Bradford City v York City: Michael Duff on pausing for breath after intense schedule
AFTER a hectic opening spell in charge of Bradford City, Michael Duff is happy to pause for breath of sorts.
Following tonight's final EFL Trophy Northern Group C game against York City (7.30pm), the Bantams are inactive for 10 days until Saturday week, when they welcome Doncaster Rovers in a Yorkshire derby in League One.
Duff's side are already through to the next Trophy stage and only a big victory for York – already eliminated – will knock City off top spot.
In his first three weeks in charge, City had successive midweek games to fit in. But last week's clear Saturday-to-Saturday run and their forthcoming break from action will provide some quality time on the training ground.
Duff, inset, said: "We can get some tactical element into certain things I think we need. We're not trying to change a lot, but the obvious one has been we've got the 'ten' a little bit higher in certain areas of the pitch.
"We introduced a man-to-man press against Oxford, which is something new, so you're just trying to drip a couple of new things in.
"A lot of it will be reinforcing those things, because with the schedule the way it is – and without having a pre-season where you can embed certain fundamentals – it's keeping what you've got and then dripping little bits in. It's just reminders.
"You speak to supporters, they'll probably go 'this needs to change, this needs to change'. Not that much does as it's been going all right, but certain things do need to improve."
Tonight's game is the fourth in a run of six successive fixtures – in four different competitions – at Valley Parade.
Duff added: "It helps with the travel of the players. It might not help if the results don't go so well, but the players know that anyway.
"Supporters are demanding and football drives emotion, I totally get that. They'll all go in the pub and put the world to rights, that's why everyone loves football. That's why they turn up at the weekend – to get the week's worth of venting out. Our job is sometimes you've got to suck it up and swallow it."
While the game is a 'dead-rubber' for York, who make their first competitive visit to Bradford since October 2012, there is one clear motivation with Scott Lindsey's side still waiting to record their first competitive away win since returning to the EFL.