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

Which is why I think we have to be realistic when we talk about getting in a 'proven' goalscorer. In terms of where we are at right now as a club, proven and experienced most likely equals past their best. We definitely need someone in that role in order to push on, but I think realistically we are most likely going to be signing someone with potential on loan. I'd love to be wrong but honestly believe that whatever funds are made available to GA this window, it wont stretch to give us a goalscorer in their prime.

 

Your right it’s almost impossible in january

 

The trouble is we don't play with wingers so it would need a change in formation for that to happen. If you play a 343 rather than 3421 that leaves the middle of the pitch very open and also if the front 3 play as wingers it leaves the striker very isolated.

 

Think he was put on due to the free kick we had sadly it was piss poor

 

You're correct but if we're gonna fire in high crosses, he should have been on 15 minutes earlier.

 

Oh for a Dom Ballard.. tremendous for Orient again yesterday, but they are few and far between for the limited funds available to clubs like ours.

 

Unbelievable performance from Ballard.

3 goals, 2 disallowed, 1 shot hit the post

 

Just watched the tv highlights. The pitch looked far worse than I actually thought it was yesterday

 

I think you forgot....
Perhaps it's stupidity?

 

I don’t think the frost covers help, they starve the grass of light and air, and don’t protect the pitch from freezing either

 

A couple on our row left after the 2nd goal,they also left before the 90 plus 6 goal

 

It's in better condition to what it normally is in January but it does start to look bald at this time of year. Maybe we could do with more lighting rigs to encourage grass growth.

 

Wow!

That's, well, that's pretty incredible.

 

Sorry if I’ve missed this somewhere, but do we know the extent of the injury to Ashby? (At least I think it was him who seemed to be clutching the back of his thigh towards the end.) It looked quite bad at the time and he seemed to hobble off the pitch. I thought he and White looked lively and not short on technical ability.

 

Preston’s looked far worse than ours on the Football league show.

 

It was, but I thought it was his calf. He was ok I think he stayed to clap the fans.

 

Dead leg?

 

Could be.

 

Cardiff blew us away for about 25 minutes. Before that we matched them. After that we looked the more likely to score.

The forward line is a conundrum hard to fix. We almost need a big lad, who has a bit of pace that can also press. I'm not sure we can afford Haaland. What did strike me was the high balls we played in, neither Humps or Swan were anywhere near and just aren't header sort of players. They need to press or be played through (Swan) and Humps is more of a tricky wide player IMO.

So I think we need a number 9

We also need a good number 10 and a good defensive midfielder, because if we lose Power to injury or suspension we're knackered

 

Metcalfe does more than his fair share defensively, a good ball winner and Sibley can fill the other midfield roll if required.
But it would be good to have another experienced DM on the books I agree.