The Voice - Match preview Stevenage vs Bradford City Saturday 11th February @ 3:00pm

My first game of the season I’ve been to.

Majority of the first half was poor, and even at times in the second half, we insisted on passing it into an empty space with an opposition player nearest and no City player in sight.

Other than that I thought we deserved the win. Wasn’t hopeful as I thought their first goal was poor so figured it would be one of those days but was pleasantly surprised.

 

There was a brilliant bit where he was put under pressure and everyone was like "kick it", "clear it" etc and he just nutmegged their forward through to Stubbs who passed to Halliday and everyone was like "oh, that was quite good actually"

 

I think any team that’s managed by that fat fu@kwit and his odious assistant is going to have fans that have these sort of thoughts.
This fans thoughts seem particularly offensive but when you are listening to Evans’ “woe is me” interviews every week some of his more extreme views are bound to rub off on the more impressionable fans.

 

Nope that’s perfectly valid. Never said we did play well.
A game is played over two halves though. And moaning after the fact is a bit pointless.

But ultimately results are what matter not the performance.

 

Yes, I agree, and am as guilty as anyone else.

Football is an emotional game, but there are limits to how mad we should be getting halfway through a match, or after a couple of games without a win.

Right now this City side needs to find some consistency, because it's not about tactics or being good enough, it's about avoiding dropping points where we don't need to/shouldn't be.

 

When Critchlow is fit, he'll come back in. So that means someone has to drop out and I've a feeling it won't be Stubbs, because he's a better defender.

Platt's been fine, but Hughes is showing a nice pragmatic nasty streak - if the team can be improved then unfortunately he'll drop that player, as seen by his comments about Banks.

 

LOL!! All managers are similar. Hughes hasn't raged against a penalty given against us, which was arguably as soft as any given against us.

 

Im glad the new signings have shown their worth, when many had written them off

Clayton isn’t a world beater, but he provides something different to what our current midfielders do, an it was somewhat of a missing piece in our system

Stubbs is a fantastic defender. His main issue is that he can’t stay fit, but when he is fit, he’s head an shoulders the best defender at the club.

I also don’t think it’s a coincidence that we happened to win our first game after going behind today. The signings of Stubbs, Clayton & Derbyshire play a massive role in the dressing room an it clearly had an effect on team morale

great win today. roll on tuesday

 

I rate Platt, never indicated that I don't. I also like Banks. But you can't play them all.

Platt is limited when having to move out to his right and that's vital for giving the overrun Halliday protection. Critchlow, does this naturally on the left and I bet Stubbs does. Anthony O'Connor was also excellent at that, as he played RB once of twice for us, if my memory service me correct.

It's what's needed. The shape has changed from and the defence cannot just occupy their own zone, as the full backs have to join the attack and so the central defenders need to cover their positions, with the extra man in midfield dropping back etc.

 

Whats he said about Banks?

 

Stevenage have now 1 win in 4, with a couple of games they should have been winning. I think they are vulnerable to a run from us Stockport or Mansfield who all have the teams to close that gap.

 

Yeah, their number 18 stopped Cook from a kick/punch

 

They are all a set of robbing bastards

 

And the moronic fan from potential jail time.

 

A run from us!

Mate we are 8th and in no position to say we will go on some kind of run at this moment. They’re 11 points ahead of us. Don’t be silly!

It really is a game at a time for us.

 

Got in at 8pm.
Great day and a great result.
Like I've predicted before, our football works for some matches and in some it struggles.
To say it's our 4th double of the season and we are only 5 games past half way.
It would have been 5 if not for a late equaliser last week.
I think we will be too good for Tranmere on Tuesday.
If we can reverse our defeat to Barrow earlier in the season then we are looking good for the run in imo.
The new players, Clayton, Stubbs and Derbyshire give us some solidity.
Great finish by Derbyshire today shows what quality he has.
As I've said before as well.
We are in a great position table wise, players returning from long term injuries.
Games in hand.
Really optimistic.

 

Just got in myself . Great day . Rubbish first half but really enjoyed the second . Win the next 2 we’ll sell out donny . Stevenage is a rubbish place for a pint but the club house was good . We’re going to sneak up aren’t we

 

It was Michael Bostwick.

Not a player I'd be wanting to get on the wrong side of, and fair play for sorting that fan out.

 

It was more the highlighted comment I disagreed with "And people still whinge as time goes on I get less and less interested in this “forum” just full of people with a default setting of whinge ".

Fans post as the game is in play and comment as they see the performance and the game unfolding, most were in agreement (to varying degrees) the first half was poor, I thought and posted I thought it would take a change of personnel at half time to get us back in the game.
Hughes went with the sme 11 and they rose to the challenge the same fans who gave their opinion on the first half praise the second half performance, I was delighted the players were capable of bringing the points home but that does not distract from criticism of their first half performance IMO.
Certainly at this stage of the season its more about getting points than being entertaining, if the team get the 3 points the performance becomes secondary, looking forward to a dire game Tuesday night and bagging all 3 points.