Exeter City v Bradford City - Long bus journey can help Bantams recruits gel

The Bantams signed nine players in the transfer window, and integrating them will not be easy.

Some, though probably not all, of Charles Vernam, Ollie Crankshaw, Matthew Foulds and Niall Canavan could make debuts in today’s 1pm League Two kick-off at St James’s Park, where loanees Jordan Stevens, Rumarn Burrell and Andy Cook will be hoping for first starts.

Given that at the moment all they are allowed to do is turn up at the training ground, train, then head straight home, time on the bus could be valuable.

“It’s going to be a good opportunity for all of us to interact with the team,” said Vernam, who joined from Burton Albion on Monday. “We don’t normally get that sort of time, almost dead time. I think it will be a really good opportunity for me personally to get to know everyone because I’ve only been here a few days.

“It’s a unique opportunity at the moment to interact because outside of football at the moment we don’t get that.”

Joint interim manager Mark Trueman has spoken about the greater flexibility their mid-season recruitment drive now affords them, and that is reflected in how Vernam views his role.

“I can see myself off the left and as a 10 or even a 9,” he said. “My most successful time at Grimsby was where I played off the left but had a bit of freedom to drop in.

“We’ve got a real array of talent and everyone can offer something a little bit different – we’ve got out-and-out wingers and people who like to drift inside, people who we can play off. It’s a really good set-up and I’m really impressed with the way we’ve trained and the way the management like to work.”

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