Bradford City boss envious as top three celebrate going up

Stockport, Mansfield and Wrexham have all booked up the automatic spots to leave the rest of the division scrambling for the play-offs.

City still have the slimmest of chances going into tomorrow’s trip to Walsall, who sit just a point outside the top seven.

And Alexander admits he has been watching with envy as the top three lap up the celebrations.

“My first thought was jealousy,” he said. “I wish it was us.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of those scenes at the end of a season before and it’s an amazing feeling.

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“It’s the scenes, the feeling, the emotions you get from those occasions and the forward-thinking and anticipation of what’s coming next season.

“It’s all those things that I’m envious of because it’s rewarding.

“When you see somebody else doing it and it’s not you, any competitor feels a tinge of jealousy.

“But it’s also an indication of what you have to do going forward.

“There are players in our squad that have had those times and it whets the appetite to do it again.

“There are also players who haven’t had that and I can assure them it’s worth the work that they have to put in to achieve it.

“It took me a long time in my playing career to get to that level. It wasn’t until the late 20s that I had my first success.

“It was something I always wanted to taste again because it’s a fantastic feeling.

“But nobody lets you do it. You have to grind and work exceptionally hard.”

Andy Cook scored a late winner for City at Wrexham (Image: Thomas Gadd)

City, who are still five points adrift of seventh with three to play, lost just one of their six league meetings with the top three – the 5-1 home thrashing by Mansfield last month.

They drew twice with champions Stockport and took four points off Wrexham. That just highlighted the up-and-down form that has dogged the season.

Alexander added: “We know what this team is capable of at one end of the spectrum – but also the other.

“We’ve seen that in the last month over the course of the last eight games. We’ve had two extremes in performances.

“We’re trying to educate and instil the consistent habits and behaviours that happen day in, day out to be able to perform at a consistent level.

“I guarantee it doesn’t just happen by wishing it along.

“It’s about the discipline in how you train, you prepare, you live your life. Those things get you through the difficult moments.

“It starts in the off-season programme and the players taking that through so they are ready to go from day one in pre-season.

“The six or seven weeks in pre-season will build up towards how we will perform.”

The promoted trio have all been well backed financially but Alexander insists a big budget is no guarantee for success.

There are other factors he is determined to drum into City to be challenging next time.

“English football is always competitive. I wouldn’t say that the budget of those clubs dictate that they finish there.

Wrexham fans on the pitch after sealing successive promotions (Image: PA)

“It obviously helps but each of those managers and players have done what it takes to be consistent.

“If you’re promoted, there’s no luck involved over the course of 46 games. You deserve that.

“Rather than looking at what others might have or who’s coming into the division, we know where we have to get this team to perform week in, week out.

“We know what has to be in place - the feeling, the teamwork, the hard work, the physicality, the fitness levels, the organisation, the set-piece output.

“It’s about all those things regardless of who we’re going to play against next season. It doesn’t matter who comes down, who goes up or who’s still in here.”