Graham Alexander on John Coleman's influence at Accrington

But the Bantams boss also remembers what the long-serving boss had to say about their last meeting.

City’s weekend visit to the Crown Ground will be Stanley’s first game since Coleman’s shock sacking – which ended a remarkable 23-year association over two spells in charge.

“You look at the achievements that he had there,” said Alexander. “There were four or five promotions, coming up from the non-league scene into the Football League.

“He had a brief sojourn away at Rochdale but found himself back at Accy not long after. It was like hand in glove.

“When you have that longevity at a club, it goes without saying you’re going to have an impact on the environment, the feeling around the place and how it works.

“You’ve had that time to build it alongside other people. It’s always going to have that feeling for him.

“He might not go back there ever again but certainly his name runs alongside Accrington Stanley as much as any individual can with a club.

“Football clubs are always bigger than any person but there are certain individuals who come along and represent those clubs in a different way to the rest and John Coleman will go along those line at Accrington.”

Coleman frequently stirred up meetings with City by talking about the disparity in the size of the clubs.

Alexander was the ninth different Bantams manager to face Coleman’s Accrington when he claimed his first win at the Valley Parade helm in November.

But he was unimpressed with what the veteran boss had to say afterwards.

“I remember him saying after we beat them 1-0 that they came down to our level. I felt that was a strange thing to say.

“That was an interesting comment that I didn’t appreciate or understand at the time.

“But we were delighted to win the game. It was a much-needed win that set off a little run of form that brightened up the place and gave us belief that we could create a successful team here this season.”

John Doolan, who was first-team coach under Coleman, has stepped up to take command of the home side tomorrow.

Alexander said: “When a new manager comes in, or an interim in this case, he’ll have his own ideas on what they need to do against us and we have to be ready for that.

First-team coach John Doolan is in interim charge of Accrington (Image: PA)

“We have to be ready to get to our levels. If Tuesday night showed us anything, it’s that if we don’t do the things we’re good at, then we’re going to be second best regardless of who we play.

“We have to make sure we are absolutely clear on what makes us a good team and then put it into practice.”

The postponements against Barrow and Notts County have left City facing an intense schedule of 10 games in the next five weeks.

But after the successive Saturday call-offs, Alexander senses his squad are desperate to keep playing again.

“We knew we were having a busy period but then you get to a game and it gets called off. Emotionally, you’re high and then a big drop.

“You go a week and build up to the next one and then the same happens there.

“After the previous game we played (against Wycombe) which ended in dramatic fashion and was a big blow to take, then to have that frustration build up, I don’t know if it sucked the energy out of us going into Doncaster.

“It was maybe a culmination of a load of little things making it bigger.

“But ask any player, they want to play games of football. They feel this is what they’re on this earth for and I’m the same as a manager.

“There’s only so much you can do in training at this stage of the season with the amount of games you play.

“By the time we get into this Saturday, Tuesday, Saturday, Tuesday spell, the players will be ready to take on those challenges.”