morals was commenting on a lot on Saturday. Cook is no longer fighting a line battle up front, even with Matty Derbyshire out injured.

 

I agree. He scored a similar goal at Mansfield and Hartlepool, both not quite as good but both where he had quite a bit to do when he got the ball.

 

I thought Gilliead played well past night. You actually make a good point, he has played 2 or 3 different positions this season and that's why MH rates him higher than some of us on here.

 

The lad Ehmer who thought he could shield the ball out chased the referee trying to persuade him the ball had gone out of play, the camera angle from above was bang on and as you say no way to did the ball go out of play, but Cook still had plenty to do after robbing Ehmer of the ball his dink over Morris was quality.
That volley from Ridehalghs cross ? would have been some goal such a difficult skill to execute.