ROMAIN Vincelot believes City’s long-term ambitions are in safe hands.

The skipper extended his Valley Parade contract by another year at the start of the season.

Centre halves Matt Kilgallon and Nathaniel Knight-Percival also followed suit as the club tied them down until the summer of 2019.

After several experienced players were allowed to run out the clock last term, Vincelot feels the show of commitment underlines the confidence within the team.

He said: “It is a good sign, especially when you have good pros like Killa and Nat who are happy here.

“It is not like when you sometimes have players who get a contract and then take it easy.

“When you get the right people like them, you know they will take care of it as they want to enjoy it and want maybe another one (contract) if they do well.

“There is a comfort of being in a good club. They have been everywhere and know how good it is to be playing football at a team where it is going smoothly and you enjoy getting up and going training.”

Leaders Shrewsbury are without a game today because of international call-ups so third-placed City will cut the gap with a home victory over Plymouth.

But Vincelot knows that League One’s bottom club present a stubborn challenge.

"It is going to be hard,” he added. “It is not a given.

“They are going to defend hard and they will give everything to stay solid.

“As for them, without being pretentious, with the position they are in, to come to Bradford and where we are, a point would be a good result for them.

“We must concentrate and we will have to be really patient. You never know, but maybe it is going to be one of these games where we have a lot of ball and possession from side to side and not create as much as the people in the stands would maybe like.

“They may like more action, but it is about being patient and not letting the frustration take over.

“We went to Bury (and lost) – and look at the league table. The level between the teams is very, very close and nothing is going to be easy and we are aware of that.”

As Valley Parade stages its third game in eight days, Vincelot is preparing for the tougher winter conditions.

“To find someone with a good pass on the floor is sometimes difficult as you have to take another touch to have complete control of the ball and you lose time.

“When you have a team sitting deep, it has to be quick to make them go out of position when you go from one side to the other to have the opportunity to play one-touch and break the line.

“Sometimes, it's a bit hard. You can try, but it can go to the wrong side of your foot.

“But that is football. Last year was the same and we dealt with it okay – it is not a big thing.”

The City midfielder is also getting accustomed to the darker days – something that he has become used to since arriving in the English game at Dagenham seven years ago.

He said: “When you come to the end of October and you change the clock, there is this natural feeling where you can have one week or ten days where you are a bit grumpy. Then you just come back to normal and adapt.

“For the first three or four years, you think ‘where is the sun and light?’ That is the big issue.

“I think I am used to it now. This is the time where it is about being strong as a team mentally and individually.

“It is very important for the group, when they get up in the morning, to know that they are going to be training with their mates and to have a good session.

“There is nothing worse in the winter if you don't want to get up to go to work, I guess, if your job is hard.”