Phil Parkinson could swing the axe for Sunday’s crunch home clash with Coventry as City aim to return to winning ways.

The Bantams were well beaten at Rotherham on Saturday, crashing out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle 3-0 to extend their winless run to six games.

Parkinson said the desire from his players to earn a place in the team must intensify as City bid to halt their slide.

He said: “We’ve got to get back to whoever has the shirt has to keep hold of it. If you’re not in the team, that player who has the shirt might be your mate but you want to get it back off him.

“I’ve reminded the lads that the minute you start thinking you’re better than you are, someone else goes past you in this game. That might be someone from your own club or we bring someone else in from the outside.”

Parkinson kept faith with the same side on Saturday that earned a goalless draw at Crewe because none of his fringe players had convinced him they merited a starting spot.

“I didn’t think enough of those players had done enough to get in the team on Saturday,” said Parkinson.

“I felt the team which played at Crewe deserved to start again.

“Sometimes as a manager when you’ve lost you can start feeling sorry for the lads who didn’t make the coach journey or the bench but I didn’t on Saturday because I didn’t think they had done enough to get in the team.”

* Former City boss Peter Taylor has been confirmed as Gillingham’s permanent manager until the end of the season.

He had won two and lost two of his four league games prior to Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to non-league Brackley in the first round of the FA Cup.

And chairman Paul Scally has seen enough to call off his search and appoint Taylor on a full-time basis until May at least.