Bradford City manager Graham Alexander believes his squad’s mentality is the key reason behind their recent upturn in form.
The Bantams have recovered from a run of poor results between late October and early December, where they were winless in six League Two fixtures. They have lost just one of their last six in the league whilst also progressing to the EFL Trophy quarter final last night with a 3-1 win over Aston Villa under-21s.
This has seen them move to eighth in the table, one place outside the play-off places. Doncaster Rovers sit in seventh, two points better off having played a game more. Perhaps more importantly, the tight nature of the fourth tier means that Bradford are also just four points off the automatic promotion spots.
Alexander Impressed With Mentality
There have been several additions to Alexander’s squad since the transfer window opened on New Year’s Day. The likes of Brandon Khela, Tommy Leigh and Michael Mellon amongst others have arrived, but the manager is pleased with how they have integrated into the squad. Speaking to The Telegraph & Argus, he said:
“We need a fully-fit and competitive squad and one that’s motivated – and that’s what I’m seeing.
“We changed the team over the Christmas period and it kept on winning. We changed it again slightly last night and we won again.
“There are good signs that the squad is forming a real bond. It takes time to do that when you introduce new players.
“If we stick together and show the quality that we’ve got and add that to the mentality, which is probably the most important thing we need to have in our armoury.
“Do that and we’re a very good team and a very good squad.”
Writer’s View
Bradford are hoping that this will finally be the season they get out of League Two. After suffering relegation from League One in 2019, the Bantams have consistently under-performed, making the play-offs just once. They are certainly looking capable of at least securing a top seven finish. The loss of talisman Andy Cook earlier this month was a huge blow, but Alexander will be confident that the temporary signing of Mellon can accommodate for some of those lost goals.
