Rival boss Lee Johnson reckons City have already established themselves as a “real threat” to the rest of League One.
More than 2,000 fans are heading for Oldham on Sunday for the most local fixture of the season.
Latics chief Johnson has been hugely impressed with the Bantams’ progress and the lethal strike pairing of Nahki Wells and James Hanson.
And while Coventry’s Steven Pressley caused a storm with his comments criticising their style of football, Johnson believes City are entitled to play how they want.
Johnson said: “The atmosphere should be terrific. They are expecting to bring over 2,000 across as a minimum and that, in turn, raises the voices of our own supporters.
“Bradford are a difficult team to play against. They are very direct and with that classic big, small combination up front, they aren’t afraid of going straight to them.
“I respect their style. There are many different ways to win football matches and they have found one that works for them.
“To have taken that club from where it was to promotion, the Capital One Cup final and a play-off place right now in League One is an achievement.”
Oldham have won the last four games in all competitions – their best run since December 2006 – and are currently just below mid-table.
They are seven points off the Bantams in the final play-off spot, with a game in hand, and Johnson sees the weekend clash as a “must win” to close that gap.
Johnson, the youngest manager in the Football League at 32, added: “Brad-ford are a real threat to the division. It is up to us to prove that we are too.
“Maybe not for them, but it is a six-pointer for us as far as the play-off spots are concerned. We go into it with confidence.”
City are back in work this morning after two days off to clear the sickness that had affected the camp. The training facilities at Apperley Bridge have been thoroughly cleaned in their absence.
Phil Parkinson, who did not make any late additions to the squad before last night’s loan deadline, will be hoping for a clean bill of health after his plans for the Notts County game were disrupted.
Nahki Wells was one of those hit hard by the bug and the top scorer was taken off after 70 minutes of Tuesday’s draw.
“The early hours of Monday morning I woke up feeling poorly,” he told the Bermuda Royal Gazette. “I recovered enough to play fully drugged up and very weak.
“I gave everything I had in the tank and had to ask to be substituted.
“I believe it was a 24-hour flu going around because most lads were able to recover from it in one day. Given days off was definitely needed and hopefully we all can overcome it.”
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