Duff set to be appointed Bradford boss

What the report says

Bradford City are set to appoint Michael Duff as their new manager, according to BBC Sport Football. Duff, 48, is expected to replace Graham Alexander at Valley Parade after Alexander left to become Preston North End boss. The move comes with Bradford second in League One, level on points with leaders Plymouth Argyle, and still pushing for promotion early in the season.

BBC reports that Bradford believe Duff can maintain the energetic, high-tempo approach used under Alexander, including the 3-4-3 system that helped the club climb from League Two to the upper end of League One. Duff is a former Northern Ireland international and a former Burnley team-mate of Alexander. His coaching background includes spells at Cheltenham Town, Barnsley, Swansea City, Huddersfield Town and, most recently, Wycombe Wanderers.

The article adds that Duff had success at Cheltenham, guiding them to promotion from League Two and then to their best-ever EFL finish in League One before moving on. His time at Swansea and Huddersfield was shorter and less successful, and he was dismissed by Wycombe after a difficult start to the new season. Bradford’s next fixtures are an EFL Trophy match at Rotherham on Tuesday, followed by a league game at home to Leyton Orient on Saturday.