Graham Alexander on signing Matthew Pennington
This season, CITY doesn’t plan on falling short of their goals.
Three center halves are among the seven summer additions made by Graham Alexander.
The most recent arrival, Matty Pennington, left Blackpool after Curtis Tilt and Joe Wright and arrived at Valley Parade.
The quantity of defensive signings to date has drawn criticism. However, Alexander is adamant that he does not want to experience another injury-plagued season like the one that began early last year.
The City manager had to switch to a back four because they lacked sufficient backup after starting trio Aden Baldwin, Neill Byrne, and Ciaran Kelly were all crocked in the same time frame.
“We want everyone on the team to compete hard,” Alexander stated.
“I had a pretty nice conversation with Matty a while back.
Since we already had numbers where he plays, we had to start by organizing other areas of the field.
However, as I looked at the team, I recalled some of the challenges we faced during the previous season due to a slight injury backlog at that position.
We had to alter our shape and everything, so you could see how much it affected our game. We simply don’t want to find ourselves in that predicament ever more.
We are aware of Matty’s extensive experience, both in League One and the Championship. When he was younger, he also played in the Premier League.
He has an excellent record. We know he can easily integrate into our back three based on his attributes.
“We simply wanted to confirm that if a good player is present, we wish to sign him, and the boy is willing to come, then let’s complete the deal. We are ecstatic about him.
“Maybe I’m just trying to understand that having an 18-man squad is an ideal that will never happen, and we should be playing 50-55 games.”
Since the beginning of the season, 23 different players have started games to demonstrate to Alexander that switching around the lineup during hectic times may be beneficial. The idea is that they will put pressure on the team once more.
“We treat the boys with respect and manage them well, and they compete with one another to make the team.”
“We had mutual respect during the time we switched the team last season, and everyone got along really well with one another.
As you saw at the end of the season, we will pick up injuries and suspensions, but it’s challenging to have that across a ten-month period.
“Matty will assist us in ensuring that we are as strong as possible as frequently as possible.”
In the early months of 2025, when the team was frequently rotated and refreshed, City played six straight midweek games. However, they replied with a strong run of outcomes to increase the momentum for the promotion.
We simply thought it would be a little naïve to believe we would finish that run of games with the same squad, Alexander continued.
“By managing the team from the beginning, we attempted to be proactive and prevent it from becoming an issue.
“I’ll reach a point toward the beginning of this season where we’ll talk about how we operate. However, you witnessed how many players contributed to our success throughout the previous season.
They all experience the advantages and rewards of being a member of a promoted team, and it was a lot.
“The players must realize that the current game is a team game.
“We’re searching everywhere for fierce competition. Anywhere place he is alone is not what we desire.
“In every position, we must have an alternative.”
Pennington, who joined Blackpool from Shrewsbury in 2023, was a mainstay in his debut campaign. However, after Steve Bruce took over last term, he was in and out of the side.
Alexander stated, “I believe he was seeking something a little bit more than just being a good squad player, even though they had offered him a new contract.”
I told him that it’s difficult to get on our squad because we already have talented guys. Bradford doesn’t have any gimmes; you have to work for your place, and he’s up for the task.
“We look into a player’s demeanor and character, and after speaking with a few people, they had nothing but positive things to say about Matty. We are really happy to have him.
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