The Coaching System

Match 1: Huddersfield Vs Bradford (September 7, 4, 2024 – Away)

Huddersfield came into the match with a point to prove. Relegation had wounded them, and their fans demanded a response.

From the first whistle, they played with an edge—aggressive pressing, quick transitions, and a hunger that screamed desperation.

Bradford had to weather the storm early.

In the fifth minute, a dangerous cross from Huddersfield's right-back looped toward the back post. Their striker leaped, nodding the ball down—forcing Okafor into a sharp reaction save. He got a fingertip to it, pushing it wide before Barnes cleared the danger.

Jake stood calmly on the touchline, watching. He'd seen teams like this before—too eager, too reckless. They couldn't sustain this energy.

Bradford stayed composed, absorbing the pressure without panic.

Then, the shift began.

Vélez started finding pockets of space, dictating play. Harper dropped deeper, connecting passes. Huddersfield's press slowed. The gaps began to appear.

And in the 32nd minute, Silva struck.

It started with Vélez, who read the play before it even developed. Anticipating a loose touch from Huddersfield's midfield, he pounced—stealing possession and instantly driving forward.

Silva saw it happening and was already on the move.

Vélez's pass was perfect, cutting through the retreating defenders like a scalpel.

Silva took it in stride—one touch to steady himself, another to rifle the ball low into the far corner.

1-0.

The home crowd fell silent. The air shifted.

Huddersfield had thrown everything at Bradford in the opening half-hour, but now they had nothing left.

Their press faded. Their confidence drained.

Bradford smelled blood.

The second half was complete control.

Huddersfield tried to respond, but their attacks became predictable—hopeful long balls, rushed passes, shots from distance. Barnes and Min-jae were unshakable at the back, cutting out every threat before it materialized.

Then, in the 67th minute, Costa put the game to bed.

Harper, as composed as ever, received the ball in midfield and immediately spotted Costa peeling away from his marker. The pass was weighted to perfection, splitting the defense.

Costa took a touch to evade the onrushing keeper, then coolly slotted the ball into the empty net.

2-0.

Huddersfield had no answer.

The final 20 minutes were a formality. Bradford dictated possession, managed the tempo, and saw out the win with professional ease.

Three points. Another clean sheet. A perfect start to the month.

Match 2: Bradford vs Bolton (September 14, 2024 – Home)

Bolton didn't come to play pretty football.

They came to disrupt, to frustrate, to make the game a battle rather than a contest.

From the opening minutes, their game plan was clear—press hard, foul often, and never let Bradford settle.

And it worked.

Bradford struggled to find any kind of rhythm. Every time Vélez received the ball, a Bolton midfielder was right on him. Harper barely had a second to look up before being clipped from behind. Silva and Mensah were double-marked out wide.

It was messy, physical, and exactly the kind of game Bolton wanted.

Then, Novak changed everything.

21' –

For the first time all game, Silva found space on the right. He whipped in an early cross, more hopeful than precise.

Novak still made something of it.

With a defender draped over him, he twisted in mid-air, contorting his body to get just enough on the ball—glancing it past the keeper and into the far corner.

A goal from nothing.

1-0.

Bolton didn't panic. They stuck to their approach, turning the game into a scrap.

Just before halftime, their persistence paid off.

39' –

A deep free-kick was floated into the box. Barnes won the first header, but the ball pinballed between bodies.

Min-jae tried to clear, but the ball deflected off a Bolton striker's shin and rolled agonizingly over the line.

A scrappy goal for a scrappy team.

Jake didn't overreact.

He simply adjusted.

Halftime Adjustments:

Mensah was pushed higher to pin back Bolton's full-back.Vélez and Harper were told to move the ball quicker, one-touch passes to avoid the constant pressure.

The impact was immediate.

53' –

Richards burst forward down the right, finally finding space. His driven cross was low, powerful, and precise.

Novak attacked it with purpose, arriving at the near post to fire a first-time strike into the roof of the net.

Bolton were stunned.

Their physicality was no longer an advantage. Now, they were chasing, stretched, struggling to keep up.

Bradford controlled the rest of the match, managing possession and picking their moments.

Then, in stoppage time, Mensah finished them off.

90+2' –

A counterattack.

Mensah received the ball on the left, drove at the exhausted Bolton right-back, then cut inside onto his stronger right foot.

