By James Pieslak

“Reluctantly, Bradford City has granted permission for Graham to speak to Preston North End.”

That single word, ‘reluctantly’, says everything and it cuts very deep. When I read it for the first time, my blood ran cold. It tells us that Graham Alexander has pretty much dumped us. That’s how it feels upon learning that Bradford City’s manager is apparently leaving us to join Preston. We’ve been dumped and it is absolutely devastating.

I can only liken it to being back at school and you’ve heard the dreaded words: ‘you’re chucked’. The sense of shock is real, as is the sense of loss. Both are made even worse when you find out minutes later that you’ve been chucked for some bloke in the year above who has slightly better trainers, is a little bit taller than you, and whose parents have a bit more money than yours.

It’s gutting. In the moment all you can do is pine for what has gone, and that is how I feel today. I imagine I’m not alone. If it happens, Preston have got themselves a good one. Their fans know that already, even if many of them don’t seem very impressed. The lad in the year above is smirking at us as we weep for what we’ve just lost, and there’s nothing we can do about it. For now.

If it happens, this will be an enormous loss for Bradford City on so many levels. Graham Alexander is the club’s North Star. He is the individual who has created a culture, set an identify and raised the bar. After so many seasons which ranged from slapstick to depressing, his arrival finally heralded something that Bradford City needed so desperately – stability – and he has since built on that to deliver success. In the dark days of Hopkins et al. success was fever dream material.

After years of changing strategy and clamouring to find itself, much like an awkward teenager, Bradford City finally found its identity again under Alexander. It threw off the silly haircut and daft attitude, and grew up. It became steady and assured, then confident, and in recent times, excellent.

His apparent departure could undo much of that, which is why this news hits right in the gut. After steadying the ship and delivering so much stability, progress and positivity, the captain is seemingly getting off just as things were threatening to get truly interesting, and I cannot help but worry about what comes next.

That’s because Bradford City have become an incredibly easy team to like under Alexander (and his deputy Chris Lucketti, who would also be a sore loss). All of that stems from what they have built – which is a culture and a dressing room which, to be admitted into it, requires a force of will and determination like I’ve ever seen before at Valley Parade.

There is nothing I enjoy more watching a Bradford City team that turns itself inside out to win a game of football. Our most successful sides have always had talent but the most iconic, standout City sides have always possessed that extra bit in the top couple of inches – fight.

Think back to 88/89, the promotion-winning team under Jewell, Parkinson’s best moments. Yes, it’s fantastic to watch free-flowing football but, I relish nothing more than watching a Bradford City side that will run itself into the ground as well as its opponents. When a City side plays with such conviction and force, it’s a joy to get behind. The creeping sense of confidence that steadily grows when you see battles being won all over the pitch, the roar that accompanies the full-blooded tackle to cement the dominance, the feeling of pride in a City side exerting its will over a battle-weary opponent. It’s great. This side has the dog in it, and so does its manager.

I adore this team of fighters who have been assembled in Alexander’s own playing style. He has instilled in this City side a work rate, a commitment and force of will that is so palpably difficult to compete with. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a City side so well-drilled and determined. Their will to win, to never shirk from a duel and to always compete is staggering, and although I don’t pretend to know, their running data must put them in the very top echelons for fitness. I sometimes think that Josh Neufville has a spare fuel source tucked away on his person. The players deserve every credit for rinsing every ounce from themselves and let’s never overlook the role that Alexander has played in this.

Watching City, knowing that Graham Alexander is prowling the sidelines wearing his trademark black outfit, feels assuring. I feel assured that the players feel assured. They know, intimately, the standards that are required of them and will move heaven and earth to execute those standards. When I see Alexander barking instructions at them, whistling their attention or making notes, it feels like everything is in tune. Let’s face it, it is in tune, just look at our position in the table, just look at our progress.

Part of my fear comes from how the players will react, for they are only human too. How many times have we seen a Graham Alexander City team go in at half time, only to reappear a different side in the second half and bludgeon an opponent to submission via sheer character and grit, backed by talent of course. We’ve already seen it at Sheffield Wednesday and Notts County this season.

That comes from a set of players who listen to their manager, take his words to their heart, and go out to execute his wishes to the dot. They understand their obligation. They have put their bodies through an awful lot for this manager, and if he goes how will they react? Do their standards slip? It must be extremely hard to play under Alexander given his demands on the body, so humans being humans and all that, it must be easy to slacken off, possibly without even knowing, when an opportunity presents itself.

Time will tell.

Graham Alexander has, for me, been one of the best managers that I’ve seen down at City. Is the football the most eye-catching and pretty? No. Are we a free-flowing side that scores at will? Most definitely not. Are we a side that never gives in, rinses everything from ourselves and makes me as a fan think ‘they really want this’? Absolutely.

If he goes, I will miss him and he will go with my very best wishes. It will be painful to see him leave. It will be really painful. It will not feel the same for a while. I trust him, I like having him on the touchline, I like listening to his no-nonsense interviews. I always hoped we’d see the Alexander the Great banner unfurled one day. Alas, it shall remain in a shed somewhere.

What next then? Well, football moves on, as must we. All eyes turn to the hierarchy. In all fairness to them, they were the ones who appointed Graham Alexander and who have supported him to get us to where we are today. So, we must trust that they will get any subsequent appointment right. We have much to offer and much to build on. There is no reason why we should not aim to strut up to that kid in the year above, look him in the eye and smirk at him and our ex. The trajectory has been set and it has to continue.

If Graham Alexander goes, any new man will have his own ideas and plans. It will not be a carbon copy, but I dearly hope that they retain much of the culture and values that Graham Alexander has built. From the way he has always respected our club to his focus on hard work, day in day out. Continuing those factors should a real part of the recruitment process.

Alexander leaving will be a huge blow, but for those values to also leave the building, well, that would be a real sickener.

Categories: Opinion

Tags: BCAFC, Graham Alexander