At the time of writing, on the 3rd of March 2025, Bradford City sit 2nd in Sky Bet League Two with 63 points and a positive goal difference of 16 contributing to the belief that after six seasons in England’s bottom professional division, the Bantams may finally be constructing a season that will promote them to Sky Bet League One automatically. This article will look at key areas that have influenced the League Two outfit’s performances and subsequent results in the 2024/25 season.
The Influence of Graham Alexander –
After Mark Hughes was let go by the Bantams in October of 2023, it was unclear who would rise to the challenge that the job of Bradford City manager would pose but it was Graham Alexander who on November 6th of 2023 was announced as the man to take the outfit forward arriving on a deal until the end of the 2025/26 season. Immediately, we saw Alexander settle into his 3-4-1-2 formation when attacking which was transitioned into a 5-3-2 shape when defending. This setup initially was successful helping the Bantams to gain 49 points from Alexander’s first 30 games helping Alexander’s side to a 9th place finish – a large contrast to 18th place (which the Bantams were in at the time of Hughes’ sacking).
This formation was slightly tweaked going into the current season with Alexander opting for a 3-5-1-1 when attacking and a 5-3-2 when defending which initially had great success in the early stages of the season helping the Bantams to gain 7 points from their first 3 games. However, this was changed with Alexander suiting for a 2 up top formation which engaged with both success and failure as the League Two outfit engaged in the season. This was changed with the injury of Andy Cook which forced Alexander to adapt. Alexander chose to switch both a 3-4-3 formation whilst also choosing a 3-4-2-1 formation which has proven to be highly successful for the Bantams with City losing just 2 in 15 matches.
Alexander’s choice of substitutions has also proven to be effective with the manager making substitutions to change and maintain games helping them to win and see out games – hence explaining the variety of 1-0 wins. This can be seen in the Bantams match against Salford away where Alexander’s choice to put Michael Mellon and Callum Kavanagh onto the pitch helped the Claret and Amber outfit to come from 1-0 down to win 2-1 with a 94th-minute winner coming through a combination of Kavanagh and Mellon leading to the 2nd placed team picking up a crucial three points away from home and whilst also maintaining their gap to both 3rd and 4th.
Here, we can see that Alexander’s choice of formation and substitutions have helped the Bantams to great success changing formations and engaging with his bench when needed to make his team both a robust and a winning side with the 53-year-old winning 52% of his 79 matches in charge of the side – higher than Hughes’ 40% win percentage during his tenure at the League Two side.
A Robust Defense –
The League Two side’s defense has also played a crucial role in their rise up the division with their record of conceding 29 goals being the 2nd best in the league. There are many factors that have influenced this with this record contributing to the Bantams’ 63-point total so far this season.
Firstly, the depth in defense can be seen as the primary reason for helping to concede fewer goals. Through the recruiting of Huntington, Johnson, Crichlow, Bryne, Baldwin, and Shepherd both in the summer and January, the Bantams have been able to create a strong depth in their center-back options ensuring that even if a player gets injured, they can replace them with ease without negatively affecting the lineup. This can be seen through Ciaran Kelly’s injury who has been replaced by a combination of Huntington and Crichlow which has helped to maintain the quality of the defense whilst also maintaining the morale of these defenders by giving them crucial minutes which will certainly help to improve their abilities and experience.
A depth in defense can also be seen through Bradford’s wingback options with Bradley Halliday and Jay Benn acting as options for the right-hand side of the wingback structure whilst Lewis Richards, Tyreik Wright, Tayo Adaramola, and even Brandon Khela acting as options for the left-hand side of the wingback structure. This depth in wingback options on both sides has helped to ensure that the quality of both attacking and defensive standards required by wingbacks is maintained whilst also offering competitiveness forcing the starting wingbacks into improving their performances to keep their spot on the 1st team sheet. This has helped to improve the performances of both starting wingbacks and has contributed to the robustness of the defensive structure Alexander has organized.
Overall, the depth in defense has helped to contribute to the robust nature of the defense leading to the League Two outfit only conceding 29 goals in their 34 games – an average of 0.85 goals per game whilst also keeping 12 clean sheets in that period helping to improve the goal difference of the side.
The Crucial Midfield 4 –
The influence of the Bantam’s “Midfield 4” can be seen through the League Two outfits’ performances with Sarcevic picking up 9 goal contributions whilst Pattison has picked up 8 goal contributions himself helping the Bantams to skyrocket up the League Two table.
Firstly, Pattison’s influence can be seen both on and off the field with his injury which fell between the Bantams’ match against Harrogate Town away on the 28th of September and their home match against Barrow on the 3rd of December causing a downturn in results with the Bantams only able to pick up 13 points in the 10 games he missed during the Bantams’ league campaign. Pattison’s statistics also show his clear influence both in attacking and defensive scenarios with the 27-year-old winning 73.3% of his tackles whilst also boasting a 75.9% pass accuracy percentage – showing his accuracy and involvement in the Claret and Amber outfit’s performances. His goal contributions are also influential with the League Two side’s number 16 scoring goals and assisting in both crucial 1-0 wins such as his rocket against Accrington Stanley and assisting Callum Kavanagh’s goal against Carlisle in January.
