ANYONE who thinks City boss Graham Alexander sees tonight’s Bristol Street Motors Trophy game at home to Barnsley as a dead rubber does not know him well enough.

It will be a slightly surreal occasion at Valley Parade, with both teams having already qualified from their group at the expense of Grimsby and Manchester City’s Under-21s.

There is rarely much jeopardy and tension among the fans who attend group games in this competition, let alone one in which a defeat does not affect progression.

But a win for the Bantams would guarantee them a home tie in the last-32, saving them a potentially long midweek trip.

Win that first knockout game too, and suddenly the Bantams would only be three more victories from reaching Wembley.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: City have done well so far this season in the EFL Trophy, with Tyler Smith's hat-trick ensuring they saw of Manchester City's Under-21s 3-1 at Valley Parade.City have done well so far this season in the EFL Trophy, with Tyler Smith's hat-trick ensuring they saw of Manchester City's Under-21s 3-1 at Valley Parade. (Image: Thomas Gadd.)

Back in the 2019-20 season, Alexander guided Salford into the final of the competition, as they edged out Newport on penalties in the semi-final in February 2020.

But the 52-year-old was unable to see the job through.

The Covid-19 pandemic meant the final had to be postponed until March 2021, by which point Alexander had been sacked.

That meant it was Richie Wellens who led Salford to Wembley glory, after they beat Portsmouth on penalties in the showpiece.

Even without that bitter pill he had to swallow, Alexander gave no indication that he takes games any less seriously in this competition than he does in League Two.

While he admitted there will be some rotation to the side that lost 4-2 at Notts County in the league on Saturday, the City boss is determined to see his side through their EFL trophy group with a perfect record.

He told the T&A: “I see every game of football as the same thing, I want to win it.

“If you go into any game without that first and foremost in your mind, I don’t know what you’re doing in professional football to be honest.

“I’m not sure the EFL Trophy gets a bad rap, I just think that it’s a little bit more down the pecking order for some teams.

“But I think it’s an amazing opportunity for a League One or Two team to get to a Wembley final.

“That doesn’t happen very often in a person’s career, whether you’re a player or a coach.

“If you have an opportunity like that you’ve got to try and take it.

“We haven’t been winning enough this season, so any game we have, we have to try and win it and get that momentum going for us.

“Tuesday’s a big one for my team.”