Graham Alexander has managed 542 competitive games but the Bradford City boss says the last 20 or so may have permanently changed his outlook on how he does his job.

Even halfway through this season – his 14th as a manager if you include five games in caretaker charge of Preston North End in 2011-12 – Alexander was a firm believer in settled sides and tight squads.

But in 2025 the former defender has handed League Two starts to 22 different outfield players in 20 games, with 18 starting at least five.

The situation has partly been forced on him by injuries, suspensions and the need to manage the minutes of fragile players such as Antoni Sarcevic and Alex Pattison.

Captain Richie Smallwood, centre-back Aiden Baldwin and goalkeeper Sam Walker are the only players to have kicked off all 18 league matches this year.

Saturday's 0-0 draw at Accrington Stanley was the first time in 2025 Alexander named an unchanged side, although he made a quadruple substitution shortly before the hour.

Alexander, pictured, believes learning to rotate his squad and still get consistent performances from it has made him a better manager.

Results bear him out, with the Bantams on an upward trajectory since Christmas that has established them as title contenders.

ROTATIONS: Bradford City manager Graham Alexander (Image: Tony Johnson)

placeholder image — ROTATIONS: Bradford City manager Graham Alexander (Image: Tony Johnson)

The 53-year-old former Fleetwood Town, Scunthorpe United, Salford City, Motherwell and Milton Keynes Dons manager thinks it is an approach he is likely to stick with next season, and that could change the way he sets about building his squad for what the Bantams hope at this stage will be a League One campaign.

“I think if I trust the squad enough and see more good players than just the starting XI, I think I will do that more,” said Alexander, whose side were at promotion rivals Port Vale on Tuesday.

“I have thought about it and it's probably more beneficial for the squad as a whole. When you have 50, 55 games a season it's a tough task to just put that on 11, 12, 13 players

“It might be something I consider but I haven't sat down to consider it too much yet.

CAREFUL MANAGEMENT: Bradford City have got the best out of midfielder Alex Pattison this year by dipping him in and out of the team (Image: Tony Johnson)

“In the summer I'll think about it when we're building and recruiting a squad, and how we can get to a point where we're using 16, 17, 18 players instead of 12 or 13 because I think that will benefit us all.

“I've got to find a way of managing (players’) expectations if we come to that point.

“But the time for real reflection is in a couple of months' time.”

Alexander, who won promotions with Fleetwood and Salford, believes his time at Bradford, which now stretches to 85 games with six left of the regular season, has helped to improve him as a manager – even at this stage of his career.

“It's important all individuals try to keep improving and where my responsibility is to try and help players to be better and the team to be better, I believe they've helped me to be better as a manager, without a shadow of a doubt,” he commented.

“They've made this job really enjoyable, really rewarding so far.

“We have to make sure we maintain that, and keep supporting and pushing each other.”