Antoni Sarcevic’s presence also poses a great benefit to the Bantams’ midfield with his goal contributions and strength contributing to the success of the midfield. However, as with Alex Pattison, we can see that injuries have impacted the number 10’s time on the pitch with Sarcevic’s injury falling in the Bantams’ match against Bromley on the 24th of August 2024 and lasting until the 14th of December in Alexander’s sides clash against Swindon. During this timeframe, we can see that the Bantams were only able to pick 17 points from the 13 games that the 32-year-old missed – showing how Sarcevic’s 72.3% pass accuracy and 53.2% of aerial duels won were missed. Sarcevic’s influence can mainly be seen in the Bantams’ attacking play with the number 10 having 32 shots and scoring 5 goals such as in the League Two outfit’s crucial game against Harrogate Town at the University of Bradford stadium which they won 1-0 through Sarcevic’s header in the 2nd minute.
Bobby Pointon’s flair, movement, and attacking knowledge have been a kind surprise for the Bantams faithful this season as the youth academy product has broken into the 1st team scoring 4 goals whilst assisting 5 in his role as a central attacking midfielder and left winger. In his 38 appearances so far this season, both from the bench and as a starter, Pointon has excelled boasting an 80.1% success in his attempted passes whilst also executing 53.1% of his dribbles in League Two this season whilst also scoring in crucial games such as in the Bantams’ away fixture against Bromley where his 82nd-minute goal ensured that Alexander’s side picked up all three points whilst also assisting in crucial 1-0 victories such as his assist to Alex Pattison’s goal against Accrington Stanley at Valley Parade. Overall, his excellent statistics, goal contributions, and passion for the club have helped him to excel for the Bantams’ midfield whilst also cementing his place in the side’s “Midfield 4”.
Finally, Richie Smallwood’s performance and leadership qualities have played a crucial role in Bradford City’s midfield and the team’s performances so far this season. The 34-year-old, who has not missed a single league game this season, acts as the outfit’s main defensive midfielder and captain leading his side out onto the field and contributing heavily towards the Bantams’ defensive actions winning 66.3% of his tackles whilst also making 29 interceptions helping to prevent attackers from posing more of a threat against the claret and amber side’s defense. However, his influence can also be seen through his attacking abilities creating 39 chances whilst also boasting a 76.2% pass accuracy helping to contribute to his 2 assists in the season so far. The Bantams’ number 6 also has three goals this season further contributing to his influence in the Valley Parade outfit’s performances.
Overall, Bradford City’s “Midfield 4” contribute crucial steps in the Bantams’ attacking and defenders putting forward 31 goal contributions between the four of them whilst also taking part in the side’s excellent defensive ability with the outfit only conceding 29 goals – the 2nd best in the division.
Andy Cook –
Andy Cook is one of the most recognizable names in the EFL and National League scoring goals and assisting them across a 14-year career including 4 years with the Bantams. His contribution both on and off the pitch can be seen to influence the Bantams’ rise up League Two.
Firstly, his on-the-pitch contributions have been crucial in helping to earn the Valley Parade outfit important points in the 2024/25 season. Through winning 180 duels including 53.5% of his aerial duels, Bradford’s number 9 has been able to create opportunities both for himself and for others acting as a key link between the attack, midfield, and defense throughout the opening half of the season – in which he was fit. This along with his 63 shots has helped him to score 12 goals this season, the most of any Bantams player this season which currently puts him 6th in the ranking for top scorer this season even with 3 months out due to his ACL injury which he picked up on New Year’s Day at Barrow. These goals have earned his side crucial points such as against Port Vale on Boxing Day where his two goals in the 3rd and 59th minute respectively earned the Bantams all three points and kickstarted the Bantams’ excellent Christmas run.
However, as previously mentioned, the 34-year-old did pick up an ACL injury on New Year’s Day. But, this has not stopped him from creating a positive influence with his appearances away at Carlisle and at home to MK Dons helping to create a more effective and personal bond between the squad and the fans. As well as this, his presence at training sessions even when not taking part has helped to mentor younger strikers such as Michael Mellon, Callum Kavanagh, and Harry Ibbisition contributing to their improvements in both confidence and ability.
Overall, we can see that Cook’s contributions both on and off the pitch have helped to earn Bradford crucial points whilst also helping to strengthen the bond between the fans and squad creating a stronger bond and support for the team as the Bantams move into the later stages of the season.
An Improved Mentality and Team Spirit –
As the season has progressed, it can be argued that the League Two side has incorporated a “never say die” attitude which can be seen in their performances so far this season such as in their comeback win against Chesterfield on the 29th of December where Alexander’s side came from 1-0 down in the 35th minute to win 2-1 at the end of proceedings. On this occasion, we saw that the side didn’t let their heads drop and with the support of the crowd were able to draw level through Bobby Pointon’s flick before halftime before Antoni Sarcevic capitalized on a mistake by Jamie Grimes to score in the 52nd minute. This mentality has been present in the outfit on many occasions this season helping the Bantams to bring back points from losing positions – contributing to the outfit’s 63-point total, higher than the 46 points the side had gained at this stage last year.
Furthermore, an improved team spirit can be seen in the Valley Parade outfit’s squad this season with the bond between members of the team growing as the season progresses. This can be seen through the post-match photos that have been seen on X on many occasions after matches showing the squad inside the dressing room together after a victory. As well as this, the inside matchday series that can be seen on the Bradford City YouTube channel has shown the bond that the players have through their pre and post-match reactions and the fight that they clearly show for each other on the field.
Writer’s View –
Overall, we can see the differing factors that have contributed to Bradford City’s rise up the League Two table with the manager, defense, and midfield acting as consistent factors whilst the factor of Andy Cook offering an on-field and off-field advantage helping to build a stronger team mentality and bond – which can be used in the later stages of the season as the Bantams fight for a place in Sky Bet League One next season.
