00:00Well, what a night for Bradford City in, yes, a pre-season game, but defeating a championship opponent in Middlesbrough by two goals to nil certainly bodes well for the upcoming League One season and that the squad that Graeme Alexander is building is starting to gel ahead of the new campaign getting underway.
00:16Two goals, one in either half for the Bantams, one from Anthony Sarsovic from the penalty spot and then one from Will Swan as he rounded the keeper later on in the second half to make it 2-0 capped off. A good night for Bradford City against Middlesbrough.
00:30For the Borough, well, Roe Edwards was not happy with the performance, certainly a lot of disappointment. Of course, they drew 3-3 with Mansfield in another pre-season test at the weekend and this will not do much more to qualm any fears of Middlesbrough supporters ahead of the new season. Not really any transfer news to report from the Riverside Stadium at the moment, which will of course not go down well on Teesside.
00:52So things not perhaps looking too good for Middlesbrough, but certainly things are looking good for Bradford City going into the new League One campaign.
00:59Let's hear first from Rob Edwards of Middlesbrough, the head coach there, out his thoughts after the game before we then hear from Graeme Alexander to hear his reflections on the win for his side.
01:08Yeah, we learn more and the result is disappointing, especially with the manner we conceded the second one. If that happens again, supporters have got permission to lynch me, I think, because we've got to look like we want to try and get back in the game and score.
01:25And at that moment then, we had three people on that last line. I want us to look like we're trying to get back in the game quickly and the lads know that. So good, learning for us, learning for them.
01:35So that one's done. The penalty was another mental one. I don't know if this is like a new law come in. We've got the referees still to speak to, but I didn't see anything wrong again.
01:45So that was a little bit crazy. But when I look back, I'm sure I'll look at a lot of a lot of really good stuff. But we've got to be able to finish the action more now, Dan.
01:54So I think we played better in the first half today than we did on Saturday, but we were three and a lot on Saturday and one nil down today.
02:02We got into some really good positions in the final bit where I was shot too soon or didn't slide somewhere in and then snatched at things.
02:08So there was some really good bits. We got Morgan and Riles in particular in the first half in really good positions, turned and driving at them, but then didn't work with the goalkeeper enough.
02:21So that's another area that we're still working on and still going to improve on. Need more in those wider areas then as well so that we can do not just through, around as well.
02:31So, yeah, bits to work on. But overall, we completely controlled the game as I would expect us to do, but then the cut and thrust needs to be better.
02:42And then when we're in the final third, especially later on when we're one nil down, I need to see when we've got to throw in in this area here.
02:47We've got to find a way to get that in the box then. It's not a little rondo and come back out. No, we've got to make sure we're working them and then making them defend.
02:54So it's for the lads to keep getting the messages from us, you know, and for them to learn and obviously more. We take a lot more, you know, having looked at them in another game.
03:05Yeah, pleased with the performance. Really tough game. Really good team we played against there. Make you work in and out of possession there.
03:13The players stuck to the task, continually try to press, turn the ball over. They broke for us a few times because they've got excellent players.
03:20But, you know, what pleased me most was the players never went passive. We stayed on the front foot. We stayed trying to turn the ball over and got rewards from that.
03:28Both the goals have come from us, turn the ball over in good areas and then going straight for the heart of the opposition.
03:34So another physical test for us, for the players that played, obviously some played the whole game.
03:41Some lads went 60 minutes, 70 minutes and it was a good shift for them.
03:44So we needed that. We needed that blowout and that was a good exercise for us.
03:50There's been plenty of tactical work over the summer so far and obviously the lads are playing themselves really well tonight.
03:54You see them going to the last kick of the game, obviously getting that goal with the last kick, it must be really pleasing to you.
03:58Even a friendly, that desire and attitude is still there from everyone.
04:01Yeah, look, we've got a way of playing and we've got a way of handling ourselves.
04:05I think we've got to respect ourselves and respect our club and sort of go up against any opponent.
04:10We don't want to be second best or ever feel like we're second best against anybody.
04:14But even at 1-0, we're in the 94th minute, instead of sitting back, we still wanted to try and turn the ball over.
04:20So that's great signs that the players, A, are trusting what we're trying to do and B, they're trusting each other.
04:26You know, they're not worried about what's behind them.
04:29They're going and supporting each other and we know we've got real good attacking threats if we can get into good areas.
04:34And I thought we did that really well today, but we know how tough that task was.
04:39But, you know, we won't be playing mid as we're every week when we get to the season.
