The Voice - Match preview #25: Bradford City vs Cardiff City Saturday 17th January 2026 12:30pm

I’ve watched it several times and I remain unconvinced. As variable as it felt that ref was, he gets to see it once.

I suspect it ‘looked’ like a collision i.e. Sarce looking for it than a genuine foul. Not really sure how anyone can say it was definitively a foul & as Cardiff fans have pointed out, they had a similar one waved away.

 

You aren't they only one and I actually do agree that it's an area we need more quality in but I don't necessarily feel that these two still don't have a huge part to play and can get back to the early season form.

Sarc in particular definitely needs more rest here and there but we also need that striking option to be better because, for much of the time, there's very few options when these two receive the ball centrally on the half turn.

 

The Cardiff one was totally different if you watch it closely as he was “ looking for it” . Neither was a pen imho .

 

Exactly as I saw it. It certainly could have been given and on a different day with a different ref it might have been. I don't subscribe to the view that it was a blatant pen though and I'm sure we would have all been up in arms had one like that been given against us.

 

GA mentioned in his post-match interview how they practice managing the ball in tight spaces, but didn't do that well yesterday - looking for a backwards pass instead. The ball then ending up for a launch towards Swan which was so ineffective and left our play looking disjointed .We need to be confident to try more in those situations and not lose momentum.

It can be risky, as the goal against Mansfield showed, but both Power and Metcalfe have the ability and strength to receive the ball and turn a close marker, opening up the game. They did that a lot more in the second-half which was key to us being much more threatening.

 

I wouldn’t disagree on overall outcome in that neither was a pen IMO - but suppose that’s also my point.

Some might look at the Sarce one and possibly say he was also looking for it i.e. made a meal out of the fact the defender was in his way (as opposed to actually fouling him).

 

It's absolutely night and day. It's been a solid two months where the play has been off. From August to Nov, we pressed like we wanted to be onto the oppositions toes...we dont close down like that anymore. We played fast and made our width and ability to stretch teams the key... we dont play like that anymore. Our strikers had balls into channels rather than head height. We put the long balls over the back line, but lately nothing is making its way over defenders.

If we've changed our style of play for a reason, then fair enough. But you dont change the basics. We set standards in the first few months, we dont let that drop. Ever. We set a standard for running, for committing men forward, for challenging. You cant let those things fall and we have.

I didnt leave yesterday's match thinking we'd seen a good game or it was a battle of two good sides. I left it so frustrated and annoyed that this team just seem to half press, half attack, half have an idea and its been getting more and more annoying as the weeks go on. We scored a goal and then didn't really have a clear cut chance until Humphrys had one blocked late. Their keeper had very very little to do all game, once again. At home, our first meaningful strike at goal was Pointon putting one over on 42 mins. You cant accept that at home, I dont care who we are playing. It was like rugby at times, playing for territory in the corners and wanting throw ins but everytime you look over into the box and it's Swan triple marked by blokes half a foot taller than him. It's brainless. Like I say, I'm more annoyed than optimistic about this teams rest of the season.

 

The annoying thing is that Swan would have been far better suited to how we played second half. I feel for him because the 45 minutes he did play was a waste of everyone's time, including his.

 

Once again great summary. I am frustrated about our change of style. If we had played like we did in September at their place we would have beat them. We need quality players.

 

Exactly. We needed Humphrys for the way we played first half. Swan was so isolated and dealing with mainly hopeful punts.

 

My main concern whilst sat in the kop yesterday was how were we going to score bar a mistake from the opposition or as it turns out a wonder strike from Jenson Metcalfe. With Sarce and Bobby having no impact on the game, we are almost reliant on crosses from out wide but with no target man as such in the box. I felt sorry for Swan being pulled at half time, personally i'd have switched to two up top with Humphrys and Swan

 

I think that's the worry. How are we trying to score? We've stopped the high press and moving the ball forward at pace, and our wide players end up with little choice but to cross into the box where we've no chance of winning a header. Or we just go long from the back with an identical result. Pretty brainless stuff, and pretty boring too.

 

I don't think we played any differently yesterday to how we've played during most of our home wins this season. Not much creativity but a lot of effort and defensively fairly solid, always find myself rating our defenders as our best players.

 

Joe Wright brought on late to try and address the issue but guess what.. 95th minute is too late.

 

Sarc had just had two weeks off,how much longer would you give him?.

 

Spot on bud Swann was left out to try but he no doubt will get pelters for it .................we look a far better team when the ball is on the floor ..........

 

That’s easy. He was a busted flush by the time we signed him. He’d lost the pace and power that made him effective in his best years. McLean was just one of a sizeable line of ‘has beens’ we’ve signed too late in their careers (file alongside McGinley, Derbyshire, Donaldson and others).

 

I thought T Wright and Bobby were both poor yesterday. I have read people saying Sibley was poor but I think he made a difference, yes he gave the ball away too often and took cheaply but what he did do was stop them on that side.
As soon as the ball went to that side he closed it down and stopped then having easy possession and time to pick a pass.
Bobby had a half decent 5 mins before half time but wasn't anyway near good enough, aggressive enough or physical enough to impact that game.
I would have liked to see Humphrys come on for him on the left and leave Swan on so we still had a threat in the middle,I'm not sure why GA doesn't try it especially when we are chasing a game but he is the boss so it's his decision.
I thought the two lads from Newcastle
looked decent when they came on but I probably would have left Neufvile on as he had come into the game and was having an impact.
We still need a big powerful forward who can chase those channel balls and win possession in the attacking areas, would be lovely if he could actually score as well.

 

If Ashby is as good as we think perhaps Neufville can play as a winger. I thought all three newbies made a difference and I think a couple of good strikers and Humphreys on the left will see us pretty good. Still .... 3rd on promotion is great no matter what happens ... ask Donny and PVfC their thoughts.