By Jason McKeown (images by John Dewhirst)

Graham Alexander was livid. Watching from the stands at Doncaster while serving a touchline ban, the Bradford City manager will have really felt the greater distance he had from his players as they were soundly beaten 3-1 in the EFL Trophy.

It was an un-Alexander Bradford City display. It was a long way short of the high standards set. And it prompted Alexander to tell BBC Radio Leeds, “I want us to think long and hard about what we want to be as a team.”

And that’s an interesting challenge set by the City boss. Because by issuing such a provocative statement towards his players, Alexander is indirectly asking the question that many of us still dare not answer. Namely: what is this team’s potential? And what is the expectation for the season?

They are topics we’ve avoided because they are so difficult to pin down. And, perhaps, attempting to find the answer risks destabilising the potential we can all see.

City made a blistering start to the season, unburdened by any shackles of expectation. They reached the top of the league by September, and have remained around the automatic promotion spots despite a recent levelling off in form.

We could keep that pressure off the players by avoiding attaching any significant meaning to their league position – it’s early days, the table means nothing at this stage, don’t jinx it by saying the ‘p’ word. But as time passes and the care-free bubble begins to be punctured, the expectation mask begins to slip.

Championship football next season might still seem fanciful, but we’ve all allowed ourselves to daydream it might happen, and with it attached subconscious expectations. The logical side of our brain tells us it’s silly to be disappointed by losing a few games when you’re in such a brilliant, unforeseen position. But the emotional side of our brain…well, it’s feeling the strain of not winning for over a month. And it’s making us a little jumpy.

Hence Alexander’s angry, slightly out-of-character reaction to the Doncaster defeat. His statesman-like persona means he’s usually the calmest man in the room. Just look at this post-match interview after Saturday’s league defeat to Burton, where he exuded reassurance. After Doncaster, Alexander was unusually emotional – rattled even – as he criticised the team’s second half collapse, “We have to find our character and our personality again, because it looks really brittle.”

What this interview shows is the City boss is as worried about the drop off in form as us supporters. Whilst this isn’t a crisis – we’re second in League One! – it’s an accepted truth that City are in a slump. And Alexander’s bluntness shows there is concern within the club.

So what are the root causes of the problems, and what might the solutions be? Let’s take a look.

Confidence has dropped – and the roots may go further back than we realise

“I have to get to the bottom of it with my staff and the leaders of this team, because it crept in a small little period of…the Barnsley game.”

Alexander was talking about the sudden rise of cautiousness in City’s play, and the dip in the high intensity levels the players were exhibiting until recently. The Barnsley reference is linked to the part of the game just after half time, where at 2-1 ahead City didn’t react brilliantly to a visitors tactical switch and allowed the Tykes back into the contest.

It definitely wasn’t City’s finest hour, and perhaps the most visible sign of cracks in their self-assurance. But was the seed planted before then?

Because if there’s a peak to City’s season so far, it’s undoubtedly mid-September when on successive Saturdays they demolished the much-fancied Huddersfield Town and Cardiff City, quickly racing into three-goal leads and comfortably seeing notable victories out. It lifted the Bantams to the top of the league. And at that stage, City had scored 24 goals in 12 matches (an average of two a game).

Then came a midweek trip to Premier League giants Newcastle United in the League Cup, and a heavy 4-1 loss.

To be absolutely clear – there was absolutely no disgrace in getting beaten by a Champions League outfit. It was all to be expected as soon as it was clear Newcastle were taking the game seriously by fielding a strong team. As a fan, no complaints and nothing but pride for a memorable night.

For the players, though, it may have had a slow, negative effect. They arrived at St. James Park full of confidence. And whilst I doubt any City player expected to win, it was still a tough experience to find they measure up short to elite footballers. Here is the benchmark. Here’s how you compare. And when you’re at the height of your confidence, that type of knock could have an unsettling effect – no matter how much you might think you’re mentally prepared for it.

I could be wrong, but the Bradford City that returned from that Wednesday night in the North East has not since hit the heights of early season. They did beat Blackpool in the next game, but it was more workmanlike and less all-conquering than before. Just one other win since – against the kids of Everton. And if you discount the five goals they netted that evening (which is admittedly quite selective), it’s eight goals in eight matches (an average of one a game).

Perhaps the Newcastle game was irrelevant. Maybe it was all good, still, until the Barnsley second half. But it feels like the gloss of City performances has chipped away slowly since the end of September. The Barnsley draw was where it bubbled to the surface, and it’s got more and more noticeable over subsequent weeks.

