The Coaching System

Bradford were champions-elect.

The league title was theirs.

But Jake had no intention of letting the intensity drop before Wembley. Momentum was everything.

Five games. Five wins. A perfect run into the EFL Cup Final.

And through it all, Jake managed his squad carefully, ensuring fresh legs for the biggest match in the club's history.

March 1 – League One Matchday 36

With the EFL Cup Final looming, Jake made the expected changes to keep his squad fresh.

Emeka Okafor was given a well-earned rest, allowing Jack Simmons to make a rare start in goal.

In defense, Marco Bianchi partnered Noah Fletcher in the heart of the backline, giving Nathan Barnes and Kang Min-jae the night off. James Richards and Lewis Hart filled the full-back positions, tasked with keeping Wigan's wingers quiet.

Midfield saw Elliot Harper and Lewis Chapman in central roles, providing stability and energy, while Leo Rasmussen and Ethan Walsh operated on the flanks. Up front, Tobias Richter and Guilherme Costa led the line, as Jake opted for a more mobile, direct strike partnership.

Despite the rotations, Bradford never lost control.

First Half –

From the opening whistle, Wigan sat deep, clearly aware of Bradford's attacking prowess.

But Jake's men were patient.

Harper dictated the tempo, recycling possession and pulling Wigan's shape apart. Chapman covered every blade of grass, ensuring Bradford always had second balls under control.

The breakthrough came inside 15 minutes.

Harper picked up possession in midfield and spotted Rasmussen bursting down the left.

The Danish winger sprinted forward, cut inside his marker, and squared a perfect pass into the box.

Richter was waiting.

One touch. A cool finish into the bottom corner.

1-0 Bradford.

Rasmussen pumped his fists. Richter ran straight to him. Jake simply nodded from the touchline.

They had picked Wigan apart.

Second Half –

The game followed the same rhythm after the break.

Bradford dominated possession, forcing Wigan to chase shadows.

Wigan's only real attempt came in the 55th minute, when a cross from the right found their striker inside the box. But Simmons reacted brilliantly, diving low to his right to keep the shot out.

That was the only real danger.

Bradford kept pressing, and in the 72nd minute, the game was over.

Wigan's center-back tried to clear a long ball, but his clearance was weak, falling straight to Ethan Walsh at the edge of the area.

The young winger didn't hesitate.

One touch to set himself.

A curling strike bent beautifully into the far corner.

The Wigan goalkeeper could only watch as the ball rippled the net.

2-0 Bradford.

No risks. No mistakes.

As the final whistle blew, Jake's focus had already shifted forward.

One game down. Four more before Wembley.

March 5 – League One Matchday 37

With momentum building and Wembley on the horizon, Jake returned to a near full-strength lineup.

Lukas Novak led the line once again, flanked by Renan Silva and Raphael Mensah. Santiago Vélez and Andrés Ibáñez reclaimed their spots in midfield, ensuring Bradford would control possession and dictate the tempo.

At the back, Nathan Barnes and Kang Min-jae marshaled the defense, while Julian Rojas and Aiden Taylor operated as full-backs.

Bradford had already secured the League One title weeks ago, but that didn't mean they were slowing down.

The media buzzed about the team's dominance.

The fans were enjoying the ride.

But for Jake?

It was just another game.

First Half – A Ruthless Start

The opening whistle barely had time to echo before Bradford pinned Lincoln inside their own half.

There was no patience, no easing into the game—just immediate, relentless pressure.

The breakthrough came in the 12th minute.

Silva, full of confidence, took on his marker down the right wing, feinted inside, then burst back outside before curling a perfect cross into the box.

Novak, positioned between two defenders, timed his leap to perfection.

A towering header.

The net bulged.

1-0 Bradford.

Lincoln barely had time to regroup before Bradford doubled their lead.

In the 22nd minute, a well-worked corner saw Barnes flick the ball toward goal. Lincoln's defense panicked, failing to clear properly.

The ball landed at the feet of Ibáñez at the edge of the area.

One touch to steady himself.

Then, he smashed it low and hard through the crowded box and into the bottom corner.

2-0 Bradford.

Lincoln's players stood with their hands on their hips.

They knew. Everyone knew.

Bradford were a class above.

Second Half – A Brief Stumble, A Comfortable Response

Despite their dominance, Lincoln found a way back into the game.

In the 57th minute, a rare lapse in concentration saw a long ball over the top catch Bradford's defense off guard.

Min-jae, for the first time all night, lost sight of his man, allowing Lincoln's striker to sprint in behind and slot the ball past Okafor.

2-1.

But Jake didn't panic.

Neither did his players.

Bradford simply reset, shut Lincoln down completely, and waited for the right moment to kill the game.

That moment arrived in the 84th minute.

