The Voice - Match preview Tranmere Rovers vs Bradford City Tuesday 3rd October 2023 7:45pm (With Poll)

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EFL LEAGUE TWO FIXTURE #11

Tuesday 3rd October 2023 19:45
Tranmere Rovers vs Bradford City
Prenton Park

22/23 Results:

13 Sep 2022: Tranmere Rovers 1 – 2 Bradford City
14 Feb 2023: Bradford City 2 – 0 Tranmere Rovers

Head-to-Head Form: WWDLL

Won: 33
Drawn: 20
Lost: 37

Current League Form:

Bradford City: DDDWL
Tranmere Rovers: WLLL

TRANMERE ROVERS

Nigel Adkins was brought in as a Technical Director by Tranmere Rovers and to work as an advisor to rookie manager Ian Dawes. That relationship lasted little over 4 months before Dawes was given the sack and Adkins installed as the new manager. Dawes had won just 3 of 19 games in charge of The Rovers, and the 23/24 season could not have started much worse with 6 defeats in 7 league games, an exit from the EFL Cup (albeit at the hands of Leicester City), and defeat in their sole EFL Trophy outing.

The 2 bright spots on Dawes’ Tranmere record this season were a 3-0 home win over fellow strugglers Harrogate Town, and a penalty shootout victory over Barnsley in the first round of the EFL Cup. Even when Tranmere looked like putting something together after the Harrogate Town humbling, Dawes’ side managed to throw away a 2-1 half time lead at home to Salford City, ending up losing the game 4-3.

While Tranmere Rovers have looked okay going forward at times, having scored more goals than many other sides at the foot of the table (and more than Bradford City…), the Birkenhead outfit haven’t been able to plug the gaps at the other end. While top scorer Josh Hawkes (4) has scored half of his goals from the penalty spot, Connor Jennings (2), Charlie Jolley (2) and Samuel Taylor (2) have all chipped in, though the truth is only Jennings has enjoyed any sort of consistency starting 9 games so far this season.

Josh Hawkes has, perhaps unsurprisingly, come under the favour of new manager Nigel Adkins, and he rewarded his new gaffer with a brace in a 2-0 home win over Accrington Stanley in Adkins’ second game in charge – and while Tranmere Rovers have scored in all 3 games since the veteran manager took the reins, Tranmere have come away empty handed from a pair of away days at Crawley Town (3-2) and AFC Wimbledon (4-1).

Worse, Jordan Turnbull received his marching orders this past Saturday, as Tranmere Rovers squandered a fourth-minute lead and saw Ali Al-Hamadi net a hat trick.

Adkins rued the scoreline against Wimbledon, stating his side started both halves well, but the stuffing seemed to get knocked out of Tranmere Rovers when AFC Wimbledon equalised. Adkins will now seek to improve Tranmere’s dreadful away form this season, where the club are joined by Sutton United with 0 points from a total possible 15.

That won’t do Bradford City much good this Tuesday night, however, as Tranmere look to build upon their record of 2 league wins from 5 games at Prenton Park, and they’ll be eyeing up their opponents who come in with just 1 away victory themselves and appear to be suffering low confidence after a 3-1 home defeat against Grimsby Town. But if Tranmere can shut out 15th place Accrington Stanley on home soil, they’ll be confident they can do the same to a team placed just one position above them in the League Two table.

Old rival Kristian Dennis might make an appearance, though in truth Tranmere Rovers are likely to line up with 1 centre forward in a formation not dissimilar to the one employed by Mark Hughes earlier this season. A 4-2-3-1 with an attacking midfield trio backing up Jolley, and with all 4 of those attacking components having netted at least twice in the league.

Bradford City will recognise goalkeeper Luke McGee from a brief loan spell, though former Bantams left back Connor Wood has been in-and-out of the first XI after signing on a free transfer. The suspended Turnbull will be a major miss, as only 1 of 3 players to have started all 10 league games so far (alongside McGee and his defensive partner Tom Davies).

BRADFORD CITY

The boos rang down from the stands, although few remained to witness the entirety of the drab decline that saw an early Andy Cook penalty count for nothing on a grey day at Valley Parade. Mark Hughes has been there before and might not be cowed by such a reaction, but the nature of his side’s limp display following Walsall’s equaliser must be of concern to the Welshman.

