The Voice - Match preview #6: Walsall vs Bradford City Saturday 14th September 2024 3:00pm

You’ve been trying to prove your point about Baldwin since the summer and I agree that Byrne is just an ordinary league 2 centre back but without the injuries we’d have had at least 2 more points with a back 3 of Baldwin, Byrne and Kelly keeping fit. However when all are fit I’d replace Byrne with Diabate. Shepherd is nowhere near good enough I’m afraid.

 

Baldwin looked competent until his injury.

 

Any sta

i must have missed Kav being out of the team injured. I thought it’s because he can’t hit a barn door with a banjo, and runs around like a headless chicken (bantam) for most of the game. Dropped not injured. Perhaps I’m wrong.

 

Definitely been out injured, set to resume training tomorrow

 

My lad mentioned this yesterday about how we always seem to be such slow starters with a lethargic first 45 minutes. Most games this season you could be justified in asking for subs at half time.

 

Bobby had 3 goals in 4 games at the end of last season/start of this and that’s with only starting 2 of those games. His goal/assist ratio in his last 10 games has been up there with the best at the club, despite not getting the starts they do. He shouldn’t be compared to Oliver but Oduor since that’s whose position he’d take. I know which I’d rather. Oduor had one decent game against a kids side and people were creaming over him. He’s poor and an impact player at most.

 

And Byrne. This isn't just about Baldwin no matter how hard you try and twist it but yes, neither of them are good enough and imo Kelly would also only be back up in all 3 of the automatically promoted teams last year.

 

I feel it comes down to two things;

1. The players in the first XI aren't creating loads of chances. Walker has done well with two assists recently. Cook needs to be in the team right now. Sanderson is scoring. Build the forward line around those and rotate the others to find who clicks with them.

2. Players always get better on the bench. And while those on the pitch aren't 8 or 9 out of 10 every week then there will always be a clamour for changes.

 

Agree with you and I've been banging on about this for ages. We don't create enough chances. Now the bigger problem this season is that the team looks completely unbalanced away from home in having 4 forward players plus 2 wing backs and massive spaces in the middle of the pitch for teams to exploit.

MK Dons was a bit odd with two early goals but we were outplayed at times, Grimsby and now Walsall were the same with them playing right through us.

GA has started the season with some poor decisions - the set up of the team (as above), players not seemingly in form probably due to a lack of pre-season playing time, leaving Walker on the bench when he has been our best player, odd timing of substitutions. He needs to switch things up in the next away game but the next home match wont be easy. Wimbledon play to the final whistle and score late goals. It's been a poor start really.

 

An excellent post which is a good summary of where I think we are as a team. There a glaring weaknesses in the way we line up especially away from home. Yesterday and last week a prime example where we struggled to get out influential attacking players into the game. At Walsall we struggled to get the wingbacks up field which saw Walker and Oduor taking up wider position further forward, isolating Smallwood against quick nimble midfielders. You cannot leave Smallwood isolated like that, it means Walker and Oduor see very little of the ball and throws out the balance at the back
Yesterday it was simple balls over the top of the defenders, it all feels so clunky and forced. I'd much prefer us to go with a back four as our wingbacks aren't really 'wingbacks' and it shows. I'm not throwing my toys out of the pram just yet but I never come away from a game feeling the wow factor. Just a team that grafts but ultimately has no real stand out features other than chance starved Andy Cook.

 

Agree with some of that, however, it hasn't been a poor start. We are currently 7th and but for the officials missing the one that crossed the line against Salford, we would be 1 point off automatic spot.

I certainly agree that we must do better, the concern now is coping without 4 injured defenders and a change of formation to accommodate the injuries.

 

In terms of points it's an ok start, but in terms of performances it's been poor

 

The points are the points. Can't argue with them. My point on it being a poor start is about GA and his tactics. We haven't really deserved to have any more points than we have got. OK, we could have got a draw at Walsall but equally we might not have won at MK Dons.

 

It's possible we're now good at home and crap away.

 

Or just bang average, and its a small sample size.

 

Not convinced by that one unfortunately. We haven't as yet played a half decent side at home - that changes next week. Away from home we now really look like a team that can be got at. Vulnerable defensively and limited going forwards.
The saving grace is that overall it's a shocking league, so we will pick up points. The question is will we get enough to sneak into the top seven over the season? We should be looking for so much more than that though.

 

Any statto out there that knows who’s been the longest currently in our division (continuous stretch)?

 

I believe it's Newport, 12 consecutive years since promotion back from non league

 

Having listened to the post match interview and comments on here I thought the referee must have just moved up from non league. Surprised to learn that he has refereed a Premier League match earlier this year.

 

Whether or not a referee gives a penalty or free kick or decides on a red/yellow card is always subjective at this level without the aid of VAR but what they should get right in all cases are the laws of the game and the directives given to them from the governing bodies.
There were many occasions yesterday where their players went down ‘injured’ and the referee stopped the game. This happened whilst we were in possession on the attack.
The rules state the referee should only stop the game in the event of a head or serious injury.
Players are now exploiting this inconsistency by simply falling down and staying down until the game is stopped.