Video summary
Following the match against Cambridge, Alexander addressed the team's disappointing loss by acknowledging that while the result was not deserved given their performance, the squad must take responsibility for failing to convert chances and conceding two goals from set-piece situations rather than general play. He noted that although the team struggled in the opening fifteen minutes of both halves, they eventually found their rhythm and created excellent opportunities, including a fantastic save by the goalkeeper against a header. However, the manner in which the goals were conceded was described as cheap and unexpected, occurring when the team was on the offensive rather than under sustained pressure, which left them vulnerable to sudden breaks that exposed defensive lapses.
Alexander expressed surprise at the sudden decline in defensive solidity, contrasting this recent form with the team's impressive record of four clean sheets in their first four games earlier in the season. He emphasized that while the players have shown great maturity by taking accountability and discussing their errors immediately after the match, there is a limit to how long such mistakes can persist before they must be corrected through focused work. The manager highlighted that these defensive issues are not reflective of the team's overall quality or their strong start but rather a specific blip in an extremely heavy fixture list involving eight games in twenty-eight days with significant travel demands.
To address squad depth and competition, Alexander confirmed the signing of Corey, a versatile wing-back capable of playing on either flank, which was seen as a logical move given Tariq's current injury. He stressed that the club does not operate as a closed shop and believes no player should be guaranteed a spot, aiming instead to foster a competitive environment where new signings can help improve the team's overall strength. While he acknowledged that integrating these new players fully might take a couple of weeks due to the congested schedule, he remains confident that the squad has sufficient numbers to compete effectively until January without suffering adverse effects from potential departures.
Looking ahead, Alexander admitted that while perfection is unattainable, the team must learn to adapt to the reality of their fixture list rather than hoping for postponements or ideal scenarios that may not materialize. He explained that rotating players during this intense period is necessary to keep everyone fit and prevent burnout, even if it means some new faces have to be introduced quickly without full familiarity with the team's intricacies. Ultimately, he concluded that while losing at this level carries no shame, conceding goals of such a nature does not sit right with anyone involved, and the squad must treat these setbacks as isolated incidents in a challenging season rather than signs of a deeper structural problem.
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We're going and you look at all the the
stats around that game, you must be
thinking how do how do we lose that?
>> 100% I don't think it's a game we should
win and um
but we have no one ourselves to blame.
We we should take
some of the opportunities we created and
we shouldn't have conceded the two goals
that we conceded. Um
They're so poor. Um
We just uh
you know, we just gave the game away
really with those those two moments and
uh
I think they had two shots on target and
scored two goals um from nothing really,
not not general play and I thought they
carried a threat. They
they were
a strong outfit. Um but we managed most
of the game on that side of it but the
actual nature of the two goals we
conceded are are awful really.
>> This is like his first half you you
know, the team perhaps took a little bit
of a while to get going but once you
did, you created some you know, very
good chances. I mean the keeper made a
couple of good saves.
>> Yeah, he did.
>> But they were they were good
opportunities.
>> Yeah, they were. They were.
You know, the the save from Beezy's
header is is a fantastic save.
Um yeah, you're right. I think uh the
first 10 10-15 minutes I thought um it
was a difficult game for us. I thought
fair play to
to Cambridge um in how they approached
it but you know, we we finally got our
legs going and we finally got the sort
of feel for the game and um and we put
them on the back foot but I was
reasonably okay nil-nil at half time
because
you know, the biggest thing here um is
conceding and uh making it more
difficult and
the first 15 minutes second half it was
just one-way traffic, you know, it was
just a
a
a case of waiting for the goal to go in
but we conceded a goal from absolutely
nothing and uh put put ourselves under
pressure but the response was good from
the team. Didn't didn't get him
>> [sighs and gasps]
>> sort of down downbeat or downhearted,
and scored a goal to get back into it.
Had plenty of time to to create other
opportunities, and but when we concede
that sort of late, it's um
Yeah, we and the the the manner of the
goal is is so cheap.
