Graham Alexander on Bradford City being 'top six' and not 'newly-promoted' any more in League One circles
GRAHAM Alexander says that Bradford City have earned the right to be bracketed as a top-six club in League One - now it's about confirming it.
The fifth-placed Bantams, who visit Exeter City in their final game of the regular campaign on Saturday, need a point to secure a play-off place and avoid sweating on results elsewhere.
A loss to the Grecians - who need to win to have any chance of staving off relegation - would leave Alexander's side vulnerable.
They would miss out if Stevenage beat Wigan Athletic and Luton Town triumph at Bolton Wanderers.
A season on from promotion, City remain firmly in charge of their own destiny.
In Alexander's eyes, his side have earned respect from third-tier rivals in their first campaign back at this level since 2018-19 and aren't seen as a newly-promoted club any more.
The City chief, whose side are winless in their past four matches, said: "I think so. I still understand that we're 'newly promoted', so I get the challenges that we've still got in front of us to keep improving and progressing, which is the challenge for us all as individuals, a team and as a club.
"I think early in the season, maybe people would have talked about us - not teams, but media and stuff - about being 'newly promoted'; 'it's been a good start' and all this. Now, it's more than a good start.
"That's every credit to the players and staff that have put so much work into it and for the supporters to stay behind us in difficult moments in games and little patches where it's been really difficult.
"Here we are, still competing and eyeing up potential success. I think that everybody connected to our club deserves a lot of credit because there's so many challenges over the course of a season."
Despite City achieving more than most expected at the season's outset, there remains a collective desire to strive for better.
The Bantams boss, whose side have been without Antoni Sarcevic, Bobby Pointon and Tyreik Wright of late - the former has the best chance of being involved at St James Park - added: "I think we still have conflict in the building because we're competitors with each other. That's healthy conflict. One hundred per cent, it's from a place of trust."