The Voice - Match preview #18: Crewe Alexandra vs Bradford City Saturday 7th December 2024 12:30pm

EFL League Two Fixture #18
Saturday 7th December 2024 12:30
Crewe Alexandra (5th) vs Bradford City (10th)
Mornflake Stadium (AKA Gresty Road)

Record:
Games Won: 44
Games Drawn: 20
Games Lost: 38

Last 5:
31 Aug 2019: Crewe Alexandra 2 – 1 Bradford City
27 Aug 2022: Bradford City 0 – 0 Crewe Alexandra
03 May 2023: Crewe Alexandra 3 – 2 Bradford City
26 Aug 2023: Bradford City 1 – 0 Crewe Alexandra
01 Jan 2024: Crewe Alexandra 1 – 0 Bradford City

Crewe Alexandra:
Crewe Alexandra had a rough start to the season enduring a winless run of 3 straight league games accompanied by an EFL Cup First Round elimination at the hands of Rotherham United. What’s more, Crewe’s first 3 league games saw them fail to register a single goal, while Chesterfield steamrolled them on their own turf 5-0. Since then, however, Crewe Alexandra have lost just 1 league game, and 3 total.

Now sat in 5th place, Crewe Alexandra look like real contenders for the automatic promotion spots, though draws have hampered them somewhat, particularly of late. 3 draws in their last 4 league games is slightly disappointing for Lee Bell’s side, though it should be noted 2 of those draws came against Walsall and Port Vale, the top 2 sides in the division; the other came against strugglers Carlisle United and needed an 82nd minute leveller from the penalty spot, a result that is probably their least impressive in some time.

It's also worth noting that all 3 of those draws (each was 1-1) came away from home. At the Mornflake Stadium Crewe have been superb, and recently bested potential playoff rivals Notts County 2-0. Only an anomalous 1-0 FA Cup defeat against Dagenham and Redbridge has put a smudge on an otherwise impressive home league record that has seen them go unbeaten since that early season 5-0 drubbing at the hands of Chesterfield.

Now Crewe Alexandra face down 10th place Bradford City, a team starved of recent success and for whom bitterness and resentment is at a season-long high, perhaps as a result of the 1-0 defeat against Morecambe in the FA Cup Second Round. Good news for Lee Bell’s men: the division’s top scorer, 10-goal Andy Cook, is suspended…

Crewe Alexandra already concede few goals on home soil. With just two goals shipped at the Mornflake Stadium in their last seven league games, Crewe have responded to that Chesterfield results quite superbly, and now sit 4th in the ‘Home’ league table. Should they achieve promotion this season, it will be built upon the age old premise of making their own ground a ‘fortress’.

This is a very tough assignment for Graham Alexander and his men, and keeping top scorer Shilow Tracey (5) quiet will be key to getting a result. Tracey has scored 4 goals in his last 4 home league games for Crewe, and has proven a handful even when not getting himself on the scoresheet. Ryan Cooney (3), Jack Lankester (3) and Kane Hemmings (3) have also been able to chip in, though they are the only other players to have scored more than 1 goal this season. 7 different players have each netted once, suggesting Crewe’s success this season has been a real team effort, and one propagated on a watertight defence. Take out the Chesterfield drubbing in their second league game of the season, and Crewe have conceded just 10 goals in their other 16 league games.

Key to their defensive success has been the ever-present goalkeeper Filip Marschall (17 appearances), as well as regular defenders Zac Williams (17 appearances), Mickey Demetriou (16), Jamie Knight-Lebel (13), and James Connolly (14). A fairly settled midfield featuring Max Conway, Ryan Cooney, and Max Sanders has shown Lee Bell has not needed to rely on squad depth quite so much as utilise consistent and reliable players.

Carlisle United 1 – 1 Crewe Alexandra


Port Vale 1 – 1 Crewe Alexandra


Bradford City:
Bradford City have made mediocre travellers this season with just 2 wins from 9 attempts away from Valley Parade. That has hamstrung Graham Alexander’s side somewhat and left them with a very average record of 6 wins, 6 draws and 5 defeats overall. This is a side built for this division, and in this division they look likely to stay.

