Pressure all on Bradford tonight, says Fleetwood boss

Town’s head coach knows the Bantams’ owners – his fellow Germans Stefan Rupp and Edin Rahic – who took over at Valley Parade last May.

And Bradford, beaten play-off semi-finalists last season, go into tonight’s Highbury clash a point behind Fleetwood in fifth place.

Rosler’s men are unbeaten in 14 league games since September, but after a 0-0 home draw with Rochdale on Saturday, Rosler wants his men to shake off the shackles against Bradford because they have nothing to lose.

Rosler said of tonight’s visitors: “They have been in the play-offs last year. They have invested. They are historically a big club in the country.

“When you ask their owners –and I know them – of course they want to get to the Championship as quickly as possible.

“They have to go up – like Bolton, like Sheffield United – and of course they come here to win the game but we also come to win the game.

“I think that is good because they are not coming here to park the bus and cancel us out.

“They are coming here to attack us and we will attack them, and that is the recipe for a good game. Our home record is good. Our away record is getting better and better, and we are playing against one of the top teams.

“We have nothing to lose. They have more to lose than we have. I think that is how we have to address the game. We should get the shackles off a little bit.

“We should not see it as a burden to be in the top six. We should see it as a pleasure, as a positive stimulant for good performances.”

Town lost the reverse fixture 2-1 in September, having taken the lead through Bobby Grant.

Stuart McCall’s men fought back as Filipe Morais equalised in first-half stoppage time and Billy Clarke fired the winner from the penalty spot after Eggert Jonsson impeded Timothee Dieng.

Rosler says Town were unlucky that night but he added: “They are the team with the fewest defeats in the league and that speaks for them. I think their results are expected.

“In terms of the stature of the club – we are talking about a Premier League history – in terms of their crowds and budget, they have to push for direct promotion.

“But they are coming here and we will try to make life really difficult for them.

“I think we did really well in the first game against them and were really unlucky.

“Teams like ourselves and Rochdale will try to surprise people for as long as we can.

“I compliment Stuart McCall on the way his side is playing football this season. I am really enjoying watching them.

“I’m a fan of his way. They are a fluid, attacking football team and that is clearly the signature of Stuart”.