CITY would be "stupid" to sack Stuart McCall because of their current slump, Colin Doyle today insisted.

The keeper is among several changes expected at Oldham this afternoon as the Bantams boss looks for an urgent formula to halt a five-game losing run.

McCall has admitted that his job could be on the line if he does not turn it round.

Yet Doyle thinks any suggestion of changing the manager now would be a major blunder.

He said: "It's obvious that he's probably thinking that he might struggle to be here. But I can't see that being the case.

"If they were to get rid of him, that would be stupid. He's been bang on with everyone and he's an honest guy.

"No, he's been great for me since I've been here and he's been fantastic to everyone that has come in.

"The lads are 100 per cent behind him and we want to win for him.

"It's difficult when he's putting teams out and we're not performing or doing well. Nine times out of ten, the manager gets it when that happens.

"But hopefully we can get that win which we all need – obviously the fans, the gaffer and the lads – and it will give us something to build on."

A dreadful January saw City dumped out the FA Cup at Yeovil, followed by four league defeats. But they are still currently fifth in League One, although the chasing teams have games in hand to overtake.

Doyle, who has not played since injuring his knee against Scunthorpe in November, stresses the picture is not as black as some fear.

He said: "We haven't been out of the top six in the 18 months the manager's been here. The run we've been on from the start of last season has been unbelievable really.

"All right, people are saying we're going through a crisis right now. But if you'd said to a fan 18 months ago that between now and January 2018, you'll be in the top six bar a couple of weeks, they would have snapped your hand off.

"Just because we've lost the last five games, everyone thinks 'what's going on?' But that happens in football. You get little blips in form.

"Hopefully that's our blip done and, to be honest, we'd rather have it now than the last three or four weeks of the season when we need to pick up wins."