Bradford City go to Notts County tomorrow for a League Two clash that could help define the Bantams season. The reason for this is not just the result but Graham Alexanders’ assessment of his squad ahead of the January transfer window.
Having been with his new team for just over a week, the new boss has been juggling time on the training ground, with an eye on how he can improve the squad for the second half of the season. As well of course making a plan to take down County in the lunchtime match.
Alexander will be aware now that one of the first things is to try and trim down his playing staff, which is one of the largest in the division. This in turn will free up some cash for possible new recruits.
Squad Assessment
The Yorkshire Post has reported that the new gaffer has held talks with those above him at the club and that he is already preparing for a busy January. “At this stage in mid-November, certainly with me coming in as a new coach, I have got to assess players really quickly to see who can carry us forward
“Because the window will be open and there’s some players who are aware of that as well. I am sure there’s a couple of players in our squad who people might covet as well. That’s the other thing I am not aware of yet.
“So there’s all that stuff that goes on. But we are still in mid-November, so I am going to focus on Saturday as that will be tough enough!”
Sometimes it is easier to look at the squad in a matchday environment. How a player reacts to game situations, and Alexander is very thorough in his approach, so seeing his team away from the training ground will help.
“There’s always going to be negative things happen and it’s how we respond and learn from those episodes and put them into context and move forward.
“You don’t have the disappointment in training of conceding a goal after 24 seconds. You can’t re-enact that in training. It’s like a bit of a devastation (in a game) and it’s ‘come on, then – let’s see what our character and personality is like.’
“We will have more occasions like that when we are learning about the group and each individual, bit by bit and it’s all beneficial.”
Writer’s View
Graham Alexander knows how to build a winning squad. This will be part of the reason why he got the Bradford City job. A team that needs to start getting back to the higher reaches of the EFL. If he is given enough time, not always a luxury at this level, then his work ethic will pay dividends. With some solid man-management skills and an eye for flair, there is no reason why he won’t be successful at Bradford.