The one player that has performed above and beyond once again has been Andy Cook. The division’s top scorer, and the first player to reach double figures, is now suspended as City stare down a monumentally tough-looking fixture at Crewe Alexandra.

Preparations could not have gone much worse. Tedious performances against Morecambe in the FA Cup and then Barrow in front of a bored (and distinctly undersized) home crowd have extended City’s winless run to 5 games in the league, while a win over non-league Aldershot Town in the FA Cup is their only victory since October 19. It’s now December.

Since that 2-1 win over Gillingham, Bradford City have struggled in front of goal, frequently scoring just once, otherwise not scoring at all. That Andy Cook has scored all 4 of their last 4 goals is a massive concern. He is out, and none of Olly Sanderson, Calum Kavanagh or Vadaine Oliver have looked like doing much of anything. Sanderson’s weak first half header straight at the keeper has summed up his form since Graham Alexander dropped him early season when he actually was scoring – a baffling decision then, even more so now.

All of that said, Bradford City still sit 10th in the League Two table and the season is far from over. While the top 3 is looking increasingly out of reach, Bradford City simply must maintain pace with the playoff pack, or else it’s likely there will be yet more change at Valley Parade – something that few seem to have any appetite for given the club’s propensity for failing to improve things with each (frequent) managerial switch.

Beating Crewe Alexandra, then, would be a massive statement and a huge tonic for the ailing fan base. Crewe are sat 5th, a position Bradford City fans feel they should be able to compete for, and if they can win without Cook, that would be a serious fillip and a potential springboard as we head towards January.

Expectations for the January transfer window are likely quite low. With little-to-no investment made in the Summer months, and the transfer market as competitive and fruitless as ever for most teams without serious cash, the Winter window can be a desperate time for a lot of underachieving teams. Let’s hope it doesn’t arrive with City struggling to achieve their goals this season, and that the bounce back starts this Saturday.

Bradford City 1 – 1 Barrow


Colchester United 1 – 1 Bradford City


Prediction:
Sides have been lining up to face Bradford City on pretty miserable form lately, and still getting a share of the spoils. That won’t be the case when City travel to Crewe Alexandra, despite the fact Crewe and Bradford have both been enduring a fair few 1-1 draws lately. While Bradford City’s have come both home and away, Crewe’s stalemates have been limited to the road. This Saturday, they are back on home soil where they are one of the most in-form sides.

Notts County could not handle Crewe Alexandra at home, and there’s little to suggest Bradford City will be any better equipped. Graham Alexander seems to have assembled a very average League Two side this season, and results against the top teams reinforces that view. Defeats to Doncaster Rovers (Home) and Walsall (Away) look to be indicative of City’s inability to compete at that level, while a victory over MK Dons at the beginning of the season appears to have been a case of ‘right place, right time’ more than anything else. MK Dons have since recovered from a poor start and blazed a trail right past Bradford City and many other clubs besides as they, too, look to challenge for promotion.

Now Bradford City face down games against sides like Crewe Alexandra, Notts County, Port Vale, and Chesterfield in the coming weeks, so we are likely to know for sure whether there is any hope of a promotion for the Bantams this season or not. At the moment it’s looking bleak; but a few key wins and hopes could soon be reignited.

That said, nothing seems to suggest a side struggling to score will offer much of anything at Crewe Alexandra. Sadly, the pick seems a fairly straightforward one. Crewe should win, Shilow Tracey should cause the patched-up City backline problems, and without Andy Cook, City are down to very few options up front. Not even a side particularly competent from free kicks, corners, or long range attempts, this looks like a very difficult tie indeed for Graham Alexander’s men.

The pick is a 2-0 home win – but this is exactly when good teams show their mental fortitude. There’s nothing stopping City competing if they are up for the battle.

Final Score:

Crewe Alexandra 2 – 0 Bradford City

Spoiler

Sorry for the lateness, The Voice has been suffering with cold and flu this week