It will be challenging to prepare for Salford City on Saturday, which provides manager Graham Alexander with a valid reason to concentrate on Bradford City.
Despite not having led a team at Moor Lane since overseeing them in 2018 and 2020, Alexander is well-versed with the Ammies.
He claims they are pursuing two entirely different strategies in an attempt to secure a spot in League Two for the upcoming season, but he is unsure of one he will end up seeing. Both scenarios are quite possible.
According to Alexander, it depends on whether Matt Smith is in the lead or not. Only two of their previous five games have seen the 34-year-old former Leeds United striker start, but he has participated in all of them. He opened the January 1-1 draw at Valley Parade.
Alexander remarked, “We played Salford not long after Karl (Robinson) took over.” They gave us a really difficult game and are highly physical and aggressive.
“We had no idea how they would go about doing it. Really, they take two distinct techniques.
Join our new TeamTalk newsletter, Sports Editor’s “One is when Smith plays up top, and they are very much present physically.”
However, they have a large number of really mobile players that can play and might do business in a different way if he chooses not to play. The way we play is what matters most to me.
Four years ago, trigger-happy Salford fired Alexander, a move that co-owner Gary Neville eventually acknowledged was a mistake.
Returning to a club you managed or played for before always has significance, according to Alexander.
Since my departure, I have not returned as a manager.
“Returning will be beneficial, but everyone wants to win as soon as the whistle blows.”
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In actuality, not much is at stake for either club’s near future in this game, regardless of what the mathematicians may say. Salford is nine points clear of the relegation zone, and even if they win on Saturday, Sutton United in 22nd place would not be able to reach 23rd-place Colchester United.
Bradford has four games remaining with five clubs, including Doncaster Rovers and Harrogate Town, to overcome. At this moment, the team is eight points outside of the playoffs.
Alex Pattison and Sam Stubbs’ seasons may be essentially ended by the diminishing incentive.
Alexander stated, “Sam and Alex need to be given the chance to be fully ready to play again because they haven’t played in a while.”
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