Bradford City v Rotherham United: Graham Alexander feeling Valley Parade love as Matt Hamshaw only feels the heat
The response to a misplaced pass recently told Bradford City manager Graham Alexander everything he needed to know about how Valley Parade has rediscovered its faith in the team. By contrast, belief in Rotherham United manager Matt Hamshaw is rapidly evaporating.
Tonight’s League One Yorkshire derby rivals comes on the back of chastening defeats for both at the weekend, but the fact the match is being played at Valley Parade gives the hosts cause for optimism, something very thin on the ground at the New York Stadium.
Bradford are in the play-off places and still will be on Wednesday morning, regardless of the result. Likewise, Rotherham’s place in the relegation zone.
Saturday's 3-1 defeat at Wimbledon was the Bantams' sixth in seven matches away from home, a major concern undermining their promotion push. So it is vital they make the most of a visit from the Millers.
Their form is grim regardless of where they play or in what competition, the 2-1 defeat at home to Doncaster Rovers at the weekend their 11th in 14 matches.
Getting behind your team when they are doing well is easy, but Alexander pointed to a mistake against Peterborough United as an example of the backing his side is getting.
"Before the Stockport game I pulled out a clip from the Saturday when I think Max (Power) hit a switch of play and it went out of play," he recalled. "The whole stand stood up and applauded it anyway.
"I loved that. They just buy into what we're trying to be as a team.
"That was one of the biggest clips of that weekend for me because we know we're not perfect but we've got good intentions and I think the supporters buy into that.
"It's a great relationship the supporters have with the team."
Bradford have won seven of their last eight home matches, the only exception a defeat to leaders Cardiff City, and last week's attendance against Stockport County was their biggest midweek crowd despite freezing temperatures. They helped their side secure a 1-0 win.
"They've paid the money, they're going to turn up.," said Alexander.
"We buzz off it. We heard that it was going to be a record crowd, or potentially anyway. It just adds a little bit of excitement into the players and the staff coming into the game.
"The players love coming out of the tunnel to that roar. When we win and we score a goal like Tuesday’s (by Antoni Sarcevic), it's a brilliant feeling. Everyone's on board. I think 0-0 at half-time two years ago in a home game there would have been a few moans and groans, but they've seen the players win so many games here in different fashions.
"They saw us at our best against Peterborough and then they saw us go up against the top team at this level (Stockport) and win the game.
"I think that patience and faith they have with us is really important for us because opponents try to turn us against each other. There's no signs of that and I think that's signs of a real strong club.
"When you take a shot like Sars did you need to be in a confident mood. You need to be confident that no-one's going to barricade and jump on your back if it misses.
"It does make a difference to us, to our players, to me, to the staff. Hopefully, we can maintain that for a long time to come."
The mood was very different at the New York Stadium on Saturday, Hamshaw booed down the tunnel at full-time after a 1-0 half-time advantage turned into the club's first home defeat to Doncaster in 41 years.
Hamshaw is a Rotherham lad, a boyhood supporter of the team and was part of Paul Warne's coaching staff in some of the club's best seasons in recent years (and some bad ones in the Championship, it must be said), but that sentiment has not been enough to win over supporters in his first season as manager.
He has lost 22 of his 47 games in charge, winning 15.
"Everybody involved in the club will be concerned about where we are in the Football League but we have to stay positive," said a downbeat Hamshaw at the weekend.
Injuries are a constant problem for him, as for too many of his recent predecessors, and four names were added to the list last week.
Zak Jules pulled out of the warm-up feeling a hamstring problem, and Shaun McWilliams came off at half-time with a calf problem. Both are doubts for Tuesday.
That came on the back of Hamish Douglas and Marvin Kaleta picking up hamstring injuries at Burton Albion which will keep them out for "a number of weeks".
Denzel Hall and Joe Powell are expected to miss out with hamstring problems and Dan Gore (shoulder).
Duncan Watmore made an impressive full debut with a 75-minute outing, but having only played 22 minutes (plus added-time) in the whole of the rest of the season, asking him to back it up looks a tall order. Captain Power returns from suspension for Bradford.