Match Thread #39: Burton Albion vs Bradford City Saturday 21st March 2026 3:00pm

Some great arguments and counter arguments regarding recruitment and away tactics. In my opinion I feel Alexander is lost as to what to do next. He chops and changes, we lose. He doesn't change, we lose. He makes 3 changes at halftime and we lose.
He's openly admitted that Bobby is playing with knocks, but doesn't give Humphrys the start he probably deserves based on his recent cameo roles. He's stubborn in his belief that we can press teams to death in the same manner we try at home. This only works for so long in a match, and once we concede the soft goals we inevitably do, we're out of ideas.
Our approach to away games should've changed weeks ago. Stick an extra man in midfield and play on the break. Let the home team take the risks not us. Frustrate their crowd with shithousery tactics. Slow the game down and play for the point in the hope you can nick a goal on the break. Unfortunately we don't know how to do this because it's not something we've trained to do. No other manager would persist with the same approach if it fails to have a positive impact. This is a fault in Alexander's make up.
Looking at the January recruitment and it's pretty obvious it's been poor. The priority being to get rid of certain players, rather than bring in players who could push us on. Keep the squad numbers up, but keep our power dry for the summer. The risk is we might not be in this position next season, nor for a very long time based on recent history.

Saying all that, Alexander has got us into a place we could only have hoped for at the beginning of the season. A few more wins should see us make the playoffs, but it has the same feel as last season where we might trip over the line rather than run through it. How he'd address the away leg though is anyone's guess.

 

Seems not.

 

I have to really laugh …..I and others flipped at some a few weeks back who were suggesting these clubs fighting for their lives would be a nailed on three points in our quest for promotion . Even more stupid , these clubs are taking and getting points from all the top 10 clubs bar Lincoln . Just look at their records . So it’s not just BCAFC .

Some fans, Hudds especially, and to a lesser extent ours, continually say “ It’s a shit” division . It’s time they and some of our fans realise “ we” are all in it , and bar Lincoln , anyone can beat anyone .

Notice that it was never classed as a “shit division” last season when Birmingham , like Lincoln were running away with the title? .

It’s a funny old game , moreso than its fans .

 

Great perspective @Kevin1954, maybe it’s the way the divisions are being shaped with the players that are at everyone’s disposal?

 

Take a look for who is out of contract at Stockport, Mansfield and Wigan this summer because that will be the crux of our summer business.

 

Crap week really. 1 point from 9. Hopefully we have a playoff place all but sewn up.

My main issue is that these away losses put more pressure to win at home. More pressure makes everyone a little bit more tense. Crowd included.

I do think we will grab 4 points away from home before the end of the season. I have a feeling we will sneak a win at Exeter and draw at Wycombe. We won’t beat Barnsley because I’m going and I’ve not seen us win away in the league in about 12 games or something mental.

Day 100 of me wondering what George lapslie does so poorly in training to even get on the bench for an away game. We have Bobby run into the ground. Sarce with his known issues at the minute which must be difficult (I’ve been through the same thing). I’ll bang the drum that Laps hasn’t ever let us down. This or last season. Albeit this season he’s played about 5 minutes.

The main thing is we payed money for him, and he was an Alexander sanctioned (at least) signing. Same with Tommy Leigh.

We have a rest now. Time to regroup and go again.

I agree with what other posters have said above, away from home let’s just become hard to beat and pickup some points and maybe a smash and grab. We’re gonna need an away performance in the playoffs

 

I remember Lapslie coming on in a few recent wins and doing his job well. Then all of a sudden he disappears. A bit like Joe Wright, had a superb December, think he was our player of the month and then nowhere to be seen apart from a cameo here and there. Add to that Pattison and Cook completely disappearing off the radar in Nov/Dec despite injuries and poor form to others...some baffling decisions.

 

It’s a stupid hypothetical question, but I wonder what we’d be saying about the team, GA and the board, if we were in 14th instead of 4th. Our league position is certainly giving everyone a pass.

 

I think the criticism is our recent form and appalling January recruitment. Worked so hard all season and it looks like we may fail at the final hurdle. Its frustrations more than anything else...we are lucky those around us are shit too.

 

Genuine question here but I wonder if any club in the league has been 'happy' with January recruitment. It feels like most clubs take a bit of a lucky dip on the odds and sods floating around between clubs in the hope that something sticks.

 

In a nutshell that how the pyramid tends to work out . Even the Prem is “ graded”, top six, then another 8, then rest appear to be “ cannon fodder” . That not this season , it’s every season. The same principle shutters down the divisions.

 

Of course, but the sooner we recognise where we are and why, the better.

 

Harping back to Hudders… They spent a £1m on a wing back who they say is L2 at best, recruited a second rate keeper to replace Goodman, let Taylor go out on loan, let Kane out on loan , both couldn’t play football, recruited two kids who are worse and now look at them. We aren’t alone and not even remotely as bad as their decisions . Oh and sacked their manager who agreed all this and recruited someone worse ( “ better”) .

