EDIN Rahic believes City are still in the mix to win automatic promotion.

The Bantams aim to put last week’s FA Cup misery behind them when they return to league action tomorrow against struggling Northampton at Valley Parade.

With 20 games to go, Stuart McCall’s side are currently six points off second-placed Shrewsbury.

And chairman Rahic reckons a tilt at the top two is not out the question if they really go for it.

He said: “We’ve beaten (leaders) Wigan and the question now is what will the teams invest during January.

“But second position is possible. Shrewsbury, Blackburn, Charlton, Scunthorpe – we are one of five and we have a chance. We’re fifth on 48 points and we’re on track to go for automatic promotion.

“Everyone has to work as a team and must understand that we need that extra five per cent which makes a difference in the top three or four.”

The key area is improving a home record that is currently the worst in the top half of the table.

City’s sensational away form has bagged 29 points from 13 games on the road but they have already been beaten six times at Valley Parade.

Rahic added: “We’ve discussed it several times as to why and nobody has the answer.

“But if you want to knock on the door of automatic promotion, we have to be better at home.

“How can we find a way not to concede that many goals? Compare how many goals Wigan and Shrewsbury have conceded at home, four, and we’ve let in 19.

“Away we are brilliant so it’s difficult to understand.

“But I saw Doncaster Rovers went up (to the Championship in 2013) with a great away record and were average at home.

“The clubs are scared when they play at home against us because we really threaten teams away.

“Sometimes we haven’t really deserved to win, like at Portsmouth and then we were the better side against Scunthorpe and Plymouth and haven’t won.

“It’s a very tight league and you have to concentrate on three or four situations in your box and their box – that’s the difference.

“You must concentrate for the right moment to do the right thing, both in defence and attack. That’s so difficult and it’s what we are working on.”

Northampton are currently two points from safety in the drop zone but City have lost to two of the bottom four. Plymouth also won at Valley Parade when they were bottom in November.

With an eight-point cushion in the play-offs now, Rahic feels City can afford to gamble against sides not around them in the mix.

He said: “In these games you can afford to change your approach and tactics. We will support Stuart in taking risks if we go for a win because if we lose it’s okay as they are not a competitor in the top six.

“Then you have the massive six-point games against Shrewsbury, Scunthorpe and Blackburn – those are the ones you can’t lose.

“Often we maybe struggle against clubs at the bottom. Turn that around and we have a massive chance.

“We have to believe we can do it. That’s the most important thing.

“People talk about budgets and which teams have the highest. But it’s all speculation, nobody knows.

“It’s about proper recruitment and supporting what Stuart is doing with the team in terms of getting the best out of the players and as a team we all believe in this together.”