The Voice - Match preview Most liked posts in thread: MK Dons vs Bradford City Tuesday 24th October 2023 19:45

35 minute drive for me and junior.
Taking two Man Utd fans adopting them for the day/night.

 

This is one of those mid-autumn, mid-week, bread and butter games, that come May and we've achieved our targets, no-one will remember it. How we ground out an uninspiring hard fought 1:0 victory, with a deflected mi-hit shot

 

Mid-week game form is something we probably need to pick up on if we are to achieve our goals this season. Few too many draws that should have been wins, too many defeats that we should have got something from. In 2023 so far, we've had 10 mid-week league games with 2 wins, 4 draws and 4 losses. Two wins were against at the time a mid-table Tranmere and a 20th placed Gillingham.

A draw and a defeat in the two mid week games so far this season, both games we conceded in the last 10 minutes. Of the 3 defeats in last seasons 2023 games, 2 of the 3 games were again game deciding goals in the final 10 minutes, and the other was the Rochdale game with 2 second half goals. The team have a midweek trend of conceding late on that needs to change.

 

Probably some of Kev's biggest calls since his first match with Smallwood and Walker not available.

Big call on Taylor staying in over Platt as well!

 

Is this the EFL Cup? Shocking support from the home lot

 

My thoughts on that half

MK Dons look a cut above
Too energetic an vert direct
We look very exposed, both in the middle an at the back
Taylor is pushing up far too often an its leaving space at the back, an Mcdonald hasn't got the legs to cover the space
Halliday an Ridehalgh havent got the pace to get back an cover the exposed space
Lewis should of saved the 2nd goal, Didnt see what he did to give away the corner for the first
Cook is limping
Osadebe isnt doing much, needs subbing
Wilson started off shit, grew into the game a bit, but hes getting doubled up on because its taking too long to get the ball to the forwards

 

There's still a fair bit needed to change this squad around. Recruitment has been poor for a while, and a few brighter performances don't change that fact

 

Oyegoke for Pointon makes no sense especially when osadebe stays on

 

He didn't want to play but has no midfield options thanks to the hopeless summer recruitment.

 

McDonald has a bit of a dilemma really.

All season he has not looked good enough to play, he looks way passed it now and cannot see a new manager selecting him if Smallwood and Gilly are available.

So, does McDonald accept this and put in his application for manager.

One thing for sure, he was right about player-manager not been feasible

 

Bristol City were different class that season

 

If it wasn’t for Lewis it would be 8-1 now.
When you’ve got two parts of Stonehenge stood directly in front of you you don’t stand much chance.

 

It was actually worse than Morecambe.

 

The worry with Stubbs is he's 24.

You'd think he was 44 watching tonight's performance.

 

Trouble is mate, Lewis set the rot with his horrific blunder inside the first couple of minutes. A touch of the Tranmere mess up.

 

The conceding of the corner was worse than the Tranmere mistake.
It was a bog standard catch of the ball.

 

The summer's recruitment was very poor. Not one better than we've already got.

 

I’ve just had to look it up also, because I thought you two were joking. My.Good.God. I thought he was a journeyman centreback in his mid thirties, who we’d signed for his experience and know how. I’m genuinely shocked. We’re his tenth club! Even more reason to bring the American lad in.

 

Yes Much worse, we deserved a three goal defeat at morecambe, we "deserved" a 6 or 7 goal defeat today

 

A game too far?
After the Swindon game Brad Halliday spoke in the press regarding how rewarding it felt to leave the pitch at full time dead on your feet, however having won the game.

This high energy game played out at Grimsby, Wimbledon , then climaxed against Wrexham.

Tonight facing a rejuvenated Dons, spring in their step, and ‘new manager bounce’ we chased shadows the whole 90mins.

Totally lethargic mentally and physically, two yards off the pace, we under hit and overhits balls, unable to close down opposition. Unable to exploit space in their third.

MK Dons with more space to play than they ever could have imagined out Bradford City’d us.
They could not have had a better home fixture for their new manager.

Cook just growing increasingly more frustrated as the game progressed, often pointing it in the direction of Osabede at his lack of service.

Stubbs conceded a corner at 80min, no one round him, just had to make the ball dead, as he then hunched over hand on knees gasping for breath.
Taylor two minutes later hit an appalling tired back pass to Lewis, that Lewis did well to keep from going for a throwing.

Yes, City kept going trying to carry out KM’s mandate, but from the first minute it was evident it was a uphill struggle.

All Goalkeepers make great saves and Lewis has made outstanding saves in the time he’s been with us. However the yardstick between top and more average keepers is percentages, percentages of mistakes, of sometimes doing better than the average keeper. Harry is a very popular keeper with the fans, he has a great enthusiasm for the game. However, maybe he has to look at himself for some of the goals conceded, not just in tonight’s game. Is there a concentration issue somewhere perhaps? Something for him to work with Doyle on the training pitch maybe.

I’m not making excuses for tonight, I’m very disappointed at the manner in which we lost, however I’d have preferred Wrexham’s fixture tonight against Sutton , than new manager MK Dons after Saturdays marathon.

We’ve a big squad and have Sutton on Saturday, we’ll have Smallwood and Walker back after a break, Chapman back in the racks. We have a big squad, almost a second eleven beat a almost full strength Grimsby the other week, we do have a little strength in depth. If players are carrying knocks and are knackered, then it makes sense to rest them.

The high energy game clearly shows how important squad rotation is going to be, especially if we’re going to continue with this high tempo popular style with the fans.

Whatever Sparks, Rupp and co are planning regarding the direction of this club, I Wouldn’t beat KM too hard with a stick. But, having said that he must have seen his jaded players and walking wounded in the dressing room pre-match.