Ramsden: Home form not good enough considering size of our support

Despite boasting League Two’s largest crowds again, the Bantams have the worst home record of any side in the top half.

I can only speak from my point of view but I think everyone should love playing in front of big crowds

Simon Ramsden

I can only speak from my point of view but I think everyone should love playing in front of big crowds

Simon Ramsden

I can only speak from my point of view but I think everyone should love playing in front of big crowds

Simon Ramsden

I can only speak from my point of view but I think everyone should love playing in front of big crowds

Simon Ramsden

I can only speak from my point of view but I think everyone should love playing in front of big crowds

Simon Ramsden

I can only speak from my point of view but I think everyone should love playing in front of big crowds

Simon Ramsden

I can only speak from my point of view but I think everyone should love playing in front of big crowds

Simon Ramsden

I can only speak from my point of view but I think everyone should love playing in front of big crowds

Simon Ramsden

I can only speak from my point of view but I think everyone should love playing in front of big crowds

Simon Ramsden

I can only speak from my point of view but I think everyone should love playing in front of big crowds

Simon Ramsden

I can only speak from my point of view but I think everyone should love playing in front of big crowds

Simon Ramsden

I can only speak from my point of view but I think everyone should love playing in front of big crowds

Simon Ramsden

I can only speak from my point of view but I think everyone should love playing in front of big crowds

Simon Ramsden

I can only speak from my point of view but I think everyone should love playing in front of big crowds

Simon Ramsden

I can only speak from my point of view but I think everyone should love playing in front of big crowds

Simon Ramsden

They have won just three times in ten attempts in front of their own supporters and only once, against Hereford, in the last five.

City’s attendances are far and away the best at their level. The current average of 11,404 is more than 4,000 higher than the next best Notts County.

Ramsden admits the fans have every right to feel short-changed by their home results but he dismisses any suggestion of a fear factor within the team.

City’s stand-in skipper said: “I can only speak from my point of view but I think everyone should love playing in front of big crowds.

“I know I do, and that was one of the reasons I signed for Bradford.

“That level of support shouldn’t stop anybody. It should encourage us because they all want us to win and we’ve got to use that to our advantage.

“The home form has not been good enough and the lads know that in the changing room. We need to improve a hell of a lot from the last home game.

“You can also look back at games we should have won and we have got to learn from that. We’ve got to be more ruthless when we go 1-0 up and not concede.”

City remained within striking distance of the top seven after the victory over Darlington but tomorrow’s clash with Rotherham begins a critical phase of the season with the next four league games all against sides above them.

Ramsden added: “The win last week was a stepping stone and got us a little bit nearer the play-offs again but there’s no point getting three points one week if we don’t back it up the next with a good performance and another victory.

“That’s what this week in training has been about. We’ve been working hard, getting our heads down and focusing on what we’ve got to do against Rotherham.”

City restored some pride last week after the Rochdale defeat but Ramsden admitted the one-goal margin against the bottom side was hardly the best show of intent.

“I thought we played some good stuff at times in the first half but once we got the goal I expected us to relax and start playing our football.

“We should have made it far more comfortable than it was.

“For some reason, second half we never got going and that encouraged them. They didn’t have many clear-cut chances but played a lot of direct balls into our box and it got very scrappy.

“It would have been a travesty if we had conceded towards the end of the game.

“At least we got the reaction from the Rochdale result but we’d have preferred to do it in a more convincing manner.

“We know we can play a lot better and we’ll be looking to do that this weekend at home.”

Stuart McCall feels City’s home performances have deserved a bigger reward but he knows they need to buck up their ideas against another promotion-pushing side.

“We’ve got a point to prove to the punters after the Rochdale game here,” said the City chief.

“We know we’ve got to put in a much-improved performance because that result really put a dampener on things.

“The home form, although we’ve had a few draws, has been all right performance-wise. Points-wise we’d like to have a few more but, apart from last time, I can’t remember going away thinking 'that was a disgrace' or 'really poor'.”

Ronnie Moore has certainly enjoyed away success at Valley Parade in the past and has won six of his last nine meetings with City.

But the Rotherham boss has concerns of his own after the embarrassing FA Cup exit at Luton in midweek. The Millers have let in nine goals in the last four games.

Going forward, everything hinges on Adam Le Fondre, who has netted 17 of Rotherham’s 29 goals so far.

Le Fondre has also got a good record against the Bantams, with four goals in four games while playing for Rochdale.

But alongside him, Tom Pope is struggling to justify his £150,000 price tag from Crewe. He has gone 15 games without a goal, dating back to the end of August.