Graham Alexander spells out Bradford City facts as timely reminder to players
Even with Aden Baldwin insisting he would not have been shocked had he been told in pre-season Bradford City would be fourth in League One right now, Graham Alexander felt the need to remind his team how good they are.
The international break has split the final seven games into a separate chunk, and the Bantams host Northampton Town on Good Friday with a five-point cushion over Stevenage, who have a game in hand.
They went into it on the back of a 2-1 defeat at Burton Albion, their eighth in 10 away games in 2026, and with one point from the last nine available.
But Alexander has been keen to emphasis a bigger picture far rosier than anyone outside of Valley Parade would have imagined after promotion last summer, even if centre-back Baldwin says it is no great shock to him.
"When you're in the day-to-day grind you don't come up for air and actually look at the bigger picture," said Alexander. “There's nothing but positive signs to see.
"I spoke to the players last Monday about how many teams you think are around the country are wishing they were in our position. I think there'd be quite a lot.
"We have been one of the most consistent teams (in the division). That's one thing I did relate to the players, about weeks in the top six. We're level with Cardiff on 38 weeks, that's pretty consistent, so we haven't got to change things.
"We haven't got to look for this magic wand, we've got to be us."
Alexander was asked if he felt he needed to remind his team how good they are.
"I feel like sometimes I do," he said. "It perplexes me sometimes when I'm thinking about all the facts and figures and the table that would suggest that's the case but we can all get emotional sometimes and distracted from facts.
"Emotion and feeling are a big part of our job because it's a really emotive sport and we're an emotive football club but it's also important to have a grasp of reality, and the facts say we're a very good team.
"Did I have to convince them? No, I just had to remind them.
"It gives me context too because I have ideas flowing through my head all the time. Do we change things? Do we stay the same? Why would I look to change something that's been working so well for so long?
"But there are details we have to try and improve on."
Baldwin, a key figure for the last two seasons, was asked how he would have felt had he been told in pre-season Bradford would be fourth at Easter.
"My response wouldn't have been shock because I know what we've got," he said, "it would have been, 'Fair play. Let's have it. Why not?'
"With what we had last season and what we've brought in to this pre-season, I feel like we've got very good players and we are competing at a good level."
Kayden Jackson and Antoni Sarcevic have both been part of a full squad in training this week. Sarcevic came off with a hamstring injury at Burton, whereas Jackson has not featured since the win over Rotherham United in February because of a knee problem.
Both will be assessed ahead of Friday's game, though Sarcevic's chances of playing a part appear much better.