McMahon believes Bantams are right on target to make it third time lucky
TONY MCMAHON, Bradford City’s longest-serving player, believes the club has proved to the nation there is no hangover from last season’s play-off final defeat.
The Bantams face tough backto-back away assignments in the next few days as tomorrow’s trip to Peterborough is followed by Tuesday night’s visit to Oxford.
City will embark on the double-header in fine heart, last weekend’s 3-1 victory over Bristol Rovers in front of the live Sky cameras having come via their most impressive display of the season.
“There have been changes here over the summer so a few will have watched us on TV against Bristol Rovers and thought: ‘Okay, let’s have a look at you’.
“They will have been wanting to see if there was a hangover from Wembley. But there was none of that. From one to 11, everyone played their part and we scored three great goals.
“Yes, we didn’t get the clean sheet we wanted. Our goalkeeper, Colin Doyle, was moaning he didn’t get his bonus again! Typical.
“But, overall, we were all happy. It is shaping up to be a good season. There are good young lads here now. Hungry lads, too.
“Us experienced lads have to look after them, making sure they don’t get too high after a win or low after a defeat. But I do believe this can be another good season.”
After falling short in the playoffs for a second consecutive year, Bradford are determined to make it third time lucky.
Part of that is increasing a goal tally that, in each of those two campaigns, was someway behind their rivals in League One.
Last term, for instance, Stuart McCall’s men scored 62 times in 46 games – the lowest of the top 10 clubs. In 2015-16, all their peers in the top two-thirds of the table registered more than the 55 bagged by Phil Parkinson’s side.
With that in mind, McMahon believes an important marker was laid down in not just the Bristol Rovers victory but also the trip to Walsall a week earlier and the Checkatrade Trophy win at Chesterfield.
“The hoo-hah last season was we didn’t score enough goals,” added the 31-year-old full-back. “But last week we scored 10 – including six in the league. We could have had four or five against Bristol, too. If we keep doing the right things, we will keep scoring.”
City are sixth as they head to London Road to face the early leaders. McMahon added: “There have been a lot of changes this summer so our start was always going to be massive. That is what we were saying all pre-season.
“Blackpool (on the opening day) was a big one, we didn’t play well but won. But I think Bristol Rovers was probably the first time overall when we have played well for 90 minutes.” HUDDERSFIELD TOWN manager David Wagner has welcomed the Premier League’s decision to close the summer transfer window before the start of the 2018-19 season.
A meeting of all 20 members yesterday voted through the change following weeks of debate about the uncertainty caused by three weeks of transfer activity and speculation at the start of a new campaign.
“It makes it more fair,” said Wagner, the head coach of Yorkshire’s sole top-flight representative.
The change has been made to protect the integrity of the competition by ensuring Premier League teams are not at a disadvantage by facing an opponent who in the three weeks leading up to the deadline had been stronger before selling a star player.
“You play the same opponent all the other teams play. But teams could buy or sell four players (on deadline day).”
Football League clubs are expected to follow suit when a vote is taken on the proposal at their next meeting on September 21.
As for Huddersfield, Wagner and his side must wait until Monday to return to action following the international break.
West Ham United and a trip to the London Stadium awaits, Wagner believing the delay for the game to be shown live by Sky will work in his side’s interests.
“We are lucky that we play on Monday so I have no concerns about fitness (among his players returning from international duty),” he added.