Major Breakthrough In Bradford City Manager Hunt As Preferred Candidate Revealed

Bradford City are set to offer Michael Duff the role of managing the League One leaders after holding talks with several candidates in recent days.

The Bantams have been on the lookout for a successor to Graham Alexander, who was poached away from the West Yorkshire club by Preston North End after a reported £500,000 fee was paid by the Deepdale club.

Duff Wins Race

A field of potential candidates have emerged since the former Scotland international left Valley Parade, with Paul Heckingbottom, Gary Rowett, and other unnamed candidates tipped with a potential move.

However, according to Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, City are now set to give Michael Duff an offer to take over at Bradford, after reportedly impressing in the interview process.

Duff was the first managerial casualty of the EFL season after a poor start at Wycombe Wanderers, and has prior League One experience with City’s arch-rivals in Huddersfield Town.

Having won the League Two title with Cheltenham Town back in 2021, the Northern Irish coach has yet to add to his honours list, having also led Swansea City and Barnsley since leaving Whaddon Road.

A former teammate of Alexander’s during their time at Burnley, Duff is now poised to be his successor in Bradford, with the club currently under the interim control of Mark Trueman and goalkeeping coach Colin Doyle as they face Reading at home.

A Poor Choice From Bradford?

With the club being left in the perfect place after being compensated for the loss of Graham Alexander, it felt like the club could certainly be able to continue the momentum behind them which has them in the EFL Cup’s last 16 and top of League One.

Now, with a short search undertaken, they have landed on their preferred successor in Michael Duff, which can be seen as largely a continuity pick given his similarities to Alexander.

However, recent spells and a past affiliation with Huddersfield Town may not endear the 48-year-old to the City faithful immediately, meaning he will have to come out of the traps well in order to convince some that he can keep them in the promotion battle.

Furthermore, some concern may arise from where Duff locates himself, having preferred to stay put in Cheltenham alongside his family in his last roles, and that distance between him and his potential new job could cause some issues, particularly around training plans.

With some candidates out there without a club, such as Dave Challinor and Matt Bloomfield, Duff’s selection as a preferred choice may be an underwhelming one, and if he cannot show early signs of promise, it could be a decision that backfires quickly on the Bantams.