Graham Alexander feeling benefit of Bradford City's policy of targeting promotion experience
Staying in his own bubble comes naturally to Bradford City manager Graham Alexander but he says their decision to target players with promotion experience is paying dividends for them this season.
The Bantams won automatic promotion from League Two last season and with four games to go they are now closing in on a place in this season's League One play-offs.
The squad has changed quite significantly since last season, but many of those recruited have promotion experience too.
"It's one of the reasons why we look for those players, when we recruit players, because I think the experience of it, the experience in the pressure situations, I think you learn a lot about yourself and only you can really answer whether you handle it in a good way or a bad way," said Alexander.
"Sometimes you can hide these things away. I'm putting myself in that bracket, because I know there were big games where the pressure affected me or my focus was not on the right stuff.
"Then when you do get the experience of being successful, I just think it triggers something in you that you just want it again. I think you will go the extra yard, that extra sacrifice to go, that's a brilliant feeling. I don't want anyone else to have that feeling but me and my team.
"Whenever you have a season where you're not successful and you're looking at other teams and other players doing that, there is a hint of jealousy, without a shadow of a doubt. Anyone telling you anything else is lying or don't want to win.
"We use that as fuel.
"You can learn a lot from the experience if you think about it, and I do think it gives you an extra hunger to experience it again."
Alexander says he manages to block out what other teams are doing, but admits he is a bit of a freak in that respect.
“It’s hard to get away from because it’s everywhere," he said. "The profile of football now is massive.
“Experience teaches you a lot of things and I talk to individuals all the time about learning how to manage and control yourself.
“If you’re going to have a 20-year career, you’re going to work with a lot of different people and different scenarios. If you don’t have a way of balancing your mindset and preparation, then it’s going to be very fluid on what’s around you.
"I think I'm a little bit of an island in that perspective. I was an island in my own house (the other weekend) because my wife was looking at her phone and she said, ‘Did you see the scores?’ at quarter past five. Yes, I saw them.
“'How are you feeling?' – I'm asking her because I was, like, it is what it is.
"I know players will be doing it. I know my own staff are doing it.
"I remember the Doncaster game last season, the second-last game, when the Walsall game was kicking off later than us.
"I was the only one that went home. I wasn't there for sitting on the bus while they were all looking at their phones. It's just not for me.
"I know I'm a bit of an island on that, but it's how you handle that. If you can take that information on, look outside, look out the window, look at somebody else and then focus on your own job, fair enough.
“I can’t. That becomes a distraction to me.”
But making sure his players stay level is important, and an ongoing process.
"Me managing myself is just one tiny aspect of my job," he said.
“There are 25-26 players that I take care of are more important than me.
"I have to be abreast with how they’re thinking.
“You can get a feel for that from just one conversation with one player. He gives you an insight into how the group are feeling in general.
“That’s my job all the time. It’s topping things up and constantly spinning plates.
“What we’ve done over nine months isn’t just a flash in the pan or run of form either way. This group have been consistent for a long time so let’s keep on what we’re doing.”