ROMAIN Vincelot won’t be shouting from the rooftops about City’s promotion hopes.

There is no chance of getting a natty soundbite from the eloquent Frenchman as the season reaches its nitty-gritty.

Whatever Vincelot thinks about how the remaining few weeks will unfold, he is likely to keep it to himself – and the Bantams skipper makes no apology for that.

He’s not being deliberately unhelpful; far from it. Vincelot just knows that, at such a delicate stage of the campaign, actions speak far louder than words.

There is no way he wants any provocative quotes pinned up in a rival dressing room.

Vincelot said: “It’s nice to be positive but we need to be careful. Whatever you say will be read by everyone.

“I know people say footballers always have the same speech but everybody sees it, so you must be careful.

“At the same time, it also matters that you don’t put more pressure on yourself and your team-mates by saying ‘we can do this or that’.

“We’re in a good position with eight games to go but there is nothing done.

“We can do something good but it has not happened yet, so it is best to just keep your head down and keep working. Focus on yourself as a player.”

Recent history suggests that Vincelot, who has eyes only on tomorrow’s clash with Swindon at Valley Parade, is probably wise to keep his own counsel.

With eight games to go last season, Gillingham were sitting pretty in fourth place.

They had a four-point advantage on Barnsley, the closest challenger just outside the play-offs, as well as a game in hand. By the time the league campaign was over, Paul Heckingbottom’s Tykes were in the top six – and on their way to a Wembley promotion.

Gillingham had stumbled to ninth and five points behind – that’s a nine-point turnaround in just eight matches.

Think back to City’s play-off success in 2013. With eight games left, Phil Parkinson’s Bantams were still seven points off the final spot and looking an outsider in the race.

Fifth-placed Exeter, meanwhile, had a five-point cushion on the chasing pack with a game in hand. Like Gillingham, they blew up on the home stretch to miss out completely.

Vincelot said: “There are only eight games to go or seven weeks, however you look at it, and we are excited.

“But you have to control that excitement and just think about the next game.

“There is more positive feeling in the approach because of the fantastic position we are in.

“But be careful that we don’t get carried away and start thinking about things that are too far ahead.

“Being excited is good but we must keep working the same each time.

“There are still plenty of points to play for and things can change.

“Don’t think about the games as a whole. The next one is all that matters, then if you do well you concentrate on the one after. This is the only way it works.”

Not that Vincelot is concerned about any of his team-mates getting a bit giddy during the run-in.

“No, all of us have got experience,” he said. “The manager will also make sure we focus on the right thing – and the right thing is the next game. That’s the best way.”