The Voice - Match preview Swindon Town vs Bradford City Tuesday 18th April 2023 @ 7:45pm

League Two Fixture #42

Tuesday 18th April 2023 19:45
Swindon Town (12th) vs Bradford City (6th)
The County Ground

Most Recent Results:

1: Bradford City 0 – 0 Carlisle United
2: Bradford City 3 – 2 Grimsby Town
3: Crawley Town 0 – 0 Bradford City
4: Bradford City 3 – 1 Sutton United
5: Rochdale 0 – 3 Bradford City

Form: WWDWD

1: Swindon Town 0 - 1 Stockport County
2: Hartlepool United 2 – 1 Swindon Town
3: Swindon Town 2 – 4 Mansfield Town
4: Tranmere Rovers 1 – 0 Swindon Town
5: Swindon Town 0 – 0 Barrow

Form: DLLLL

Head-to-Head Results:

Head-to-Head Form: DLWDW

05 Oct 2019: Bradford City 2 – 1 Swindon Town
04 Jan 2020: Swindon Town 1 – 1 Bradford City
23 Oct 2021: Swindon Town 1 – 3 Bradford City
05 Mar 2022: Bradford City 1 – 2 Swindon Town
25 Oct 2022: Bradford City 1 – 1 Swindon Town

Head-to-Head Results (All Time):

Won: 13
Drawn: 14
Lost: 16

Biggest Margin of Victory:

11 Mar 1961: Swindon Town 4 – 0 Bradford City

For Better or Worse:
First Half of the Season vs Second Half of the Season Analysis

Grimsby Town: DRAW followed by WIN
Crawley Town: DRAW followed by DRAW
Sutton United: WIN followed by WIN
Rochdale: DEFEAT followed by WIN
Swindon Town: DRAW followed by ???

Results so far: The second half of the season has seen an improvement by 4 points



Swindon Town 2022/23:
More misery for Jody Morris as Swindon Town limp towards the finish line...

When Swindon Town made the trip to Valley Parade back in October, both sides were described as 'legitimate play off hopefuls' – and a 1-1 draw did little to suggest that The Robins would fall away so badly.

In truth, Swindon Town have never really got going this season. Victories have come in 1's and 2's, seeping through amid a flurry of (initially) draws, before those draws became defeats. From September through to October, Swindon would alternate wins and losses in league and cup, regardless of whether they played home or away. In fact, there's virtually no difference between Swindon's mediocre form at home or away, and worse, things have nosedived since the departure of Scott Lindsey to Crawley Town, and the appointment of former Chelsea Assistant and Academy Head Coach Jody Morris.

Morris, an ambitious, forward-thinking appointment 'on paper', simply hasn't worked out at Swindon Town. Just 2 wins in his first 14 games, and a recent run of 9 games without a win, has seen the pressure begin to pile on Frank Lampard's former right hand man. 4 defeats in a row prior to a draw this past weekend put to bed any lingering hopes of a resurgence, and consigned Swindon Town to another fruitless season after finishing a respectable 10th place last season.

While 10th this season remains a possibility, it is becoming increasingly unlikely; and the club find themselves just 2 points above 17th place Newport County. It's damage limitation time for Swindon Town, then, ahead of a potential rebuild in the Summer months.

A possession-heavy side, Swindon have failed to make the most of prolific centre forward Charlie Austin's ex-Premier League-level talent, and Morris was even forced to explain his omission in a recent game. While Morris denied there was a rift with the joint top scorer (8 goals), the fact that Austin and Johnny Williams both played the vast majority of a 0-0 home draw with Barrow suggests Morris' tactics aren't getting the most of two of the most talented individuals in the division.

Despite 66 % of the possession against Barrow, Swindon Town managed just 1 shot on target, and were left ruing a 'clear penalty' appeal that was ultimately turned down. In truth, though the draw was not good enough for either side, with Barrow effectively eliminated from the play off race, which in itself is credit to a Swindon Town side that could easily be 'on the beach' mentally.

What will Swindon Town have in store for a rampant Bradford City side closing in on the automatic promotion spots? Well, Swindon will almost certainly try to get their foot on the ball, and make the most out of some special talents; but as they continue to misfire and underachieve, playing Bradford City at their own game is a big risk. Moments of magic could be the order of the day; but individual brilliance is as unreliable as Swindon Town's recent form. It looks, in all honesty, like an uphill task for the Wiltshire-based side.

