Bantams boss on Carlisle reunion with goalkeeper Harry Lewis

Tomorrow’s home clash with Carlisle means a first return to BD8 for Lewis since his January move.

That deal during the mid-season window stirred controversy at the time but Alexander felt it was right for all concerned – and has been justified by Walker’s record since coming in.

The City boss said: “Harry’s a great lad. I only knew him a couple of months before he went to Carlisle but got on great with him.

“He was a good goalkeeper for us.

“He made his mind up what he wanted to do. Every adult has that opportunity to make a choice.

Graham Alexander has been delighted with keeper Sam Walker (Image: Thomas Gadd)

“We were delighted with the business of bringing Sam Walker in to replace him. I think he’s been fantastic for us as well.

“Harry was certainly someone I enjoyed working with. It will be good to see him.

“I saw him at the end of last season when he came back for the (fire) memorial day. I bumped into him and then and said hello.

“I think the business was right for both parties. He wanted to move on and we brought in a really good goalkeeper that we’re so happy with.”

Lewis played 86 times in 18 months at City and kept 20 clean sheets in his first season under Mark Hughes – which ended in play-off heartache at Carlisle, the last time the two teams met.

But the 26-year-old, whose final outing in a City shirt was the 4-2 home loss to Crawley, has recorded only three shut-outs in 25 appearances for the Cumbrians.

Carlisle came straight back down from League One and have lost three of their opening four games.

Boss Paul Simpson departed after last weekend’s defeat against Tranmere where he was jeered by sections of the crowd. Carlisle’s owners have described his exit after two-and-a-half years at the helm as “mutual”.

Former City midfielder Jamie Devitt is among the three academy coaches in temporary charge while they search for a successor.

It is a popular claim that clubs often pick up form after a change at the top but Alexander is sceptical over whether the “new manager bounce” does exist.

The Bantams boss, who lost his first two games in the Valley Parade hot-seat in November, said: “Someone will have to show me the data.

Paul Simpson, who signed Lewis, left after last week's loss (Image: Carlisle United)

“It would be good to see the stats and bust that myth once and for all or empower it.

“But I couldn’t tell you whether it’s true or not.

“I think it’s all in the mind. None of us are magicians and can change things straight overnight.

“I don’t know the circumstances at Carlisle, why Paul left and how the feeling was. All these occasions are different.

“For me, we have to focus on what we can do and not what’s gone on at Carlisle.

“I don’t think there’s any science to it but I could be proved wrong.

“I’m certainly not going to look into it. I’ve got too much on my plate anyway.

“We will focus on getting our performance similar to the other night. If we can replicate that and tidy up a couple of details, I think we’re giving ourselves in the best chance of winning the game.”

Carlisle have no qualms about Lewis being able to handle the extra scrutiny against City.

"I genuinely think he'll be great because, as a person he's a really, really good professional," Steven Rudd, one of the caretaker trio, told our sister paper the Carlisle News & Star.

"He trains properly every day, does everything properly. He's been great to have around this week.

“He's really positive, he's got a smile on his face, really upbeat and a positive character.

"Harry just has to do his job, do the basics, block out the crowd and hopefully at the end of the day he can have the last laugh and have a clean sheet or a win as a minimum coming out of there.

"He'll be looking forward to going back, I think. It's always nice to go back and his job's about performing well.”