DOMINIC Poleon admits he does not understand the current doom and gloom about City.

The Bantams will be well supported at Bristol Rovers this afternoon as they try to get back on track from successive losses after the club laid on free travel for fans.

They still have a breathing gap of six points in a play-off spot despite last week’s seventh home League One defeat of the season against Northampton.

Poleon, eyeing his first start in six games after fully recovering from a hamstring problem, feels there is no need for any grumbling.

The striker said: “I personally don’t really get it. We’ve done over half of the season and we’re still in the top six.

“We’re not fighting relegation, we’re not struggling to think where the next win is going to come from because we’ve been performing so badly.

“When I hear all these negative things like ‘Bradford this, Bradford that’, I wonder where would people rather us be?

“Obviously apart from first or second, would you rather us be tenth and be wanting to get in the top six? We’re in there and we have been all season.”

City’s on-going hunt for signings in the transfer window has increased the anxiety as injuries bite deep into Stuart McCall’s team plans.

But Poleon is confident of maintaining the run that has cemented a place in the play-off mix – and has urged fans to stop worrying.

He said: “I get that in football you’re not going to win every game. It’s a tough league and you’ve got to do the best you can.

“But realistically, I’d understand this more if we were slipping between sixth and seventh. If we were dropping out of the play-off places, I could see why the majority would be saying ‘what’s going on?’

“But we haven’t been out of the top six once. We’ve been consistent and have enough points on the board to keep us in there.

“We have to take some credit from that. We’ve had one or two bad results but we’re still there. January is always a strange month. But the fact we’ve never come out of the top six and we’re comfortably in there – I think people just need to relax a little bit.

“Get behind the team because negativity is not going to breed positivity. If everyone backs us and the management and staff, then I’m sure we’ll be fine.”

Having scored two in two last month, Poleon felt a pain in his hamstring after the win at Southend which ruled him out over Christmas and the New Year double-header.

He came back off the bench at Yeovil but is only now getting back to full fitness.

Poleon said: “If you get a knock, you feel something straight away. I didn’t feel anything with this one.

“I just realised it wasn’t quite right after the game and it happened to be my hamstring. But I’m fully back, fully fit and it’s time to pick it up again.

“It’s frustrating but I’ve done everything I could possibly do so that it doesn’t happen again.

“Thanks to the medical team Chris (Royston) and Dayle (Avison), who have been busy of late with so many injured to deal with. They’ve mucked in with everyone and pushed us back out slowly.

“I’ve been in teams when none of your main players have got injured. But here it’s like someone above us is trying to knock us out of the top six. But we’re still being positive and getting back out there.”

While City’s Valley Parade form has been poor, they have the best record on the road in the division with 29 points and nine wins from 13 games.

Poleon said: “Someone is going to have to keep sprinkling the magic dust on our team coach.

“That is a good stat to have – but we don’t think any different. We approach every game the same.

“I’ve been in teams on long unbeaten runs but never had a record like this away from home.

“But you don’t think about it as a player. You’re not thinking ‘home game could be sticky but we’re away so it’s fine’. Fingers crossed, long may it continue.”