He didn't hesitate.

A curling shot bent around the keeper, nestling perfectly into the top corner.

Game over.

Another win. Another lesson learned.

Match 3: Northampton vs Bradford (September 21, 2024 – Away)

This was control at its finest.

Unlike the battles against Huddersfield and Bolton, there was no real fight here. No resistance. No unpredictability.

From the moment the referee blew the whistle, there was only one team in charge.

Bradford dictated everything—possession, tempo, territory.

Northampton tried to press, but they were chasing shadows. Every pass, every movement from Jake's side was precise, calculated. Vélez controlled the midfield like a conductor, orchestrating attacks, pulling Northampton apart with his passing range.

The backline? Unshakable.

Barnes and Min-jae weren't just defending—they were suffocating Northampton's forwards, cutting off every run, stepping in before attacks could even materialize.

Bradford just needed a goal.

And in the 40th minute, they found it.

40' –

Mensah, lively as ever, received the ball on the left, squared up his defender, then drove inside with a quick burst of acceleration.

He unleashed a fierce shot toward the bottom corner—parried away by the goalkeeper.

But Costa was lurking.

Right place, right time.

He reacted first, smashing the rebound into the net before the keeper could recover.

1-0.

Northampton's resistance had been thin before—now, it was crumbling.

In the second half, Bradford pressed forward with the same precision, looking for the goal that would kill the game.

It came from a set piece.

61' –

A corner from Harper, curling toward the penalty spot.

Novak, marked but undeterred, rose above everyone—his header powerful, downward, unstoppable.

2-0.

From there, it was routine.

Bradford slowed the game down, passed Northampton into exhaustion, and saw out the match with ruthless efficiency.

Another clean sheet. Another dominant win.

Match 4: Bradford Vs Wigan (September 28, 2024 – Home)

The toughest game of the month.

Not because Wigan were better, not because they created more chances, but because they refused to let Bradford play.

From the first whistle, they disrupted everything.

Every pass had pressure. Every dribble had a body in the way. Every second ball was a battle.

They didn't care about momentum or form. They came with a plan—to frustrate, to waste time, to drag the game into a war of attrition.

And for 80 minutes, it worked.

Bradford controlled possession but couldn't find a way through.

Every cross was cleared. Every shot was blocked. Every attempt to force the game open was shut down.

Wigan's defensive wall held firm.

Jake didn't panic.

He watched. He waited. He trusted.

Then, in the 82nd minute, patience paid off.

82' – Goal! Raphael Mensah (1-0 Bradford)

It was a rare moment of space.

For the first time all game, Mensah found himself with a yard of room outside the box.

Harper played the ball into his feet.

A quick shift onto his stronger right foot.

Then, a strike.

Clean. Venomous.

The ball rocketed past the Wigan keeper, crashing into the top corner.

He didn't even move.

Valley Parade erupted.

Jake simply exhaled.

One chance. One moment. That was all it took.

Bradford saw out the remaining minutes without issue.

A perfect end to a perfect month.

The Takeover Rumors – Chaos Off the Pitch

By the next morning, the focus had shifted.

Bradford's unbeaten start? The dominant wins? The growing momentum?

None of that mattered anymore.

Because football wasn't the main story.

Ownership was.

BREAKING: REPORTS EMERGE OF A POTENTIAL BRADFORD CITY SALE.

No confirmation. No official word from Henry Lowe.

Just speculation. Just whispers. Just enough to set everything on fire.

And that was all it took.

The Fan Café exploded.

— "Why now? We're finally building something!"

— "Who's buying? Is it local or foreign money?"

— "This is a distraction we don't need!"

Panic. Uncertainty. The kind of chaos that could destabilize a club.

Jake saw the headlines. Heard the rumors.

But no call came from the chairman.

No emergency meeting. No behind-the-scenes discussion.

Nothing.

Which meant, for Jake, it wasn't real.

Until Henry Lowe spoke, until a decision was made, this was just noise.

And Jake Wilson didn't care about noise.

He cared about football. He cared about winning.

So while the media speculated, while the fans argued, while the club waited for answers—

Jake turned his focus to the next match.

Because up next?

The biggest test yet.

Leeds United.

A rivalry. A fight.

And a chance to prove, once again, that Bradford City wasn't a team to be taken lightly.