Dean Saunders is pleading for the chance to show that an old head can breathe new life into Bradford City's precarious Premiership position.

The 36-year-old, pictured, hopes for a recall at Southampton tomorrow after being left out of the depressing 3-0 home defeat against Aston Villa.

Saunders said: "I didn't expect what happened and I was very disappointed. I was fit and thought I would be playing.

"I'm here to play and I'm not happy just coming up to collect my wages. We had to win the game and I thought I could contribute to the team.

"But hopefully I will be playing on Saturday. Hopefully people think I've been doing well enough in the games I've played this season without having any luck.

"It's a bit embarrassing for us at the moment and we've just got to dig in. I was proud to be part of it last season and I like to think I can still get round the pitch."

Saunders has started only four times since a knee operation at the start of the season. But he has stuck up for his fellow strikers who have faced the flak following City's five-game goal drought.

He said: "If you aren't creating the chances then it doesn't matter if you play Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Alan Shearer up front - you won't score any goals.

"Since I've been at the club we've had Collymore, Carbone, myself, Blake, Ward, Mills, Windass and Cadette and nobody seems to be able to score many. That's because we don't get the chances - I think Ashley Ward has only had three real ones all season.

"Owen and Heskey miss four or five sitters every week, so does Shearer. When I was at Liverpool, I'd score 25 a season and miss chances every week.

"The golden rule is if you don't miss them, you don't score them. The law of averages says you're not going to score every chance you get.

"The important thing is creating the chances and it's not just down to the strikers. It's also up to other people to get in the box and take the pressure off.

"It's a case of the manager deciding if he sends players up to join the attacks whether the team is good enough to be able to cope with extra bodies going forward instead of holding."