Yesterday, Bradford City parted company with manager Mark Hughes following an indifferent start to the League Two season. With the Bantams now on the hunt for a new lead man, we take a look at five potential managers who could take the helm at Valley Parade.
Hughes took over at Bradford in February 2022 to much fanfare having managed clubs such as Manchester City, Fulham, Blackburn Rovers and Stoke City in the past, as well as the Welsh national team.
He guided the club to the play-offs last season, only to lose in extra time of the two-legged semi final against Carlisle United. They began this season as one of the pre-season favourites for promotion, but Tuesday night’s 2-1 defeat against Tranmere Rovers left them languishing in 18th and the Bradford hierarchy took the decision to cut their losses.
Despite the poor start, the Yorkshire side sit just six points behind seventh-placed Mansfield Town in what is proving to be an extremely tight division, so there is still plenty of time for a new manager to turn their campaign around. With that said, who could Bradford target?
Danny Cowley
Perhaps the best equipped to bring success back to Valley Parade, Danny Cowley – alongside his brother Nicky – have much pedigree at this level. Having guided Lincoln City to the National League title in 2017, the Imps first season back in the Football League saw them lift the EFL Trophy in 2018 before capturing the League Two title in 2019.
Their success at Sincil Bank saw Huddersfield Town come knocking, where the pair were tasked with keeping the Terriers in the Championship. They succeeded, but still found themselves out of a job at the end of the 2019/20 campaign before taking over at Portsmouth in March 2021.
The Cowley’s proved popular with the Pompey fans, although their failure to guide the club back to the second tier ultimately led to their departure in January this year, and they have been out of a job ever since – although there has been offers.
A move to one of League Two’s sleeping giants could appeal and would surely be a popular choice with the Bradford fans.
Scott Brown
Former Scotland international Scott Brown was sacked by League One’s Fleetwood Town in September after picking up just one point from their opening six games. However, his dismissal did come as somewhat of a surprise after he guided the Cod Army to the FA Cup fifth round and a respectable mid-table finish last season.
Following his departure, the 38-year-old said he hoped to take his experiences from Highbury into his next role. He has been linked with a number of roles in England and Scotland since, but could Bradford attempt to lure the Celtic legend to Yorkshire?
David Artell
Artell has been heavily linked to a number of jobs since departing Crewe Alexandra in April last year, most recently that of Cheltenham Town following the sacking of Wade Elliott. The 42-year-old enjoyed five years at the Mornflake Stadium, earning promotion from League Two in 2020.
A 12th-placed finish in their debut season in League One followed, but Artell was unable to maintain that momentum and he left the club towards the end of the 2021/22 season once their relegation back to the fourth tier was confirmed.
Still, Artell’s stock remains high and it is no surprise to see him linked with the vacant role at Bradford.
Dean Brennan
It’s seems to be a matter of time before Dean Brennan gets his opportunity to manage in the EFL, although Barnet fans will be hoping that is with them rather than elsewhere.
Appointed Bees’ boss in 2021, he has turned around the club’s fortunes, taking them from relegation candidates in the National League to promotion contenders.
This season has started in similar fashion and they currently sit second in the table, three points behind leaders Chesterfield. Bradford will surely be tempted to take a look at Brennan, although he is under contract at The Hive until 2026, so would likely cost a sum.
Damien Duff
The former Republic of Ireland and Chelsea star took his first step into management in 2021 with Irish outfit Shelbourne. He has impressed at the Irish club with his no-nonsense approach, as well as a run to last season’s FAI Cup final, where they lost 4-0 to Derry City.
Perhaps the wildcard in the list, Duff is likely to be targeted by English clubs in the very near future, but it remains to be seen as to whether a move to a club in League Two would interest him.
