Bantams focused on Morecambe not potential glamour tie

The Bantams head to League Two rivals Morecambe tomorrow with the tantalising possibility of a juicy tie awaiting the winner.

But Graham Alexander insists the focus will not stretch any further than beating Derek Adams’ Shrimps.

“There are loads of different aspects to playing in any cup competition,” he said. “The prize on offer will progress with each round.

“I go back to the Wycombe semi-final (in the EFL Trophy). I didn’t talk about the potential of playing at Wembley.

Wycombe's late winner denied City a Wembley trip last season (Image: Thomas Gadd)

“It was just about how we had to play to win and you saw the performance from the team that night. It was superb and we should have won it.

“I like to think our players are motivated to win without anything extra about what it might mean.

“I see them train enough to know they want to win and that’s enough for me.

“Our talk with the players before the game will just be about how we win this game of football not the competition.”

The trip to the Mazuma Stadium is the first of three away games in 10 days – and kicks off a hectic schedule spanning the holiday period that will City see play 10 times in five weeks.

Alex Pattison and Aden Baldwin are pushing for a return to action after a fortnight back training with the squad. Antoni Sarcevic and Ciaran Kelly are also not far away.

Alexander will welcome the extra options going into a nitty-gritty period of the schedule.

“The games do come thick and fast,” he added. “The weather gets worse, the pitches do get a bit tougher and we’ve got a few away journeys to hit.

“We’re 20 games into the season with cup games and we need as many players available.

“It’s great to see these players on the horizon. But as I’ve said, I’m not counting them in yet until they are out there.

“We’ve had to hold back on our hopes and aspirations for these players being available because there have been a few knockbacks over the last couple of months.

“I don’t want to be put in that situation again.

“When those games come around, having 18 or 19 outfield players to pick from will be much better than 13 or 14.

Alex Pattison has been training again for the last two weeks (Image: Tom Pearson)

“I know 11 players start the game but every week it’s 15 or 16 (used). Every team makes four or five subs.

“Hopefully we’re over the worst and fingers crossed we don’t get hit with so many in such a short period and all concentrated in certain positions.

“I don’t think any team could just smoothly cruise through that.”

The prospect of being involved in a mouth-watering January tie in the FA Cup third round could provide further incentive during the busy month. But the City boss does not see it that way.

“It can if you work that way. But we work on being our best every single day.

“I don’t like the mentality where you don’t worry about today because tomorrow’s more important. I don’t think there’s any consistency in that.

“If we’re playing on the park and nobody’s watching, we have to try and win just for our own pride.

“That’s what I see day to day in training. With any competitive game we put on, there are tackles flying about, people trying to score and blocking shots.

“That’s the scenario and culture you want to create at your club and I do think we have that here with the players. Winning is enough.”