Graham Alexander says Bantams must win the crowd over again

With the play-offs now realistically out of sight, Graham Alexander has stressed to his players the need to get the crowd back onside.

The angry chants during Saturday’s defeat at Harrogate, City’s fourth on the bounce, showed that patience has snapped in the stands.

It makes for a potentially sticky afternoon at Valley Parade against Tranmere on Friday as supporters voice their frustration.

Alexander views the final seven games as a huge test of character for his squad – with many playing for their future at the club.

The City boss admits it is vital that the team turn up with a proper performance to start the Easter double-header.

“We have to understand it’s about (finding) that performance,” he said. “Of course, we want to win and we always need to have that will.

“But I don’t think we’re going up or down this season, so it’s about what we look like and how we make people feel about us.

“We have to make our supporters, the people around us, feel that we’ve still got good characters and personalities. That’s what we have to show.

“We’ve got no other choice. If we show anything other than that, then we’re going to lose.”

Calum Kavanagh and Jon Tomkinson will both be back in contention for Friday after going off on international duty.

Daniel Oyegoke deputised for Tomkinson as the right-sided centre half in the Notts County and Harrogate defeats. He was arguably City’s best player at the weekend but scored an own goal to compound the misery.

Alexander has some sympathy for the Brentford loanee.

“We’ve all been there as defenders,” he said. “If you put yourself on the block and try and do the right things, sometimes it’s going to go against you.

“He can hold his head high in the last two games. He’s come from five months out to straight into playing twice because we’ve lost two players to internationals.

“We’ve lost centre half after centre half after centre half and we’ve had to throw him in there. But it’s probably what Dan needed at this point and he showed the right spirit.

“It’s hard to talk about positives at this time because of the pain of (Saturday’s) defeat. But there are certain individuals who can still hold their head high.

Daniel Oyegoke scored an own goal against Harrogate (Image: Thomas Gadd)

“There are circumstances why they are coming in. Matty Platt has been out and come back for his first game.

“Unfortunately, we’re at the stage of the season where we can’t give them four or five weeks of training to get ready. We have to throw them in because that’s where we are with numbers.

“Instead of getting weighed up by all the issues, we have to keep our minds clear and our composure and work through them.

“Certainly, there have been loads of things that have gone against us – but also loads of things we’ve brought upon ourselves and have to improve.

“We have to work methodically to make sure that we do those things.

“We can’t be feeling sorry for ourselves. I think there are a couple of individuals who might be but there’s no place for that in football – not in a successful team anyway.

“We have to disband that feeling straight away and make sure we’re going to create that success.”