By Jason McKeown

In a week when uncertainty has surrounded Bradford City, certainty emerged from a welcome source: the character of the players. All the noise and questions surrounding Graham Alexander’s departure and what comes next could easily have seeped into an anxious Bantams display. Add in the absence of several key players, and the ingredients were there for a difficult afternoon.

Instead, City produced a performance that offered reassurance. Their winning run may have ended with a second-half Reading equaliser, but there was enough resilience, poise and quality on display to suggest the foundations built over the past three years are not suddenly about to crumble. Life after Alexander has begun. And, at least on this evidence, life goes on.

For much of the afternoon, events lived up to the French philosophy “The more things change, the more they stay the same”. That phrase came from the writer Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr, who observed that despite superficial shifts or new technologies, underlying human nature and societal patterns often remain identical.

In the Bantams’ case, it really was identical. Two weeks on from taking the lead at Luton through a fourth-minute goal involving a header and Bobby Pointon, City began their next league game with a fourth-minute goal involving a header and Bobby Pointon.

Just as at Kenilworth Road, City’s early breakthrough here paved the way for a game of not much happening, with the Bantams holding their hosts at arm’s length while allowing them to run out of ideas. And after everything we’ve experienced between the trip to Luton and the visit to Reading, it was both reassuring and strange to see City perform exactly as they had.

Sadly of course, it could not stay exactly the same forever.

Reading came out fired up for the second half and deserved their equaliser when it came. It was the first goal City have conceded in some 336 minutes of league action. And it led to what has become an unusually rare outcome for this Bradford City side: a draw. In fact, this was only the seventh draw they’ve been involved in across their last 49 league and cup games.

Perhaps Udoka Godwin-Malife’s goal for Reading was a hint that different, less enjoyable times might lie ahead for City. But the way the team responded to being pegged back offered reassurance that they remain capable of handling whatever comes next.

Heads did not drop after Reading’s equaliser. Instead, City climbed the gears and dominated large spells in the push for a late winning goal. That one didn’t materialise was disappointing, but the attacking prowess shown was heartening. The team and Mark Trueman deserve to feel good about their efforts here.

There was a lot to like over the 90 minutes, not least that early goal. This time Pointon was the provider rather than the scorer, but the role of others was equally important. Kayden Jackson – who filled in at right wing-back with Josh Neufville injured – played the ball to Aden Baldwin, who delivered a sublime low cross-field pass to Ibou Touray, who wonderfully laid the ball into the path of Pointon, who delivered a stunning cross. And who is that towering figure who got on the end of Pointon’s ball to powerfully head it into the top corner? Jake Beesley – off the mark at last!

What a superb header. What a superb goal.

Beesley led the line expertly. Finally getting off the mark left him looking like a player with the weight lifted from his shoulders, and he was unfortunate not to get a second when he went slightly too early to run onto an Adam Phillips pass, found the back of the net, but was correctly flagged offside.

No matter, City were managing those small margins well. Reading showed plenty of promise with Kyreece Lisbie a handful on the left, but the Bantams backline was in usual solid form and back-up keeper Cameron Dawson had little to do beyond palming out a long-range Lewis Wing effort. Baldwin was the pick of the centre backs, even though he was slightly fortunate to stay on the field for a high tackle that drew a yellow card when other referees would have issued a red.

Reading definitely upped it after the break, with former City centre back Paudie O’Connor heading just over from a corner. But without their injured top scorer Jack Marriott, they lacked an attacking punch. So it became a match of lots of Reading possession but few efforts at either end. For City’s part, they went from the 23rd minute to the 65th without registering a shot.

But a minute after City finally mustered a second-half attempt, Reading went up the other end and scored. Randell Williams sent a long throw into the box that was laid off by Jacob Brown, allowing right back Godwin-Malife to run on and hit a low shot that deflected into the goal.

That was when City retook control, aided by the introduction of George Lapslie and Nick Powell. Between the restart and Reading’s equaliser, the home side had 70% possession. But over the final 24 minutes plus stoppage time, the pendulum swung to City having 62% of the ball.

And they might have made that count. Jackson twice got into positions to produce cross-shot efforts, and twice Joel Pereira kept him out. Touray later sent a low cross into the box from which Powell produced a clever flick that rolled just wide of the post. Swan joined the action for Pointon – who, like Baldwin, produced a tackle that felt orange card territory. Lapslie caused problems. But City could not make their territorial advantage count.

Still, this was a good performance. Touray deserves a huge amount of credit for racing back from international duty to play here. Jackson did an admirable job as right wing-back. Phillips and Beesley had their best games in weeks. Callum Connolly and Antoni Sarcevic battled well in midfield. George Pratt had some uncomfortable moments but got through them. Matt Pennington keeps doing Matt Pennington things.

But despite all the positives and fact the game was played in bright October sunshine, those clouds of ambiguity could not be shifted over the team’s heads. Just before kick off, strong reports emerged that Michael Duff will be the next Bradford City manager. It seems the Bantams have made their choice, and an official announcement will follow in the coming days.

It is fair to say it is not an inspiring choice, although worth asking: who would be? At WOAP we’ll have plenty to say if and when Duff is confirmed. But for now, at least, it’s worth noting that Duff’s managerial style and preferred way of playing have very similar hallmarks to Alexander’s. Based on all the names linked to the post over the past few days, Duff is probably the closest fit to the continuity candidate that many of us believe the club should be looking for.

Whatever transpires, the noise neatly bookends a week where no supporter has been fully thinking about this game at Reading, and probably will have bigger distractions than chewing the fat over this performance.

Yet while City ceded top spot and saw their winning run end, this afternoon offered a timely reminder that the story of this season was never solely about the man in the dugout. Alexander leaves behind a team with clear identity, strong habits and an impressive collective spirit. Those qualities were evident throughout this performance.

The uncertainty remains, but so too does plenty of reason for optimism.

Categories: Match Reviews

Tags: 2026/27, BCAFC, League One, Reading