Gary Jones is delighted with the way City have coped with their step “into the unknown”.

The eighth-placed Bantams have lost only one of their opening seven games in League One – and are looking down on some illustrious names.

It may be far too early in the season for anyone to get carried away but Jones is satisfied with their solid introduction.

He said: “People usually start to look at the table after about ten games. But we’d rather be where we are than the big clubs like Sheffield United or Bristol City.

“If you don’t start well, then you’re always playing catch-up and trying to chase games. It’s massively important.

“Look at Coventry and what a start they’ve had. They were on minus ten before a ball was kicked and now they’re in positive figures already.

“People will be looking over their shoulders at them now. A positive start sets you in good stead.

“If someone had offered me 12 points at this stage I’d have probably taken it because we were going into the unknown.

“Obviously we did fantastically well last year but we’ve gone up a division. We’re facing better players and you’ve got bigger clubs with bigger budgets than us.”

Yorkshire rivals Sheffield United and Bristol City, both tipped as promotion challengers, are languishing in the relegation zone. They are already 17 points behind runaway leaders Leyton Orient.

Jones said: “It’s all pressure on them because they’ve started badly. Bristol City have come down but they are struggling and haven’t won a game this season.

“Sheffield United say they’ve halved the budget but it will still be big. They’ve just signed Marlon King, so that shows what kind of finances they’ve got. He won’t be there on buttons.

“We’ve lost once in seven games, which is a decent start – that’s all it is. But we’re looking down on quite a few teams in the table and that’s a nice feeling.”