The Voice - Match preview #16: Bolton Wanderers vs Bradford City Saturday 22nd November 2025 3:00pm

This is the key thing. A consistent back 3 is something we’ve not had since the early part of the season. I feel the same about the midfield as well. We’ve not had a consistent CM pairing since the early part of the season with Leigh and Power. That block of 2 and 3 in the middle is really important. Getting some rhythm and consistency would be a big help IMO

 

I agree at present.

Although I think our best possible line up, as at the start of the season, is with Touray at LWB.

The thing we had at the start is two quality out-and-out wing backs. It made such an enormous difference. Then our defence crumbled into a dust of ground bone, ligaments and muscle, and ever since we've struggled to cope without Touray in the back 3.

 

I can drop him off wherever he likes.

 

Unfortunately Metcalfe hasn't quite staked his claim yet. I got a bit carried away thinking we'd signed the new Busquets. Still optimistic mind.

 

Metcalfe is On a three year contract,and he won't come into his own until next season,for now,he is learning his trade.I have every confidence he will have a good future at VP.

 

I think he has the ability to pick up the passes from Power and run forward on the half turn. Taking him off at half time can’t help his confidence, but it was the right decision yesterday.

 

I don't think that lack of confidence is a problem with him. He knows he is learning his trade and I am sure he is being well managed by a guy who has enough faith in him to spend money and give him 3 years to show his worth.

 

Metcalfe needs a run in CM alongside Power for me. He had a couple of games and did well and then was bizarrely dropped in favour of Leigh for the Burton game.

 

Yes, me and and my lad were on row N!

 

Re: Metcalfe.

He's the sort of player that if a club committed to him for a full season or two, you'd see him develop leaps and bounds despite the mistakes he'd make along the way.

This is the advantage of going somewhere like Accrington or Crewe.

There's definitely a player there, no, he's not the best midfielder in the division right now by any means, but he's also too good for us to loan out. Because of this, I'm not convinced we're going to help him develop to reach his potential. He's 21 years old. Needs to be playing week in, week out, doesn't need blooding in like an 18 year old.

 

I feel like he’s pretty much there and can imagine by the start of the New Year he will be first choice CM alongside Power. For me, they are the strongest pairing and believe they offer a difference from each other.

Ultimately, he is clearly a very talented player and one of biggest playing assets (quality, age, contract) but if we harbour hopes of Championship football in the short coming seasons, he will need to be ready to compete and that means game time.

I kind of see similarities of how GA is managing him to the way he managed Bobby’s progression.

 

Wouldn't it be great if we had a standout player in the squad who was a first name on the teamsheet. Someone similar to Cullen who was an 8/9 out of 10 most weeks. I hope Gent and Sharpe can find that player in the next window because that's what we need to maintain our position in top 6. The table is incredibly tight and some teams have one or two games in hand on us. I've a feeling the squad will settle down to a regular 15 or so names with the likes of Bryne, Kelly, Leigh, Kav and Lapslie used to give certain players a break. I don't envisage any of the above to be regular starters at all.

 

We haven’t had a consistent formation anywhere in the 11 , at anytime thus far due to injuries .

 

A lot down I suspect?

 

I think we all do, but let’s be honest his job was to stabilise our EFL standing, anything else is a bonus . I repeat again, some of the outlandish expectations on here are naive at best . The next step takes great organisation , luck and probably a decent wedge?

 

He’s been “ tried “ in several positions , culminating in last Saturdays “ experiment” . He’s young enough and eager enough and playing time will find his right position .

 

I think he'll start playing more in the coming months. So far this season, Max Power has the most minutes at CM with 1,708 in all comps. Then it's Leigh with 1,050 minutes, Metcalfe with 793 and Pattison with 691 minutes in all competitions. It felt like at the start of the season the plan was for Leigh to become the CM next to Power, but that plan has been tailing off in the last few months. We all know Pattison cant start every week either.

I reckon if you look back after Mansfield on NYD, Metcalfe will have had his fair share if not the most minutes between the 3 other CMs to Power. Worth remembering as well that he only had 32 appearances, 23 starts and 12 of those he completely 90 minutes before joining us. It's not like he was a nailed on starter at Chesterfield, Ibou Touray has already played more minutes for City this season than Metcalfe managed in the L2 campaign for Chesterfield last season. He is still very much learning his craft.

 

Yeah, £2 each league game but hey, it'll come good sooner or later

 

CHEERS