It was a meek performance on the road.
Graham Alexander, manager of Bradford City, has let out a stern criticism of the team's slow start after going down 2-1 in Saturday's Yorkshire derby at the Exercise Stadium. The first 22 minutes for Bradford were abysmal as they went behind to concede two goals. All things became steep uphill from there, which they were not strong enough to scale, marking the third consecutive League Two loss on the road. Stephen Dooley and Ellis Taylor scored early minutes for Harrogate, seizing Bradford's lack of organization and general defensive vulnerability.
Despite a strike by Andy Cook in the 29th minute giving Bantams hope, Alexander's men couldn't find an equalizing solution, earning his head coach irate by the end of it all, with which he scorched them at the post-match press conference. "We were just so loose," said Alexander. "The first 20 minutes, we just cannot repeat ever again. Ever. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb, and it was nowhere near the level of performance we needed." His disappointment was palpable, pointing to his side's passive approach during the early stages, which he deemed completely unacceptable.
The Bradford manager made this comment: "We handed the three points to them, certainly, because we could not exert any pressure and gave them far too much to do.". "If we want to do anything this season, that first 20 minutes is not acceptable. We wouldn't even accept that in training if we were doing an 11 versus 11. We'd stop the training and ask questions." Bradford's passivity was even more galling, for Alexander's side, usually at least—presses on high. No way could the manager believe that his players were not reacting to the expected intensity in this type of high-stakes derby, and that lack of pressure allowed Harrogate to dominate the first half of the game.
He did not hold back on the mentality of his team, especially with the setbacks they had away from home. The Harrogate defeat followed similar patterns of results against Grimsby Town and Walsall, where poor starts have been a common issue. "You have got to play as you train," Alexander continued, his voice full of frustration and concern. "We might as well just park training or run around the pitch four days a week if we are not going to have the courage to do what we do in training when the whistle blows."
The manager felt that his team possesses the quality to play much better and emphasized that at pivotal moments, there's a requirement for a tougher mentality and a characteristic of winners when the need arises, which it feels is missing. "At 2-0, there's nothing to lose, and then we show the courage we needed from the first minute. Maybe we're not respectful enough of the opposition, and it's a concern because this is three away games in succession where the start has followed a similar pattern."
Alexander was visibly frustrated by his side, but Harrogate Town boss Simon Weaver was in his element, praising the performance and, of course, the result. The Harrogate side was out of the traps running and Weaver praised their intensity and execution. "We were worthy winners," he said. "In a derby, there's always plenty of drama, and suddenly at 2-1 they're back in the game from nothing when we could and should have blown them away in the first half with the way we were playing."
We never lost our composure, and we got the three points deserved. It was a fantastic performance, and we are pleased with the three points, which is what we wanted, but you don't always get it," he summed up. Only on the road do things now look grim for Bradford. With this latest defeat, Alexander must reassess his side's approach to away games, especially if they are to mount a real promotion push. The intensity and game plan put together with being known for high-pressure battles, which evaporate when playing away, have left them vulnerable to teams quicker off the mark.
