Bradford City v Rotherham United: What rival bosses Graham Alexander and Steve Evans have in common

DECEMBER may be on the immediate horizon, but neither Bradford City manager Graham Alexander or his Rotherham United rival Steve Evans are getting too hung up by league tables just yet.

The festive month is the time in the football season when tables often take shape and for clubs who have started the campaign slowly - the Millers are definitely in that bracket - there is the realisation that things can change a great deal by the time that the strains of Auld Lang Syne fill the air on New Year's Eve.

Bradford's opening to the campaign has been more proficient than the Millers, but a run of just one victory in five matches in all competitions - and no wins in their past four league games - represents a bump in the road.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

A fix looked likely on Saturday, only for City to concede an equaliser in the tenth minute of stoppage time against Colchester United.

Graham Alexander, manager of Bradford City (Picture: George Wood/Getty Images)Graham Alexander, manager of Bradford City (Picture: George Wood/Getty Images)
Graham Alexander, manager of Bradford City (Picture: George Wood/Getty Images)

They still moved up a place in League Two to eighth nevertheless, with Alexander currently more concerned with keeping the points total moving as opposed to league positions.

He said: "We have to pick up points and the league table is a barometer of how many you’ve got compared to everyone else. That’s quite obvious.

"But the league position isn’t the most vital thing right now. It’s totals of points.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"You get nothing for being second, seventh or 10th right now. You’ve just got to keep adding to your tally and that’s the biggest thing for me.

Rotherham United manager Steve Evans, pictured on the touchline in the recent League One derby loss against Barnsley at Oakwell. Picture: Jim Brailsford.Rotherham United manager Steve Evans, pictured on the touchline in the recent League One derby loss against Barnsley at Oakwell. Picture: Jim Brailsford.
Rotherham United manager Steve Evans, pictured on the touchline in the recent League One derby loss against Barnsley at Oakwell. Picture: Jim Brailsford.

"Obviously you want to keep as close as you can to where we want to be and seeing where that gap is at the moment.

"We get really close, then we drop off. But we have to stay in the fight.

“I believe over the course of the season with a little bit of fair weather with players, we’ve enough to get where we want to be."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Northern Group H table dictates that both City and the Millers have qualified for the knock-out stages of the Trophy whatever happens on Tuesday night.

While Alexander is eyeing a boost ahead of Saturday's home game with Accrington, the Millers will be seeking to come up with a result and performance - preferably both – to take into this weekend's crunch trip to Evans' former club Crawley.

Evans's side were firmly in supporters' bad books after a dreadful derby defeat at Barnsley last time out, with the anger of the Millers contingent at the final whistle at Oakwell being withering.

The Scot has tasked his squad with hauling themselves into the top-six contention in League One by Christmas and some positivity at Valley Parade might help them in that regard.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Evans commented: "Our boys are hurting at the reaction they got. At our team meeting last Monday, players were telling me that they've never had that in their careers.

“I've never had it. I didn't come back to Rotherham United to get that. But I couldn't say that if I was one of the supporters I would have acted any differently.

“Our performance over 90 minutes fell below the standard supporters should expect of a Steve Evans team. We cannot die like the team did last year.”

News you can trust since 1754
Follow us
©National World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.Cookie SettingsTerms and ConditionsPrivacy notice