Bradford City: Graham Alexander has criminally underused midfield ace - View | OneFootball

The chant of “he’s one of our own” often rings out at Valley Parade on a matchday from the Bradford City supporters, even if Bobby Pointon isn’t on the pitch.

The young attacking midfielder, who can also operate on both wings or in attack, is from Bradford and supports the club. Although still early in his professional football career, Pointon has earned the respect of supporters thanks to his quick feet, technique, and calmness on the ball.

Pointon seems to be a rarity in that he’s managed to break into the Bantam's first team from the youth setup, which is not often the case. The majority of young, talented Bradford players are often poached by clubs higher up the league ladder before even having a chance to kick a ball for the club.

At the start of the season, Pointon seemingly had more opportunities before Graham Alexander was given the managerial job in early November 2023 under former manager Mark Hughes and then player-manager Kevin McDonald, who took temporary charge after Hughes left the club.

Since Alexander came in, Pointon has found game time slightly more difficult to come by. Let’s examine the potential reasons why.

Tactics, formations and fitting Pointon in

Under Alexander, Bradford typically sets up a 5-3-2 or 5-2-3 formation, which has seen Pointon struggle to find his place in the starting lineup due to the other players in his position.

Pointon doesn’t suit a midfield two and is better in a more advanced midfield position, even if the Bantams lineup with three in midfield. Players like captain Richie Smallwood, Jamie Walker, and Alex Gilliead are more or less nailed on as starters when they are fit, which means Pointon is more likely to feature in the more advanced positions up the pitch.

However, with Andy Cook nailed on as the main striker, it means that Pointon is up against the likes of January recruits Tyreik Wright (on loan from Plymouth) and Calum Kavanagh, who has been very impressive in his short Bantam career to date. Bradford also has various other attacking options, which Alexander seems to favour over Pointon. It's also worth noting that Pointon was hooked away against Notts County at half-time, which Alexander noted after the game was due to a need for a change of shape.

Without comparing Graham Alexander with Pep Guardiola, the limited minutes for Pointon could be similarly linked to how Guardiola managed Phil Foden in his early days playing in the Manchester City first team.

Pointon, now only 20 years old, could be seeing his game time managed by Alexander in order to ensure he isn’t exposed to too much league football at such a young age.

Over the years, English football has produced many examples of players who struggle with injuries due to overexposure at a young age. However, some supporters may argue that Pointon, at his current age, could feature more for the Bantams.

While it is believed that the Bantams have the option to extend Bobby Pointon's contract for another year, his contract is currently set to expire at the end of the season.

It’s extremely likely that the club will extend his contract, but most City fans will be hopeful that the young, promising Bradford-born footballer will sign a long-term deal with the club and emerge as an integral part of the side for many years to come.

At this stage, he's been underused, and the hope will be that Bradford see the best of this talent.