One thing we can say for sure is that the exuberant, free-spirited Bradford City of August and September has not been seen for weeks. The bravado perhaps lost somewhere in the River Tyne.

Max needs to understand his true Power

I went big on praising Max Power after his performance in the Barnsley game. The City summer signing was outstanding. The best player on the pitch. A true leader who was inspiring everyone around him. Any doubts over the wisdom of letting player of the season and captain Richie Smallwood leave in the summer had been firmly disproven with a series of mega-displays.

But since Barnsley, Max Power’s form has been a growing concern. He’s not looked the same force. He’s not possessed quite the same leadership qualities (most notably berating Brad Halliday on the pitch at the end of the Lincoln game).

Saturday’s defeat to Burton really underlined this. With the press not working and City’s back three struggling to play the ball forward effectively, Power elected to drop back and help them. He tried to fix the defensive distribution issues by picking up the ball from deep to start attacks. The only problem was that by doing so he vacated the role he was meant to be in. Max Power needed a Max Power to pass the ball to.

There’s a lot to admire about Power’s bravery and desire to fix the problems on the field. He certainly did not hide, and proactively sought to shoulder extra responsibility. Such qualities set him up to be a much-loved Bradford City captain. As a fanbase we especially value our Stuart McCalls and Gary Jones’. Power is cut from the same cloth and can be similarly revered.

But performances like Burton suggest Power is trying to do too much – and because of it he became less effective, to the ultimate detriment of the team. He needs to trust his teammates to do their jobs. Great leaders motivate others — they don’t try to do everything themselves.

A few weeks back, Alexander told a story of how Lewis Richards came to him for advice on how to achieve greater professional standards. Alexander pointed at Power and said to Richards “Why don’t you just follow him?”

And that really is Max’s true Power. Focus on doing his own job first and foremost, to the very best of his ability. Be that inspiration. It’s all there for him to be a wonderful Bradford City captain – he just needs to get back to setting a wonderful example to everyone else.

Injuries are a problem, but it’s a never-ending cycle

It’s a big Bradford City squad, and it’s really needed to be.

No Curtis Tilt since the Doncaster loss in early September. No Aden Baldwin since the Huddersfield victory the week after that. No Nick Powell since the Newcastle defeat. Joe Wright missed most of September. Bobby Pointon missed most of October. Matt Pennington missed all of October. Antoni Sarcevic has missed four of the last five games. Neill Byrne, Calum Kavanagh, Lewis Richards and Andy Cook weren’t fit at the start of the season. Ciaran Kelly, Alex Pattison, Stephen Humphrys, Will Swan and Tyreik Wright have endured spells out.

In short, it hasn’t been easy to pick a settled side. And maybe what will nag in the back of Alexander’s mind is that players haven’t always looked as strong when they have returned. We’ve seen some post injury rustiness from Joe Wright, Pennington, Pointon and Swan.

During periods where there’s several injuries, there’s often a misguided optimism it will all clear up – and the team will get going again, with everyone fit. But in reality, more injuries will likely strike – and there’s a never-ending revolving door into the treatment room. So as much as Tilt and Baldwin’s eventual return will be greeted with relief, it doesn’t mean we won’t experience other injuries that threaten to slow the rhythm.

Ultimately, the depth of that big Bradford City squad is being tested. Finding a way to cope with not having a full hand will probably make or break this season.

A squad in transition

As we wrote a couple of weeks ago, the players have been magnificent. But there are recent signs of a slowdown.

11 summer signings in the end, wasn’t it? Virtually a whole new team. Some of the 2024/25 promotion heroes made quick farewells. But others are still here, trying to prove themselves as not only League One standard players – but of having the ability to perform at the top end of the division.

In short, it’s a big leap. The ceiling rises and so does the floor. The performances against Burton and Doncaster cruelly expose certain limitations and perhaps accelerate the departure dates of some members of the squad. To quote Sir Alex Ferguson, “You learn more in defeat than you do in victory”. Alexander is learning more.

Ultimately the standards have risen in a very quick space of time. During Tuesday’s Doncaster post-match interview, Alexander summarised, “We’re a newly promoted team to League One, we’re second in the league, we’re one of the hardest teams to beat, we do nothing but give them positive messages…and you end up getting dominated.” In other words – there’s a new marker of what is acceptable.   

We’ll come onto talk about the ambition for the season, but if City are going to last the promotion race, they need genuine quality. The last few weeks suggest it is not universal across the squad.

