In this article, we take a look at who are the six favourites to become the next Bradford City manager following a departure at the weekend.
The Bantams have announced that they have parted company with their manager Stuart McCall weeks after extending his deal which left many supporters surprised.
Saturday’s 3-1 loss at Oldham left them 22nd in the League Two table and with just one league victory since 17 October.
The 56 year old was in his third spell as boss after taking over in February, now it seems his most recent defeat was the final straw.
So with that in mind, we take a look at the six favourites to become next Bradford City manager, see who they are below…
6) GRAHAM ALEXANDER
Salford City sacked Alexender before appointing Swindon’s manager. He guided them to promotion from the National League, an 11th place finish in the fourth tier of English football (based on PPG), then had an unbeaten start to the 2020/21 League Two season, before being axed.
MANAGERIAL STATS:
Preston North End (caretaker) – 14 Dec 2011 until 16 Jan 2012 – 5 G, 2 W, 2 D, 1 L – 40.0 win %
Fleetwood Town – 6 Dec 2012 until 30 Sep 2015 – 145 G, 56 W, 35 D, 54 L – 38.6 win %
Scunthorpe United – 22 Mar 2016 until 24 Mar 2018 – 113 G, 53 W, 30 D, 30 L – 46.9 win %
Salford City – 14 May 2018 until 12 Oct 2020 – 112 G, 54 W, 27 D, 31 L – 48.2 win %
Total – 372 G, 160 W, 97 D, 115 L – 43.0 win %
Sky Bet odds to takeover: 10/1
Graham Alexander at Salford…
– 2018/19: Promoted
– 2019/20: Final of EFL trophy
– 2020/21: An unbeaten league start
Paul Scholes has been announced as interim head coach after The Ammies sack Alexander. pic.twitter.com/fzGBoIk876
— thesportsman (@TheSportsman) October 12, 2020
5) Danny Cowley
Cowley was most recently was sacked by Huddersfield Town, despite beating second-place West Brom in his last game in charge, which all-but-confirmed the club’s survival.
It’s understood that owner Phil Hodgkinson wanted total control over transfers — but his manager was not willing to work that way.
Danny first grabbed the attention of the country when he and his brother took Lincoln City all the way to the FA Cup Quarter Finals in 2017, causing shocks against Ipswich, Brighton and Burnley along the way.
The Imps finished the 2016/17 season crowned champions of the National League and then in the 2017/18 season finished 7th, claiming a playoff place in their first season back in the Football League and also won the EFL Trophy at Wembley.
In the 2018/19 season, Danny and Nicky Cowley’s side finished top of the League Two table and won promotion to League One.
Danny Cowley left League One high flyers Lincoln to join the Championship strugglers in September, who at the time were 23rd in the table having failed to win any of their first six matches.
Sky Bet odds to takeover: 10/1
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4) Paul Hurst
Hurst guided Shrewsbury Town to the Playoff Final last May, despite starting the season as favourites for relegation, alongside the final of the Checkatrade Trophy.
He left to join Ipswich in the summer of 2018 but was sacked in October of the same year after taking them to the bottom of the Championship table.
He was then appointed by Scunthorpe United in May 2019 but was sacked in January 2020.
- Ilkeston Town (joint with Rob Scott) – 15 January 2009 until 14 May 2009, 29 games, 18 wins, 6 draws, 5 defeats, 62.1 win %
- Boston United (joint with Rob Scott) – 14 May 2009 until 22 March 2011, 75 games, 45 wins, 16 draws, 14 defeats, 60.0 win %
- Grimsby Town (joint with Rob Scott) – 23 March 2011 until 19 September 2013, 132 games, 59 wins, 38 draws, 35 defeats, 44.7 win %
- Grimsby Town – 19 September 2013 until 24 October 2016, 182 games, 90, wins, 46 draws, 46 defeats, 49.5 win %
- Shrewsbury Town – 24 October 2016 until 30 May 2018, 97 games, 47 wins, 23 draws, 27 defeats, 48.5 win %
- Ipswich Town – 30 May 2018 until 25 October 2018, 15 games, 1 win, 7 draws, 7 defeats, 6.7 win %
- Scunthorpe United – 13 May 2019 until 29 January 2020, 38 games, 12 wins, 10 draws, 16 defeats, 31.6 win %
- Total – 568 games, 272 wins, 146 draws, 150 defeats, 47.9 win %
Sky Bet odds to takeover: 9/2
League Two club Scunthorpe United have sacked their manager Paul Hurst.
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) January 29, 2020
3) David Flitcroft
David Flitcroft previously managed Mansfield Town, appointed back in March 2018, and lead them to just three points outside the League Two playoffs in 8th.
By the end of December 2018, Mansfield were defeated just once under Flitcroft in the 2018/19 season. They were also the only side in the top four English divisions unbeaten away from home, until they were beaten by Carlisle.
His contract was terminated on 14 May 2019 after failing to achieve promotion to League One, having lost to Newport County in the play-off semi-final.
There have been a few calls from fans to bring him back. Is he the man to save their season despite it being early days?
Sky Bet odds to takeover: 4/1
BREAKING: Mansfield have sacked manager David Flitcroft and replaced him with academy manager John Dempster.
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 14, 2019
2) Phil Parkinson
Late November 2020 saw Sunderland announce that they sacked their manager Phil Parkinson after 13 months in charge of the third tier based club.
A draw at Fleetwood was a third league game without a win for the Black Cats, leaving them eighth in the League One table.
The ex-Bolton Wanderers boss, 52, replaced Jack Ross at the Stadium of Light in October 2019 and led them to eighth place last season.
He is a former Bantams manager, is the current manager of Bolton Wanderers, who are struggling in the Championship relegation zone.
Parky had a successful spell at Valley Parade between 2011 and 2016, enjoying a promising run in the Johnstones Paint Trophy, guided them to League Two safety, the League Cup final (lost 5-0 to Swansea), promotion to League One via the playoffs, a 4-2 FA Cup at Chelsea despite being 2-0 down – booking a place in the FA Cup quarter finals, reached the League One playoffs (lost to Millwall), but then left the club for Bolton.
He doesn’t however want to return with Bradford according to the Telegraph & Argus.
Sky Bet odds to takeover: 3/1
Phil Parkinson doesn’t want the #bcafc job … @Bradford_TandA https://t.co/xZV0XXDBtG
— Simon Parker (@ParkerTandA) December 14, 2020
1) Jonathan Woodgate
Woodgate is currently unemployed after losing his job following his managerial spell of his career with Middlesbrough.
It came with Boro sitting 21st in the Championship table at the time (late June 2020), after losing 3-0 at home to Swansea City in their first game since the season restarted.
40 year old Woodgate was appointed last summer but only saw is side win just nine times in 41 games. Ouch! How poor is that.
When the odds first came out, Woodgate wasn’t a favourite or even listed. However in the last 24 hours he’s come in a 5/1 and is now 2/1.
Sky Bet odds to takeover: 2/1
Jonathan Woodgate has been cut to 11/2 to return to management with Bradford City.
Woodgate has been out of work since June when he left his post at Middlesbrough after 41 games in charge… 👔
Odds subject to change | BeGambleAware | 18+#BCAFC #Boro
— The Sack Race (@thesackrace) December 13, 2020
Others listed by Sky Bet for the job at Bradford are the following:
Nigel Adkins – 12/1
Paul Jewell – 16/1
John McGreal – 18/1
Paul Cook – 20/1
Simon Grayson – 20/1
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