CITY’S games against Notts County last season in League Two were two of the more memorable ones, if largely for the wrong reasons.
They were embarrassed by them 3-0 at home in March, part of a dreadful run of four defeats in 11 days which essentially cost the Bantams a play-off spot, while a pathetic first-half showing at Meadow Lane in November left Graham Alexander’s visitors 4-0 down at half-time in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
But the visitors ripped up their 4-2-2-2 formation at the break and came back out playing in an attacking 3-5-2 set-up, looking like a completely different team as they battered their hosts, leaving Nottingham with a 4-2 defeat having been unlucky not to score more.
for me to say, because I was a County player, but it felt like we dominated the first half and were in complete control
“The gaffer must have said something to them at half-time and they came out a completely different team.
“I’m not sure if we got complacent, but they ruffled a few feathers and showed what they were about after the break.
“They changed their shape, had quite a few chances and it was definitely a game of two halves.”
Baldwin missed the reverse fixture, but that 3-0 home defeat for City felt typical of a side who crumble far too often in front of the home support at Valley Parade.
County are another historic club with a big fanbase, so having dealt with that, does Baldwin have any tips for his Bantams teammates about their approach to games in BD8?
He said: “Both teams have really good fanbases who turn out in their numbers, so it puts that added pressure on the players.
“We had that pressure on us in our (2022/23 National League) promotion season, and it comes from leaders and characters within the team, being able to deal with that.
“We had a really good coach (Luke Williams) in charge too, who was really strong mentally.
“He had us training to the maximum every day, all while he’d tell us about what the fans might be doing or saying.
“It meant we expected that noise and the pressure on our shoulders.
“In terms of tackling Bradford’s games, we’ve just got to embrace having that fanbase behind us and using that to gain mom
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