Bradford City boss always willing to let players adapt

The former Salford boss admitted changing shape could be an option, but he did not rule out opting to play Alex Gilliead or Adam Wilson in that position, as both did last Saturday, either.

Of that quartet, only Richards is a natural full-back, but with Liam Ridehalgh (concussion) and Daniel Oyegoke (shoulder) both absent for this weekend’s League Two trip to Notts County, someone will have to come into the side.

And thinking outside of the box, or giving players an opportunity to stake their claim for a position they are unfamiliar with, is something Alexander has relished throughout his managerial career.

Ciaran Kelly is known as a centre-half, but Graham Alexander feels he has the attributes to play at left-back too. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

He told the T&A: “I do look for that in players.

“You have an idea of how you want your team to play, the style you’re after, and what attributes you need in each position to do that.

“(Assistant manager) Chris (Lucketti) and I have had loads of players over the years where we’ve changed their position and tried to break down their abilities.

“Experience can hinder you in that situation as a player, because you might have only played in one position your whole career, or insist you’re just a centre-half, but when was that decided, when you were eight years old?

“Your skills might have drifted towards another position, so we try to take the number off the back of the player and actually look at what their attributes are, and how they fit in our team.

“As I said after the Barrow game, someone on our bench told me Gilly has played at left-back before, so I called him over and asked him.

“He was more than happy to and showed great attitude to be so willing.

“But in the second half, we needed more natural width on the outside, with us having most of the possession, so that’s why I put Adam there, and he did a great job.

“It’s using the players’ attributes to try and create a winning formula.

“I don’t subscribe to the theory of, ‘oh, he’s been a centre-forward all his life, that’s all he can do’.

“I think if you do that, it can negate someone’s opportunity to play in the team.”

That attitude is likely to come in handy for Alexander given City’s current injury troubles.

Ridehalgh’s concussion is set to rule him out for a couple of weeks, while the Bantams will be led by Oyegoke’s parent club Brentford, as they await news from his injury scan and on whether the youngster needs surgery on his shoulder/collarbone after his awkward landing against Barrow.

Vadaine Oliver and Alex Pattison are both back in training for City, but neither are doing full sessions just yet, with the former slightly closer to returning out of the two.

Alex Pattison started the season brightly in league and cup, but injury has meant he has only played twice for City since the end of August. (Image: Thomas Gadd.)

But Alexander insisted he would leave any time frame on their return to the medical staff at the club.

Kevin McDonald and Mark Trueman both took caretaker charge of City after Mark Hughes’ sacking and before Alexander’s arrival.

And while the former Fleetwood and Scunthorpe boss confirmed Trueman was his “eyes in the sky” against Barrow, giving he and Lucketti a view of the action from the other side of the pitch to the dugouts, McDonald was absent with illness and a hamstring twinge.

The 35-year-old is keen to get back into central midfield following his managerial stint, but he has not trained all week following those minor setbacks.

All being well, the Scot is likely to be back in contention to face Accrington Stanley next Saturday.