2 goals from corners followed a low curling shot that, in truth, Harry Lewis was nowhere near saving. Both goals from corners were defended incompetently, and neither required much of a connection, though Walsall top scorer Freddie Draper continued his good form with a header for the third. Bradford City had nothing in response.

Much like Tranmere Rovers, City did make a bright start, and Rayhaan Tulloch’s burst from a superb through ball from Jamie Walker saw him brought down by former Bantam Joe Riley for a penalty that was expertly dispatched by Andy Cook. Cook’s fourth goal in 2 league games is undoubtedly a boon for Hughes and the rest of the City team, but Saturday afternoon was another bad day at the office for a Bradford City side that just don’t seem to be able to carve out opportunities on a consistent basis. 2 shots on target, 2 off… it’s just not good enough for a side that were awarded no fewer than 10 (TEN) corners themselves, as opposed to half the number that Walsall earned and scored twice from.

Set pieces in general seem to have been a problem for Bradford City this season, and not just corners. A perceived inability to set up defensive walls competently against opposition free kicks has also been a problem, while goalkeeper Harry Lewis just isn’t commanding his defenders in an acceptable manner. Bradford City have had just 2 clean sheets this season, and based on Saturday’s evidence, that probably comes as no surprise.

Glyn Hodges, a former set piece coach for Doncaster Rovers, just isn’t having the impact Bradford City fans might have hoped.

City’s 4-1 win over Newport County now looks more an anomaly than a building block and is only the second time The Bantams have scored more than once in a game. There is little threat from their own corner routines, and only slightly more from open play. Whether Hughes is feeling any pressure or not, something simply must change. The basics are not being done in either penalty area, and watching performances at Valley Parade has become a real chore.

THE BREAKDOWN

Tranmere Rovers: 2/1
Draw: 23/10
Bradford City: 13/10

If Tranmere Rovers are happier to be back on home soil where they’ve picked up their only wins of the season, perhaps Bradford City are also happier to be on the road away from the increasing sense of frustration surrounding Valley Parade.

Certainly, it’s not easy to play under intense expectation, and Liam Ridehalgh took a moment to mouth back at Bradford City fans in the second half of the 3-1 defeat against Walsall, which cannot be seen as a good omen. Andy Cook looked despondent as the game got away from City while he was provided almost no service at all in the second half, and while Walker had his bright moments, only Brad Halliday and Rayhaan Tulloch can walk away with much credit.

Watching Matty Platt and Sam Stubbs play meaningless possession football across the back line was broken up on occasion by deep-lying midfielder Kevin McDonald, but the veteran struggled overall and the midfield seemed absent entirely. Gilliead had a poor performance, and his replacement Oyegoke could be found spraying passes out of play about as frequently as he was able to hit a man. Clarke Oduor had perhaps his worst performance in a Bradford City shirt, and Alex Pattison and Tyler Smith were entirely unable to influence the game once they came on as substitutes.

There might be a team here yet, but time seems to be running out on Mark Hughes’ reign as Bradford City manager, and there just too many players consistently letting him down. Injuries haven’t helped, but as those ease, the gloom doesn’t look to be shifting any time soon. Bradford City do seem capable of laying gloves on opposition defences on their best days, but most days are drab, dour affairs with little attacking flair and no real creativity in the wide areas where the ball so often ends up.

That said, Tranmere Rovers have had an awful start to the season. 7 straight losses across league and cup inevitably saw a change in manager, and Adkins has a job on to stem the tide – particularly with a key defender out on Tuesday night. Bradford City fans might feel that, on their worst day, anyone can beat them – but average days are more important, and the average Tranmere Rovers performance this season has merited next to nothing as they sit second bottom.

The new manager bounce isn’t something City fans typically enjoy, but the stark reality is Adkins has lost 2 of his opening 3 games in charge – and while he’s yet to taste defeat at home, Mark Hughes will demanding a response from his City charges, and away many of the eyes that witnessed the dismal 3-1 defeat this past Saturday afternoon.

The pick is a narrow Bradford City win, but that in itself will only ratchet up the pressure this City side can expect on Saturday at home to Swindon Town. One-off performances won’t do it, but it’s better than nothing.

PREDICTION:

Tranmere Rovers 1 – 2 Bradford City