 

January is notoriously difficult to strengthen and we have a history of bombing out with January signings - think the likes of Curtis Guthrie! I think we all hoped we'd bucked the trend last season when we brought players in who genuinely contributed to the run in, eg Lapslie and Aderemola.
We have been unlucky with the Jackson injury but overall it's been a shocker.

 

It’s a notoriously hard window to improve in. We primarily moved players on who weren’t getting game time and probably wanted to leave and all mainly went to clubs in a lower league than us.
On paper our window wasn’t a disaster. Most of the players came with a decent report from their previous clubs and largely played at the same level as us or higher. What has happened is that the whole thing has been managed terribly by Alexander.
The Mullin signing like I’ve said before was a decision made above him imo as he clearly isn’t favoured at all and we don’t play anywhere near his strengths. I imagine Mullin is as perplexed as the fans to what’s going on.
There was a buzz about Wheatley coming in and I like his overall play but he desperately needs a goal. It doesn’t help he’s either hooked at HT or thrown on to try and rescue the game at HT. Again bad management.
Jackson is ok.. lumbered with him till he’s nearly 35 and will be on decent wages but he’s a half decent addition.
No idea what’s happened to Sibley. Lots of games at this level and higher but has played little football for a while now and seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth. Evans is an adequate back up at CM and Ashby and White were always squad fillers and were never going to really improve what we already had.
We weren’t ever going to go and out and spend £££ on transfer fees and loans are hit and miss and are usually players that are either young and inexperienced or players that clubs of a similar level aren’t bothered about losing.
I think the squad needs a refresh in the summer across the board. Goalkeeper and an actual proven goal scorer is priority and we will have to get the cheque book out for the latter.

 

Spot on. It is hard to criticise GA given his management of the team, we are 4th in our first attempt for promotion to the championship; but for our away form we could be in the top two. Like you say a more pragmatic approach to away games is required, give them something to think about.

There are different ways of playing away from home, we sometimes have to draw or win ugly. We can save the sparkling performances for home matches.

We have to take this chance, and not throw it away. Take them away to sunny climes for a few days plus a bit extra of team bonding.

It looks like we have kept our money in our pockets ready for the summer signings. That is ok, but it came with a risk. At the moment the luck gods are with us. When we lose our opponents in the top six lose with us, but make no mistake we cannot afford to drop any more points.

 

Some talk about January like its some magic wand you can wave and all your squad inadequacies are vanished, football doesn't work like that no matter how much or little you spend. The transfer window in January is notorious for clubs letting go players they have no immediate purpose for, its then a case of seeing which waifs and strays may fit into your wanted list.
I can't disagree with any of what you have written, even Jackson who did a decent job in the little time he played, is hardly the prolific goal scorer most teams seem to have amongst their ranks. Most if not all of the other January signings will go back to their respective clubs or be let go in Evans case. Most will be classed failures when really most of them seemed to have been signed with no purpose as to how they would improve Alexanders first team which is a little unfair when rating them.
The time for proper analysis and recruitment will be in the summer, this squad despite its limitations for me has over achieved and credit to Alexander for that. But its clear our first eleven needs to be improved on next season no matter what division we are in, that will be more accurate assessment of where we stand.

 

Totally fair and accurate . It’s time we moved on from Walker for certain when you compare him to some of the divisions top keepers …mostly Prem or CC loanees ?

 

After the way we limped over the line last season I for one would have been happy to finish mid table this season with a view to kick on the following but am sure plenty on here are frustrated that last December we could see the dream, pushing for autos and were playing like a team every other club were afraid to play the January window loomed and a great chance to strengthen/not weaken the squad and mount a serious challenge to Cardiff and Lincoln for an auto spot (we were serious challengers) and yes credit to GA for that
What has happened since 90% due to our abysmal failure in the January window has left supporters quite rightly feeling a golden chance for back to back promotions has been squandered GA has to take responsibility for that also
A case of seeing what we could/should have had to now wondering if we could manage a play off spot and no confidence in us winning the away leg of the semi final, yes a mid table finish was acceptable but not when you consider where we were at Christmas
Apportion blame/responsibility where you see fit am baffled and disappointed at events since the turn of the year am sure am not alone

 

This season is for me, increasingly looking similar to the Mark Hughes 'nearly season' which saw us fail in the play off semis.
Hughes approach drew a lot of justified criticism and delivered many painful home performances, but his pragmatic style definitely delivered away from home -I think we were in double figures for away victories that season.
The first and overriding objective for an away game is to make yourselves difficult to beat. We currently look susceptible to being bullied which is happening way too often. We dont have goals in the team (even less when Sarce is missing), so we are always going to struggle when we fall behind. After a promising start yesterday we regressed badly after they scored.
GA simply has to change his approach to away games -he has 3 games to find the answer before the play offs, assuming we make it.