Stephen Humphrys isn’t (yet) the number 9 Alexander wants him to be

As we said earlier, the goals they are no longer a-flowing like they were. Will Swan and Bobby Pointon top the City goalscoring charts with six each – yet Swan hasn’t netted in over two months and five of Pointon’s six came by mid-September.

The next leading scorer after that is Antoni Sarcevic with five, and then it’s Stephen Humphrys (four) and Andy Cook/Josh Neufville (three). With 15 different goalscorers already this campaign, there’s a good spread of goals in the team. But they’ve only scored twice in their last four games – one of which was a penalty.

Is it a problem they lack an out and out scorer? Possibly not, if you go by the second half of last season where City coped admirably without Cook. But in recent weeks, it’s definitely not ideal that no forward player is grasping the mantle. After all, Alexander is hardly going into the Bolton game with the headache of choosing from an abundance of in-form strikers.

Let’s start with Swan, who seems to be fading after such a bright start. Six goals in his first eight appearances, giving rise to the “Will Swan again ole ole” chant. But it’s now nine games without a goal (starting and as sub) and he looked utterly anonymous at Doncaster. Swan is probably a confidence player, and it does feel like he’s dipped since missing two early sitters against Rotherham at the start of October.

Whilst Calum Kavanagh showed some promise as wide striker on his return to fitness, he’s not maintained that form. Andy Cook is still edging his back to full fitness, and you hope his trademark sharpness will soon follow with it.

Which leaves Stephen Humphrys, who has a mixed time of it. Some performances of real promise no doubt, but other afternoons where it just hasn’t worked. Again, injuries and illness haven’t helped. But he’s basically spent the season seemingly on the cusp of bursting into goalscoring form, only for it to so far elude him.

And that gives rise to the inevitable debate of whether he is better as a wide forward. The story of his time at Barnsley – four goals from 36 games down the middle, before moving out wide and scoring five in five – is well documented. Alexander is adamant he has signed Humphrys to be a number nine. Humphrys appears to only want that type of role. But…is it working?

We’ve seen the odd flash of Humphrys in a wide role and it is exciting. His assist for Pointon in the AFC Wimbledon home game. The swapping of positions with Kavanagh in the Everton U21s and Barnsley matches. And of course, the second half against Burton after City went 4-3-3.

The potential of Humphrys in a wider role seems huge. And so maybe – as the hunt for goals goes on for both player and the club – the resolute declaration that Humphrys is a number 9 only might have to be revisited.

It looks like our secret’s out

Wycombe, Luton, Stockport, Huddersfield and Cardiff cared little for Bradford City and our gameplan. They paid a heavy price. But with each brilliant result, divisional respect for the Bantams has grown. First a wariness of our strengths. Now there is a clear blueprint on how to stop City that is getting passed from opposition manager to opposition manager.

Alexander has been here before. First after taking over as City boss two seasons ago and having to move from 4-4-2 to 3-5-2. Then this time last year, where 3-5-2 became 3-4-3. In each of these occurrences, Alexander saw his initial tactical plan stop working and refined it with positive results. Recent evidence suggests a tweak or two to Plan A is again needed.

City have become a victim of their own success, but that doesn’t mean they are now doomed to fail. Alexander has found the answers before, and we should have every confidence he’ll find a way forwards again.

So what do we want to be?

After 15 league games – one-third of the season – City have 27 points and stand second in the table. It’s a fantastic position to be in. And the longer it keeps going, the more serious it becomes.

The sudden trio of defeats offers unsettling hints that City are reverting to the mean. It has prompted a change in tone from Alexander, plus audible grumblings amongst supporters. And that all suggests there are, in fact, expectations – even if we’re still trying to hide what they are.

It would be completely unreasonable to demand City stay in the top two. But in a fiercely competitive division, the Bantams have looked as good as anyone – and it’s hard to find overwhelming evidence there are at least six sides significantly better than them. So even if we still don’t dare place any expectations on the season, it’s not unreasonable to suggest there is genuine hope of a play off push.

And that’s why this mini-slump is prompting a sense of unease. We’re in such a great position. And maybe it is a false position. But now we’ve had a taste of it, it isn’t a position we want to lose.

So we fret about whether a decline is setting in, and that a season of wistful joy is starting to drift. And we worry that our answer to the question of what we want this Bradford City to be isn’t going to be the same as the one it turns out they are.

Categories: Opinion

Tags: BCAFC