Bradford City 2022/23:
The automatic promotion places are effectively in Bradford City's hands at last – and at just the right time?

If Bradford City needed further incentive to put in a performance at the County Ground, how about this? Leyton Orient have recently taken The Bantams' mantle as the best performing away side in League Two this season – on goals scored...

Another race, then, that could not be closer; but the one that truly matters is the race for the automatic promotion spots, and a run of 11 games without defeat has ensured Mark Hughes' men have their destiny in their own hands – AT LAST!

While Bradford City remain 6th in the League Two table, their game in hand means they can overtake the requisite 3 sides between them and promotion glory, including current 2nd placed Northampton Town – thanks to Bradford City's now superior Goal Difference. Exciting times, then, but that's not to say anything has been achieved yet. Victory at Swindon Town will continue to mount the pressure on their rivals, who are now limited to Carlisle United, Stockport County, Stevenage, and Northampton Town, as the run in promises a 5 team shoot-out for the 2 remaining automatic promotion places!

While a mouth-watering home tie with Northampton Town still looms on the horizon, the sooner Bradford City can make one of the top three spots their own, the better – and for once, the Bantams look to be playing a particular team at just the right time.

While Swindon Town flounder in a desperate search for form, Bradford City have dismissed the challenges of 2 sides both badly needing wins to keep their respective seasons alive. While play off hopefuls Sutton United were powerless to resist the Valley Parade offensive on Easter Monday, succumbing to a 3-1 defeat, Rochdale's very EFL existence was on the line on Saturday, making that an even more important fixture – and yet, Bradford City cruised to a 3-0 win, and didn't even require the now-expected contribution from lethal striker Andy Cook.

Instead, Scott Banks made it 2 goals in 2 games, and looks to be brimming with confidence – another superb Banks effort rattled the Rochdale crossbar – but even better, Sam Stubbs became the first Bradford City defender to score this season! In other words, if the club had relied too heavily on Cook in the past, the fact the goals are now being shared out much more evenly can only be a good thing. It has, after all, led to their most potent 2-game scoring run of the season, and given City fans the belief that the club really can accomplish what they have been looking to do all season.

Automatic promotion.

Highlights:

Rochdale 0 – 3 Bradford City



Swindon Town 0 – 0 Barrow



Bradford City 1 – 1 Swindon Town



Outlook:

No team sat midtable should be overlooked or underestimated, but the way things are going, this Tuesday's tie with Swindon Town looks more a case of 'if Bradford City play to their potential, they will win' than anything else. Of course, Swindon Town's 0-0 home draw with Barrow is potentially a building block, and the start of a fresh run of form – but there are friendlier-looking fixtures than entertaining the division's joint-best away side after 9 games without a win.

Still, Swindon Town have some quality in their ranks, and not just in the form of Johnny Williams and Charlie Austin. Rushian Hepburn-Murphy and Saidou Khan are tricky customers, while Jacob Wakeling has netted 7 goals himself this season.

Expect Swindon Town to play possession-oriented tactics in a 4-3-3 formation. Expect the majority of Swindon's threat to come from the wings – either from the widemen cutting in, or from crosses towards Austin. But expect the same from Bradford City, too, as Scott Banks and Harry Chapman find their form at just the right time. In midfield, someone will need to keep tabs on both Williams and Khan, while George McEachran can expect company for the majority of the game from a rejuvenated Richie Smallwood.

In short, expect a competitive, back-and-forth game, but one that could well swing Bradford City's way if they can starve Swindon of the ball, or expose the holes in the Town backline that Walsall exploited no fewer than 4 times recently. Expect, in short, chances for both sides; but if recent form teaches us anything, it's that The Bantams look to be packing more of a punch at this stage of the season, and will be eyeing plenty more goals at the County Ground.

While a 0-0 or a 1-1 isn't out of the question – and while the season will inevitably provide a few shocks, even for high-flying Bradford City fans – the likelihood of a shock Swindon Town win would be very much against the grain for both sides. That said, another away win for the Bantams is the more likely outcome, and with Swindon struggling for goals (as well as points), City might just be playing them at the perfect time (if such a thing exists).

Odds:

9/4: Swindon Town
11/5: Draw
5/4: Bradford City

Predicted Outcome (THE VOICE):

Swindon Town 0 – 2 Bradford City