Doncaster Rovers v Bradford City: Why Grant McCann and Graham Alexander are cut from the same cloth

Out of their working togs, they are family men.

As players, they were respected figures in careers which saw them sample glory days in late spring - five promotions between them - and give sterling service to clubs where they are remembered with fondness.

On Spring Bank Holiday weekend in 2009, they were actually promoted within a day of each other at Wembley. McCann’s Scunthorpe United side triumphed in a League One play-off final against Millwall just 24 hours after a Burnley line-up containing Alexander prevailed in the Championship showpiece versus Sheffield United.

In the here and now, they don’t wish to countenance the end-of-season lottery.

Both have secured promotions as managers and are now desperate to have that feeling again. Not so much for themselves, but the two clubs they represent in Doncaster Rovers and Bradford City following their respective journeys.

Rovers’ 2024-25 story began amid play-off despair against Crewe 351 days ago.

In its immediate aftermath, a defiant McCann cast aside the pain to state that his club’s new mission was to not just go up in the next campaign but win the title back on May 10, 2024. One half of the bargain in promotion would be achieved with victory today, while silverware will arrive if Port Vale lose at AFC Wimbledon.

For Bradford, finally being free from the yoke of League Two come season’s end - there’s a scenario where both White Rose sides could also go up today if City win and Walsall lose to Accrington - would also be cathartic after a six-season penance at this level.

McCann said: "For us, and everyone, the fans, supporters and city, it would mean so much. The people who work at the football club.

"We want to go and test ourselves at the higher level and that’s what we have been preparing to do since I came back to the club.

"We were close last season, but it wasn’t to be, but we have another chance now to put in place all the work we have done all season.

"Everyone understands what we need to do. In the Crewe game, I think everyone was thinking ‘oh well, Doncaster are going to get to Wembley here and do this and that.’

"Football has a funny way of coming back and biting you in the backside if you are not quite fully focused on what you need to do.”

For McCann and Alexander, focus is the operative word today. As for pressure? Well, that’s a privilege.

The latter summed it up in the week after referencing an out-of-work manager and former team-mate who was ‘chopping trees in his garden’ as opposed to being involved at the sharp end of a football season.

Alexander - who hails from the Midlands - and his Ulster-born counterpart at Rovers know where they would rather be.

Their press conferences were remarkably similar ahead of today’s seismic occasion.

There was respect for the opponent, but care in what they said - mindful that the other side were no doubt listening. No psychology or hand grenades, just plain old common sense from rivals who have been around the EFL block.

There was also unanimity regarding one key thing; the importance of handling the heat and making the right on-pitch decisions on an afternoon where one mistake could be the difference.

Both weren’t bad at coping with pressure as players. Alexander scored 78 penalties and had a 90 per cent success rate. McCann took responsibility and stepped up by converting Scunthorpe’s first penalty in a tense play-off shoot-out win at MK Dons in 2009.

Alexander said: "I do believe it’s who handles that (pressure) the best at times. Things will go against every team in games, it’s how you think about it in your mind and park it.

"You can’t be over-dramatizing things or expecting the perfect game because that’s not going to be the case. There are going to be difficult moments, we’re going to be uncomfortable, but remember how we train and analyse, what we’ve worked hard for and stick to those things.

"We’ve already shown we’re good enough to beat anybody. We haven’t got to do anything extra special on Saturday – we’ve just got to be consistent.”

McCann, whose side are unbeaten in nine matches, observed: "When you start running into five, six, seven games to go, it’s the team who can keep the focus on the job in hand and making sure we go out there and finish the job.

"A lot of managers get a lot of pressure put onto them halfway or with 15 or 10 games to go. Ultimately, it’s what you do at the end of it. That’s when you sit back and have a look and see if you have achieved what you set out to do.

"I always loved these occasions as a player, particularly the times I have been promoted.

"But I have always tried to stay calm and trust my ability when I was playing and hopefully trust my management skills. My advice to staff and players has been just keep focus on what we need to do. How do we win a game of football? That’s where our focus lies.” Focus, that word again..