>> And and the fact that both goals came at
as you say at a time when your team were
on the on the offensive, and then you
know, it's it wasn't the case of they're
building pressure and that goal came
from that. Was it that they both
literally came out of the blue?
>> Out and completely out of the blue. Um
Yeah,
you know, it's it's hard to explain.
I've seen I've seen them back, and
they're they're they're
they're basic errors from ourselves.
Um but there's other things that after
certainly second goal when they
when they break down our side that we
know that we should do better, and um
it's important that we we we recognize
that and um and speak about it, but you
know, we did that on Saturday and on
Monday, and
lads were explaining it and and
>> [clears throat]
>> and taking accountability, which is
great, and I really like that, but you
know, there's a there's a
there's only so long that can carry on,
you know, and and actually put it in
into action, but
um but we've had two really dis-
disappointing results from two games I
don't I don't believe we deserve to
lose, but we have lost. And it comes
down to us not defending well enough,
and that's quite a surprise considering
our record for the last 2 years, and
certainly our record at the start of the
season, four clean sheets out of four
games. And um
so it's hard to explain the the sudden
shift, you know, in two games, but it is
two games, it's not a period of
of fixtures. Um
but it's something we have to address um
quickly. We can't concede goals like we
have done in the last two games.
>> Obviously, because of the the nature of
today, obviously, you've got new faces
coming in.
I mean, in terms of the business as it
stands, you've been pretty pleased with
what you've been able to do over the
last 24 hours or so.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I think
so. I think we brought in good players
that that give us
good strength in the positions that they
play. And um
you know, they'll they'll be you know,
eager to show what they can do, I think.
And you know, the last two games have
not been great results for us. So
you know,
the players will be looking at it and
thinking I I can help that improve.
>> It's It's not a closed shop, is it?
>> No. No. No. I don't want it to be as
well. I don't think anyone should be
guaranteed a spot in the team. I think
it's got to be a competitive group, a
competitive competitive environment. And
but to do that, you have to have players
for each position. You can't just have
one individual there. So I think the
players we brought in give gives us
that. And it's not an overly big squad,
but it's certainly strong enough with
with the the people we brought in. And
and now we we have the tie or sorry,
after you know, 40 minutes or so
we'll know who we've got
for for definite. And
get down to work. Our first training
with with those lads will be tomorrow.
Um but it's going to be limited in in
the next couple of weeks because of our
game schedule, which is extremely heavy.
>> Obviously, getting Corey in I mean, I
know wing-back was one of those areas
you wanted that that cover. And the fact
that he can play both sides as well.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's It's you know, we
spoke to him
um last week and
you know, his versatility being able to
play him on both sides is important to
us, I think. Yeah. You know, obviously
Tariq's injured at the minute. So we
didn't particularly want to just bring
in just an individual left wing-back to
compete with Ebby. I think I thought we
could um when Corey's name come up, you
know, we knew he could play both sides.
It seemed a logical sort of uh
uh player to bring in. And he's a good
age. He was really motivated to come to
us when when we spoke to him. So um
yeah, it's I think he's a a good quality
player that he gives us options.
>> I'm saying 40 minutes left and there's a
lot of talk of Steven Humphreys
potentially going out. Is that that
anything
>> I don't I don't know cuz I
I didn't even know we'd actually
announce Corey because it was sort of a
blackout for me with the with the
with the game. So
I'll I'll have to pick it up with the
the guys now
within next half an hour to see if any
more ins or outs
ongoing. There's always calls on the
last day. I know that. From clubs left,
right, and center about players
we've been the same. So but I have not
yet spoke to to Ronald Davidson since
the end of the game.
>> If if you were to lose a player could
potentially could
cope in terms of squad size and and the
makeup of the squad?
>> Yeah, but I believe so. Yeah, I believe
we've got the the numbers now to to
compete for the next four or five months
until January at least.
