GARY Bowyer will not be fazed by the size of the job in keeping City in League One.

Former Bantams boss Colin Todd, whose son Andy is the new number two, believes the management duo will genuinely feel they can stave off the drop in the final 11 games.

Bowyer took charge of his first training session yesterday and will watch an under-23s friendly at lunchtime as he assesses the options available for his Valley Parade opener against Peterborough this weekend.

City are currently six points adrift of safety but Todd senior, who managed the club after they came out of administration in 2004 for two-and-a-half years, feels the appointment gives them a fighting chance.

READ MORE: Bowyer appointed as City boss

He said: “Gary won’t have gone into it without a genuine feeling that he can pull them out and that’s important.

“He’s got to believe that because there will be games when they know they’ll have to win. There will be others where it will be a great achievement if they can get a point.

“People can’t expect miracles – but they do happen now and again.

“He’ll not be fazed. He’s strong-minded and the pair of them will give it a real go.”

Bowyer ended a seven-month absence from football when he became the fourth man to lead City this season. He had resigned from Blackpool for personal reasons just one game in.

Todd added: “You look at Gary’s track record.

“Even though he hasn’t got the greatest experience, the clubs he’s been with he has managed extremely well under difficult conditions.

“He was very unfortunate at Blackburn and he walked away from Blackpool because he felt it was the right thing to do under the circumstances. That takes some doing.

“It’s never been easy but he has a style of management which I think the players will certainly look up to.

“He’s very thorough in what he does, he knows what he wants and gets his point over. He’ll have a good dressing room.

“He will bring smiles back to their faces even with the situation the team are in.

“Nobody knows what will happen long term but if he can do what we all hope then it will be some achievement.

“He will believe in his own mind that they can get out of it.”

Bowyer and Andy Todd’s association goes back to when they both played for Nottingham Forest.

Todd was then at Blackburn when Bowyer joined the club initially as under-21s coach before becoming manager.

And they eventually teamed up as a coaching team with Blackpool, the assistant initially working without getting paid.

Bowyer said: “Andy’s played in the Premiership, he’s a top defender and he’s going to be able to bring that knowledge and expertise that I worked with at Blackpool.

“He’ll pass on the information to the defenders and hopefully we’ll have a good effect on the players.”

Bowyer has not needed introducing to several in the City ranks who have played under him before. Others, such as Jack Payne and David Ball, were transfer targets when he was at Blackpool.

He said: “I’ve worked with four or five of them already. Obviously Kelvin Mellor left us last year and he’s been unlucky with injuries.

“I worked with Hope Akpan at Blackburn, Paudie (O’Connor) we had at Blackpool as well and I’ve tried to sign some of the players as well.

“There’s some talent in the squad. We’ve just got to try and get ourselves organised, difficult to beat and hard to break down because I do believe we’ve got goals in the team.”

Bowyer’s first two City outings are at home to sides in the promotion pack, including leaders Luton. But that just heightens the anticipation for him.

“They are the games you want to be involved in,” he added.

“While you’ve been out of football, they are the ones that you miss.”