Lincoln had committed men forward, desperate for an equalizer.

A clearance from Barnes fell perfectly for Mensah near the halfway line.

Lincoln's defense was exposed.

Mensah took off.

Pace. Power. Control.

A full sprint into enemy territory before squaring the ball unselfishly across the box—

Straight into the path of Costa.

A simple tap-in.

3-1. Game over.

Full-Time – No Signs of Slowing Down

The final whistle blew.

Another win. Another dominant display.

Bradford City were already champions—but they weren't playing like a team that had switched off.

March 9 – League One Matchday 38

Bradford 4-0 Stevenage

With Wembley looming, Bradford refused to take their foot off the gas.

This wasn't just about winning—it was about maintaining rhythm, staying sharp, and reminding everyone why they were already champions.

Jake named a full-strength lineup. Novak led the line, flanked by Silva and Mensah. Vélez and Ibáñez patrolled the midfield, dictating every passage of play. At the back, Barnes and Min-jae were paired once again, ensuring Bradford remained rock solid.

Stevenage had no answers.

First Half – Silva & Novak Shine

From the first whistle, Bradford overwhelmed their opponents.

The opening goal came in the 9th minute, and it was vintage Renan Silva.

Vélez received the ball in midfield, took a quick glance up, and spotted Silva cutting in from the right.

A clever one-two followed—Silva flicked it to Vélez, sprinted into space, and received the return pass just outside the box.

Without hesitation, he opened up his body and curled a stunning strike into the far corner.

1-0 Bradford.

Stevenage barely had time to regroup before Bradford struck again.

In the 27th minute, Mensah raced down the left, twisting his defender inside out before whipping in a low cross.

Novak, positioned perfectly between the center-backs, bullied his marker, shrugged off a weak challenge, and drilled a low shot past the keeper.

2-0 Bradford.

Jake didn't celebrate.

Neither did his players.

They weren't satisfied yet.

Second Half – Ruthless, Relentless, Dominant

Bradford refused to let up.

Stevenage had barely ventured forward all game, but Barnes ensured they had no chance of a comeback.

In the 56th minute, Bradford won a corner.

Silva jogged over to take it, scanning the box before delivering a pinpoint cross toward the penalty spot.

Barnes rose above everyone—a thunderous header, perfectly placed into the bottom corner.

3-0 Bradford.

That was the moment Stevenage gave up.

They sat deeper, playing for damage control rather than trying to fight back.

But Bradford weren't finished.

As stoppage time approached, Costa put the final nail in the coffin.

Ibáñez broke up a weak Stevenage attack, sending the ball forward quickly. Novak controlled it, held off his defender, then played a perfect through ball to Costa.

The Brazilian took a single touch before slotting the ball past the onrushing keeper.

4-0 Bradford.

Full-Time – Tunnel Vision on Wembley

As the final whistle blew, the commentators summed it up perfectly:

"Another dominant display from Jake Wilson's side. No distractions, no signs of complacency. They are marching into Wembley in peak form."

Bradford had already secured promotion. They had nothing left to prove in the league.

But that didn't matter.

Jake still refused to celebrate.

Two more league games. Then Wembley.

Nothing else mattered.

March 14 – League One Matchday 39

Bradford 1-0 Wrexham

A different kind of test.

Against a stubborn Wrexham side, Jake had to rotate again.

No Novak. No Silva. No Mensah.

Instead, Costa and Richter started up top, with Rasmussen and Walsh on the wings.

Bradford dominated possession but struggled to break Wrexham down.

It took a moment of brilliance from Ibáñez in the 73rd minute—a perfectly placed free kick—to settle the game.

One goal. Three points.

The streak continued.

And then, the final game before Wembley.

March 19 – League One Matchday 40

Bradford 5-0 Opponent

This wasn't just a win.

This was a statement.

Jake fielded his strongest XI to give them one last full-speed game before the final.

Novak. Silva. Mensah. Vélez. Ibáñez. Barnes. Min-jae. Okafor.

And they tore their opponents apart.

Novak struck twice inside the first 20 minutes, one a clinical header, the other a ruthless finish from close range.

Silva made it 3-0 before halftime, smashing home a rocket from the edge of the box.

The second half? Pure control.

Vélez added a fourth with a beautiful strike from 25 yards.

And in stoppage time, Costa got his reward, tapping in after Mensah squared the ball across goal.

5-0. Total dominance.

The perfect send-off before Wembley.

Final Thoughts – Momentum Secured

Five games. Five wins.

Bradford closed out their League One campaign with authority.

But now, everything shifted.

Now, there was only one thing left to focus on.

Tottenham. Wembley. The EFL Cup Final.

Jake called his players in after the last league match.

"We've earned the right to play in this final," he said. "Now, we earn the right to win it."

One game. One trophy.

History was waiting.