The Voice - Match preview #13: Cheltenham Town vs Bradford City Tuesday 22nd October 2024 7:45pm

Happy to accept the opinion but I wonder if there's any stats out there to show how many good chances we give up in a game to see if I'm quite close or miles out with my thoughts.

We've improved slightly of late but over the season I think we've been very lucky not to have conceded quite a few more than we have.

 

That's not what he said though is it Kev?

YOU are putting certain age restraints / restrictions to prove your point. It was about buying players that would not only be able to play at the current level (league 2) but would also be capable of playing at that next higher level (league 1) so not needing a complete overhaul if promotion achieved... i.e. forward planning......

 

I started the topic and said it was about the moment and getting out of the current league , I did not mention playing in the Division above. Unless there is a bottomless pit of money , which was inferred in the response , it won’t happen with limited squad numbers hoping players eventually come good . So yes I put an age on it….remove it , and the question doesn’t change at all?

 

It wasn't that long ago Ryan Sparks talked about that being our exact recruitment plan. Bringing in players good enough to climb the leagues with us or some such crap. It was after the window when we'd just brought in the likes of Vernam, Crankshaw, Rowe and Foulds, so that turned out well.

 

He's done well recently but overall there's something slightly weak about our defence and it may be the wide centre backs being too far apart from the central one or it may be that we only have Smallwood as a central midfielder. Whatever it is, there's been times when we've fallen asleep, like Miller's non-goal the other night, or we've just been played through the middle of. It will be interesting to see how we go against Donny and Port Vale - more confident teams that will look to attack with a plan.

 

I think it would be fair to say Ryan Sparks planning on recruitment leaves a lot to be desired.

 

Of course it was nonsense, yet people fall for it……It would be a decent plan ONLY if there was cash to back it up , otherwise it’s young uns on the cheap filling squad places leaving a team with a weak squad or a squad of top quality L1 players costing a fortune.

Fortunately the squad back up this time has seen us climb to 5th despite the mounting injuries and short term illness which can happen to any club. No way on earth would that happen with
“ improvers” like Wilson, Foulds , Crankcase Vernham andSutton filling squad positions without the financial resource.

With most clubs it’s for the here and now because only 10% can afford the financial outlay and the rest just pile up debt…….back where I started.

Never fall for the spin without looking at the words!

“ Competetive” is the best!

 

Interesting as I was just wondering similarly and posted a view about the chances we give up.

 

The weakness is when the wing backs are slow getting back or beaten for pace , Halliday case in point or non commital in Wright. They are the ones who expose the centre backs by pulling them out of position. (Imho)

 

You can only do it with financial backing as we alluded to yesterday. That or strike it lucky like Crawley ( Hats off they did well btw)

 

I don’t want pie in the sky planning. I want a solid plan and how much it will cost us, so we know what we are doing. ATM it is still haphazard, but I know we are still suffering from previous errors. I most certainly do not want PR planning, tell the fans this because it looks good. The one thing that has turned me right off this club is the lies and misrepresentations of what is actually happening.

 

If there are any weak links in our defence that may have lead to presenting chances to the opposition, Is down to the wingbacks, particularly Halliday and Wright, who have left the wider center backs too exposed at times. A good example of this being the Gillingham game before Wright was substituted.

As brilliant as Halliday was for us last season, he seems to have lost a yard of pace this season and has struggled with direct wingers in my opinion.

I think a defence of Benn-Baldwin-Byrne-Shepherd-Richards is our strongest when all fit.

 

Walker and Lewis in the same sentence shouldn't be allowed. One has shipped 13 goals in 13 games, the other 27 in 13. And before anyone says that conceding goals isn't all down to the keeper, Carlisle fans were extremely vocal saying Lewis was at fault for 3 of the 4 goals that Wimbledon scored the other week. They think he is a proper calamity this season

Strange how we all see things differently, but I know which keeper i'd rather have. As I said earlier, if he was any better then he wouldn't be in L2 with us. I like Walker

 

I agree that it's a part of the issue but if we want the wingbacks to contribute in an attacking sense then we have to accept the ball into the space they leave now and again and have faith in the back three to be strong enough and positionally aware enough to defend it.

What we shouldn't be seeing is goals like against Gillingham where Shepherd has been pulled out and then our central defender of the 3 compounds the situation by chasing a ball right onto the touchline and leaving the box almost completely empty for attackers to run into.

The shape has to be much more disciplined and if it means stay narrow and defend the box when we've been countered then that's better than having the back 3 chasing balls all over the place and no shape whatsoever.

 

I mentioned in a post about Lewis' form collapsing so I'm not fussed at what he is doing at Carlisle tbh, it's irrelevant to us. We got £200k for him and in his first season he was far above what Walker is now. but as I say the point still stands, had Lewis put in some of Walker's recent performances he'd have been criticised far more, whether you like Walker or not.

 

I'll have to give credit to Byrne, he's made a big difference since coming back. Hope he keeps his good form going.

 

Would I be right in saying so far this season our CBs have scored more goals than last years CBs scored in the whole season? I hope they continue chipping in..........our smashing it in in Shepherds case

 

Agreed. It's hugely important that we get goal contributions from all over the pitch. Hopefully it continues.

 

Is that the season where we stood at the side of the pitch at Newport and Lewis came about 30 yards out and caught the ball thinking he was still in the area?

I think more people only had a love in with Lewis because he sometimes shouted "up the fu*king chickens!" a few times on some kids snapchat videos. As good as he was at shot-stopping, I don't think I have seen a worse keeper for flapping at crosses and dead ball distribution. I bet 85% of his goal kicks resulted in an opposition throw in

Any way enough said, I don't want this thread to become a Lewis bashing

 

Absolutely , no issue with that Dave, but the source of the issue, ie wing backs has to be addressed , however realising the realities we can’t just blame the centre backs , whoever they may be, for the failings of weaknesses elsewhere. Yes being disciplined enough not to follow the ball is essential, I agree but very very difficult , especially at our level, however they wouldn’t have to do it if the wingbacks did their job.

Halliday isn’t the Halluday of last season and Wright…….. Doesn’t have the will nor stamina imho.