So it's I don't think if we we lost a
player now, I don't think it would
affect us adversely. So um
Yeah, but I
honestly don't know cuz
like I said I think the last contact I
had was about 3:00 this afternoon and
then it was just like focus on the game.
>> Were you Were you surprised to be able
to get a player of Corey's quality cuz
he's been a fairly important player for
both sides for the last few years?
>> Um
I don't know
very rarely am I surprised with
recruitment or anything to do with
football nowadays but
I think
I think managers they obviously a new
manager there and they they they always
come in with their own ideas and stuff
like that but
so I couldn't tell you about
I wouldn't say I was surprised because I
cuz I don't look in depth every other
club and see what their sort of
things are but as soon as we get a sort
of
the the opportunity to sign somebody or
if it comes to us we look at it
and judge it
and can they improve our squad?
We felt that with Corey and um we had to
wait a few days to see if it was
possible to do. And um so it's been sort
of bubbling for maybe 4 5 days. So it
was um it was good that we we finally
got the green light um earlier today.
>> And uh I know you never achieve
perfection as a manager, but in terms of
the key areas you were looking to
address, do you feel like you've
improved all of those?
>> Yeah, yeah. I think you like I say, with
Corey coming in who can play off both
sides, um but you know, obviously he's a
right-footed player, but he he's
comfortable on the left, but you know,
Tyrique coming back in 6 weeks or so. I
think we've got, you know, duplicate
players in in all the positions, which
is good.
Um they they've all got good quality.
They all fit into what we want as a a
Bradford City player.
Um
so we'll but it's it's going to be
probably a couple of weeks until we all
get them on the same training pitch um
because of the nature of how many games
we've got going on, so it's going to be
a little bit of um
I don't want to throw them in at the
deep end, you know, when they they don't
know exactly how we play and, you know,
all the intricacies, but you know, we
they might have to because we've got so
many games coming up.
>> In an ideal world, would you hope for
maybe a postponement or two in the
international break to just give you
that opportunity to Would that be a good
time to sort of judge your squad?
>> Yeah, no. Do you know what? I don't
really look at and hope for things like
that. I just deal with the reality. So
if our fixtures are in, that's it. We
get our head round it. If anything
changes,
but it it changes for real, then we we
adapt. But I don't go there like, you
know, I don't look forward to going home
and this might happen and that happen. I
think it weakens your mentality if it
doesn't happen. So I think um we we will
approach um the fixtures as as it is.
And and uh you know, we we've sort of
rotated
two or three players tonight. We'll do
the same on Saturday. We have to keep
the uh squad fit. So we've got good
strength, but we haven't got excessive
numbers. Um so we have to make sure that
we get through this period especially
cuz I think it's
I think it's about eight games in in 28
days or something. That's quite a heavy
schedule you know with the traveling as
well that we've obviously seen just last
week and coming up in in a week's time.
But that's why we try to get players as
fit as they possibly can be.
>> And just back to today's game. I mean
the goals you conceded do you put them
down to concentration?
>> A little bit yeah. I think I think it
was a
bit of focus, concentration, lack of
care. So
I think it is
you know we'll we'll look at them
tomorrow and I think the players will
easily explain what they should have
done.
That's it. They're not the first ones to
make mistakes. I made loads of mistakes
as a player but it's something we have
to we have to
knuckle down on because it's something
we've been
exceptionally strong on I think. Not
conceding certainly cheap goals anyway.
Goals of that nature.
So it's we have to make sure that we do
the work to make it make sure it's it's
just a little blip in a
in a heavy schedule that's going to come
up for the rest of the season to be
fair.
But we're learning about players, we're
learning about the group and we're
learning about the level still because
we've got a new team sort of thing or
not a new team but quite a few new
players.
But I think we made a really positive
start in the first four games but it's
just the nature of the goals you know
listen there's no
shame in getting beat at this level
against anybody but the nature of the
the defeat with the types of goals we
conceded that is something that it don't
sit right with any of us to be honest
and and I include the players in
>> Thanks mate.