McDonald keeping feet on ground despite Bradford start

Modest Kevin McDonald was not “getting carried away” after his winning start to life as Bradford caretaker player-manager continued away to AFC Wimbledon.

The former Scotland international was put in temporary charge following Mark Hughes’ departure earlier this month and has a 100 per cent record in the hotseat.

Bradford followed up last weekend’s home win against Swindon by triumphing at Grimsby in the EFL Trophy and then securing a third win in eight days in the capital.

City rode their luck at times against Wimbledon and Harry Lewis produced some key saves, with super sub Emmanuel Osadebe’s second-half effort securing a hard-fought 1-0 win.

“It’s a good result of course,” caretaker boss McDonald said. “To come away from home to a hard place to play – they don’t concede too many goals – and win 1-0, it’s a great result.

“There’s certain parts of the performance that were below par at times, but on the whole, especially second half and first 15 minutes, I thought we brought our own dimension of the game.

“To win 1-0 after a three-game week, it’s been a good week.

“It’s definitely not easy. We’ve played three games and won three games, but you’ll never see me getting carried away.

“I’ve never been carried away as a player and again as a caretaker manager.

“We’re here to do our job, obviously on behalf of the club, and that’s what we’ll do until told otherwise.”

McDonald says he has open, ongoing dialogue with Bradford chief executive Ryan Sparks over the managerial situation.

And, even if the 34-year-old does not take the role permanently, this experience has underlined his coaching ambitions.

“I think in a longer term it has always been maybe a potential plan to be going into coaching,” McDonald, the former Fulham and Wolves midfielder, said.

“Maybe now I have been involved in it, I don’t know if it has confirmed (I want to do it).

“Obviously I want to be a manager going forward in time to come, but that was kind of always on the radar for the longer term.

“I was thinking somewhere along the line of coaching and managing.

“I didn’t know how I would take to it, I didn’t know how I would do, I didn’t know how well I’d take to it, but I’d say I’ve taken to it all right, at times.”

McDonald is seeking further improvements when his side return to West Yorkshire, while Wimbledon counterpart Johnnie Jackson was left to reflect on a frustrating afternoon.

The Dons boss said: “We feel like we should have won the game, let alone come away with nothing.

“As far as balance of play, we created chances, so it’s really frustrating.”

Bradford’s winner came just moments after Armani Little went close on a day when the hosts’ struggles at home this season continued, having managed just one League Two victory at the Cherry Red Records Stadium.

“The performance level, the disparity doesn’t match the results,” Jackson said.

“And again today we have done well enough to win a game of football. One has come back off a post, we’ve not been given a stonewall penalty.

“Today is just one of those days when everything has gone against us.”