The Voice - Match preview Walsall vs Bradford City Tuesday 7th March @ 7:45pm

Bang on!

 

Yes if course we shudda won! We didn’t lose. Move on.

 

Yup

 

Tv pundit recounts his knowledge!

 

All eyes on Stevenage now, back-to-back home games starting with... Walsall on Saturday! Then Crewe.

The 2 draw specialists, let's hope Stevenage max out on 2 points from the pair of games.

 

Apart from Carlisle we have a very very easy run of games right through till the last few now. It's completely in our hands.

 

Good point, those saying it isn’t should see that they’ve drawn to most the top teams in the league including Orient and Northampton.

It was a frustrating game to watch however as all their chances came from our sloppy play and I felt we were only ever two or three good passes from cutting them open, which unfortunately never came. Shame though Cook’s header didn’t squeeze in and everyone on here would be on cloud 9 after another great 3 points, fine margins.

Lewis wasn’t troubled at all despite having saves to make, they were a mile out and someone of his ability can save them in his sleep, his kicking was really poor today.

Walker had two chances better than anything Walsall produced on the edge of the box and made them look difficult. Don’t get me started on Banks’ free kick at the end. Had Smallwood done that he’d be getting run out of town.

10 points from them 4 games is a fantastic return, but I think it’s time to freshen things up, it’s not reactionary to a decent point but the players do need a rest now and again. Shame we didn’t battle for a point against the likes of Colchester and Barrow away and Rochdale at home and we’d be joint second now, so points are useful when you can’t win.

 

Tired legs tonight, thought it needed a couple of new starters, but the adage is don't change a winning team.

On reflection, a pretty poor performance, solid defensively against a powder puff attack yet created nothing of our own either.

Don't see what Costello brings to the table at all, people bang on about his movement but movement is no good if all you are going to do is run into the nearest person when you have the ball. His last 3 performances, are below standard and he needs a spell out of the side.

Brad Halliday, have you ever known a city player touch the ball as much as he does every game? I just wish we gave him some sort of plan for when he does have it. That's not a gripe against him as such, but if we are using him as the outlet then there needs to some idea of what we are going to do.

Stubbs and platt strolled through that, Walsall's efforts were meat and drink to them two, aside from a few great balls in from their 10, we didn't look troubled (apart from pissing about ourselves)

Midfield got bypassed by some quick younger lads at times, which could have spelled danger but thankfully Walsall weren't very good.

Not sure on the Smallwood left experiment, seems a waste having him so wide all the time. If that's the way we are going to play you may as well have a winger there

 

A tweak to the playing squad needed, or just more time for them to learn to play, all the time, the way Hughes wants them
to? I'm more inclined now to think we will end up in the playoffs (at least), and if we don't go up this year, we should -- barring injuries/players wanting away -- be title contenders next year, not just promotion candidates. The idea that next season is the proper one, this one is the preparation, may not be all that far-fetched. Still, I'd prefer the promotion this season...

Excellent away record, on pace for best defensive record in our history -- these are signs of a good team. The home record indeed could be better, but if we reversed the home and away numbers we wouldn't be half so dissatisfied. It remains a problem that we rely too much on Cook to score -- and no one converts 100% of their shots -- and are not always playing in a way that gives him the best chance to do so.

When have we ever "walked a division?" We didn't even do it in that otherwise brilliant title win in 1928/9 -- Stockport only 1 point behind us. And that was unquestionably a good team defensively and an exceptional team offensively. The opposing sides have a say in all this, and they can nullify a good team in various ways: by being good, or better, themselves, by "parking the bus," by kicking lumps out of the good team...

RCB

 

Solid point lads, I’ve seen us lose to many of those types of games in the past. We were shite and still got a result away from home. If we can make a couple of changes and beat Newport on Saturday we’ll be absolutely flying!

 

Exactly what I said but I have to explain myself.

 

Didn’t you see Cook hit the bar on the radio?

 

You confirmed my point nicely thank you.

The rest is just word salad without the dressing.

 

Quite a few do.

 

It's the limitations of our midfield players when playing in a defensive mindset really.

Gilliead tracks back but made poor decisions when on the edge of their box. Smallwood with one good cross/pass and several poor ones. Walker tried to get in the game but he can't do it all himself. Costelloe has some good touches turns and runs into the right areas but his touch is poor. All that meant we created little but in this formation we're not a team who will have ten shots on goal and win three nil. Matches across the season tell us that.

 

An interesting observation...

 

Unfortunately kev, the framework isn't classed as on target. On target means saved by the goalkeeper or last defender or actually scoring.

Not sure if the rules or understanding has changed over the years, but nowadays, especially now betting companies are in involved that's how it's defined.

Given you don't get a goal for hitting the post or bar, then they are defined as off target

 

You said you were moving on? Couldnt help yourself could you. Next!

 

Cant believe this even needs explaining.