Yann Songo’o relishing learning under Mark Hughes at Bradford City

Just six matches in, these are early days in Hughes’s time as Bantams manager. Still to win at home, there is much more to do, but after three clean sheets in four matches and using an approach which has created a more positive mood both on the training ground and the terraces, Songo’o thinks things are moving in the right direction.

Bradford were at a low ebb when Derek Adams was sacked in February as a season which was supposed to end in promotion fizzled into mediocrity again.

As one of many players signed by the Scot, Songo’o is certainly not rushing to put the boot in on Adams, but he can see progress under former international and Premier League manager Hughes.

“It’s just different,” he commented. “It’s a different staff.

“Derek Adams recruited most of these players and did what he could. We worked hard for him.

“Since the new staff has come in the place has been a bit different, the players have been a little bit happier and players who weren’t being given opportunities before are being given opportunities now.

“The players want to fight for this staff and this manager and you can see that week in, week out we’re getting better and better.”

As someone who has only worked at elite level before, both as a highly-decorated player and a manager, Songo’o says the Welshman has been very demanding from the off.

“The manager wants really high standards from every single one of us on the training ground and we don’t want to disappoint him,” he said.

“The training sessions are really hard and he wants us to control games and have possession of the ball, to press high. He asks a lot of things but so far we have delivered.

“That’s the minimum. On Saturday he was happy with the performance (in a 0-0 draw at home to promotion-chasing Newport County) but that’s the minimum he wants, that standard of performance. That keeps us on our toes on a daily basis and I think the boys are really enjoying that.

“He always wants more from us and we know we can give more.”