Bradford City skipper says Andy Cook over-reliance unfair

The reigning League Two golden boot is once again leading the club scoring charts on six.

City have netted 17 goals from their first 16 league games – and four of those came at Newport where the striker bagged a hat-trick.

The opening home win over Colchester is the only other occasion when they have scored more than once.

Only Gillingham, with just 14 goals, and Harrogate, with 15, have a lower tally.

In contrast, Crewe are more than double the Bantams on 35, one of five teams in the division averaging above two goals a game.

As City return to league combat against Barrow this weekend for Graham Alexander’s first game in charge, skipper Smallwood admits the rest of the squad must make more of an effort to share the load with their number nine.

“I think it’s been the same for the past couple of seasons,” he said. “We’ve relied on Andy too much.

“He basically scores all our goals, which I don’t think is quite right.

Andy Cook scored this goal at Sutton in City's last league game, but no-one else could find the scoresheet for the visitors and they lost 2-1. (Image: Thomas Gadd.)

"With the attacking players we’ve got, he scores an awfully high percentage. We need to somehow start chipping in.

“Don’t get me wrong, we all try and score a goal when the opportunity arises. But he’s just got that knack where it always seems to be him.”

Cook netted 30 times in all competitions last season, with 28 coming in League Two.

That made up a remarkable 46 per cent of City’s total tally of 61 goals, which saw them finish sixth.

Smallwood added: “He was basically the reason we finished as high as we did and achieved a play-off position.

“Without his goals, we would have been nowhere.

“We need to chip in, because Andy’s probably not going to score that amount of goals again this season.

“He’s been injured as well, so he missed a few games at the start of the season.

“We need to help him out a little bit more, because he can’t pull us out the rubbish all the time.”

Richie Smallwood with Adam Wilson after the latter's late equaliser against Wrexham, but that is the winger's only goal of the season so far. (Image: Thomas Gadd.)

The goal-shy record from Cook’s teammates is a mystery to Smallwood but he insists it cannot go on if they are to mount a promotion challenge.

“I wouldn’t say it’s confidence,” he said. “We feel good but I don’t know what it is.

“Maybe it’s how we play or how we want to try to score goals?

“Maybe we don’t get people in the right areas or crosses aren’t good enough, which is probably half the time, and I include myself in that.

“When we get in good positions, people have shots and that.

“Maybe it’s just decision-making and playing that extra pass to create a different opportunity for someone else who might be in a better position.

“But it’s something we need to look at and make sure we improve.”

Alexander’s reign at Valley Parade kicks off with City languishing in 16th after successive defeats at MK Dons and Sutton before the break for the FA Cup.

They are currently six points off the final play-off spot, which is currently occupied by Accrington Stanley.

Smallwood said: “We know we’re not in the top three or even top seven yet this season but we’ll keep trying.

“We know the gap is not too far away but we need to go on a run. That’s what separates the top three from anyone else.

“I don’t see many teams better than us, to be honest, but it’s about putting in a consistent performance, week in, week out.

“We need to put a consistent run of results together that takes us up from wherever we are.

“Stockport have done exactly that. Look at our game against them, we were more than a match.

The Bantams earned a creditable 1-1 draw at current leaders Stockport back in August. (Image: Tom Pearson.)

“There’s nothing to be scared about in the league. We’ve shown that against Wrexham.

“We can be a match for anyone but we need to find the confidence to put that run of results together that takes us higher.”