Valley Parade is the lower league 'acid test' admits new Bradford City manager Graham Alexander

The new Bradford City manager, among a select band of players to make 1,000 professional appearances across England’s top four divisions, was sent off at BD8 while playing for Preston in a Roses clash back in September 2003.

He has also enjoyed better times, while appreciating that it is a venue that can find you out - both as a player and a manager.

Alexander, who steps out in charge of City for the first time against visiting Barrow on Saturday afternoon, said: "I’ve won here as a manager and got beaten and drawn. I have also got sent off here and had a long walk along the touchline back in the day. Harshly sent off, by the way!

"As a player, I was fortunate enough to eventually play at a really good level and played in the Championship at a lot of big stadiums, but as a manager, I have not had that opportunity a lot of times.

"Coming here, it was a challenge I really wanted my teams to take on. A lot of my players were playing here for the first time and some came from non-league as well.

"I used to use it as a test for my players to keep going through the leagues. You have to come here and stand up for yourself and show what you are about as it is a different atmosphere to a lot of other League One and Two clubs.

"It was a little bit of an acid test for my teams and me as a manager."

With a third of the season gone and City in a very underwhelming position in the league, Alexander is conscious that there will be no real bedding-in period in the weeks ahead.

If the club are to move into an upward direction towards the League Two play-offs - viewed as a minimum requirement at the season's outset - they require results pretty quickly, with it being a case of substance before style.

Tactically flexible as a coach, Alexander will sensibly assess what he has got before deciding upon an approach which best suits what he has at his disposal.

He continued: “I have had teams who were possession-based and switched play as a team and ones that were quite direct. We did that at Motherwell as we felt that was the way we had to win games.

"If you are guaranteed three years to produce everyone you want to - great. But I don’t think that’s the reality of football.

"I think you need to get the best out of the group of players right in front of you. If you go in January with 18 games to go (like at Motherwell), there’s no philosophy to get in place and wait until the next window. As you might be relegated.

"I feel my strengths rely in my adaptability and you have got to try and hit the ground running if possible. I did it as a player and played in different positions throughout the divisions and you don’t stay the same player. You have to adapt as I do as a coach."