Mark Trueman was left to rue his side’s “below-par” performance - following this evening’s 2-0 defeat at Scunthorpe United.
Despite creating scoring opportunities throughout the contest, the Bantams fell to a goal in each half, as they left the Sands Venue Stadium empty handed.
Trueman was disappointed with the level of performance in comparison with the standards his players set themselves, and insists he must see a response.
The City manager said: “We created some good chances throughout the match but, overall, it was a below-par performance - based on the standards we have set.
“We know we can be better in all areas of the pitch, and just did not play as well as we have done in previous weeks.
“We have to see the character of the group and react positively.
“We must learn from tonight’s performance quickly, as we are usually better defensively than we were against Scunthorpe.”
Despite criticising City’s display in North Lincolnshire, Trueman still has confidence in his players to respond to their recent disappointment.
The Bantams are now five matches without a win, but travel to Colchester United on Saturday knowing what they must do to react, according to Trueman.
He added: “We need to stick to what we are trying to build here and know that, if we can play to our potential, we can beat anybody in this league.
“I think the only positives were that we created some good chances. Unfortunately, it did not fall for us, and sometimes that happens in football.
“When you create that many opportunities, you expect one or two of them to go in.
“This group of players has shown over the past 18 matches they have good character. They work hard and keep fighting until the end.
“We still believed we could get back into the game when we were 2-0 down. We have always got that belief with the players we have got in the squad.
“Once we improve on those individual areas, it will help us collectively as a team.”
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