Michael Duff poised to take Bradford City manager role

WHAT HAPPENED
Bradford City are set to appoint Michael Duff as their new manager. The 48-year-old is expected to replace Graham Alexander, who left Valley Parade to take charge of Championship side Preston North End.

KEY CONTEXT
City sit second in League One on 16 points, level with leaders Plymouth Argyle, who have played a game more. The club view Duff as capable of continuing the high-energy style and the 3-4-3 system that served them under Alexander and helped take them from League Two to the top end of League One.

DUFF'S CV
Duff, a former Northern Ireland international and a one-time team-mate of Alexander at Burnley, has managed Cheltenham Town, Barnsley, Swansea City, Huddersfield Town and Wycombe Wanderers. He led Cheltenham to promotion from League Two in his first managerial role and guided them to their highest-ever EFL finish of 15th in League One in 2021-22 before moving to Barnsley.
At Barnsley the Reds finished fourth in the third tier but lost to Sheffield Wednesday in the play-off final. Duff's subsequent spell at Championship Swansea lasted six months, ending with his sacking in December 2023. He returned to Huddersfield Town in May 2024 but was dismissed in March the following year after four defeats in five games.
Wycombe appointed him in September after a winless start to their season; he led them to an 11th-placed finish but was sacked last month following three draws and two defeats in their first five league games of 2026-27.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT
Bradford travel to League Two Rotherham in the EFL Trophy on Tuesday (19:00 BST) and then host Leyton Orient in the league on Saturday (15:00 BST).