Bradford City boss Mark Hughes expects Cobblers to go on the attack

‘I don’t sense Northampton will come with that attitude.’
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Bradford City manager Mark Hughes does not expect the Cobblers to set up defensively and put men behind the ball when they head to Valley Parade this weekend.

The Bantams will leapfrog Northampton into the League Two automatic promotion places with victory in Saturday’s big game, but whilst they have been flying on the road, their home form has been patchy.

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They have won only three of their nine league games at Valley Parade this season, including none of the previous four, and Hughes believes that’s partly down to the way opposition teams set up.

Mark HughesMark Hughes
Mark Hughes

“Obviously when we are playing away, the onus is on the home side to ask questions of us,” he said.

“Sometimes that can make things a little bit easier because they over-commit and that allows the game to be a little bit more open and we’ve got players that can exploit that.

“It can be more difficult at home because teams will just sit in and look to hit you on the break and look for moments. But I sense we’re ready to face those challenges again.”

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However, Hughes expects the third-placed Cobblers, who also have a strong away record, to be more ambitious when the teams meet this weekend.

He added: “I would imagine they would back their own ability. I would hope so.

“A lot of teams look at us and think they have to have a game plan because if they open up, they know they’d be at risk.

“I don’t sense Northampton will come with that attitude.”