Slade Tipped for Bradford Return

By: Rob Sedgwick
Date: 09/02/2010

RUSSELL Slade has been installed as one of the favourites to make a quick return to management with Bradford City. The Valley Parade hot seat was made vacant after the resignation of manager Stuart McCall earlier this week, and former Town boss Slade is believed to be one of the first applicants.

Slade was overlooked by Town Chairman John Fenty in favour of Youth Team coach Neil Woods last autumn. Woods has failed to secure a first win since taking charge and is now himself under pressure after Town have sunk further into the relegation pit. The Mariners winless run now stretches to 20 games, the vast majority of it under Woods.

Slade is one of the best managers in the lower leagues who is currently out of work and is bound to at least seriously considered by the Bradford board.

If a quick appointment is made by the Bantams, it is possible that the Mariners could face their former manager having let him slip through their fingertips in favour of the less experienced Woods.

After leaving Grimsby when his contract ended, Slade took Yeovil to the play-off finals in his first season at Huish Park, where he was widely applauded for the quality of football his team played. Slade then kept Brighton up from a position that looked lost at the end of last season, but was suddenly sacked after a poor start to the campaign this season.

Grim Rob Says: Slade undoubtedly should have been made Grimsby manager for a second time, but the decision has been made and we have to do the best with what we have. Whoever is in charge it is going to be a very difficult game in Saturday against the best supported team in the division.

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