Sparks impressed by quality of field to be next Bantams boss

The club have received plenty of interest in the vacancy with the likes of Paul Hurst, David Flitcroft and John McGreal among the names thought to be under consideration.

Sol Campbell heads the odds with the bookmakers on a lengthy list that also includes Jonathan Woodgate, Graham Alexander and Nigel Adkins.

Chief executive Sparks is in the process of whittling down the applications into a shortlist and talks have begun with certain candidates.

City are keen to have a new man in place well in time for the January transfer window – but Sparks will not make a hurried call.

He said: “There is a timescale. We’re looking to make a swift appointment because of the position we’re in.

“But we won’t be making a rushed or panicked decision. Due diligence is something I’m keen to do and it will be deep.

“In the time I’ve been involved at this club, and in previous roles I’ve had elsewhere, I’ve seen many occurrences where managers have been lined up.

“Snap decisions have been made overnight – one out, one in.

“I can’t think of many, if any, times when it has had the long-term or even medium-term effect really.

“It’s about getting the balance between someone who is up for the dogfight we find ourselves in and can get us away from it but then go into next season with a real optimism about where we can get to.

“There’s no reason we can’t be promoted next season and we’ll be looking to build a squad, an identity and a culture within that can deliver that.

“But we certainly want to be in a far different position this time next year than we are now.”

City sit third-from-bottom of League Two going into tonight’s game at Crawley, where academy coaches Mark Trueman and Conor Sellars will take charge.

Given their current position, the club will not gamble on a rookie manager in his first job.

They have also not ruled out looking at someone who is currently in the hot-seat elsewhere.

Sparks added: “We’ve been inundated with people putting their names in the hat. We expected that because it’s Bradford City.

“We’re a club that are an attractive proposition to the right person.

“Although we’re in a poor position at the moment, from the inside looking out there’s a real opportunity for someone to make a difference and take us to a different place in the longer term while dealing with the short-term threat.

“It’s not just the names that have come in but the names that we’re also considering.

“Appointing a new manager doesn’t get you out of a relegation fight.

“We want to make a really strong appointment and bring in someone who can have that short-term effect that we need because we are 22nd in the table and that can’t be ignored.

“In the same breath, there is a long-term job and desire from the owner and myself to get us to a place that feels a lot more like it was not too many years ago – competing at the right end of this division at the very least and then so on.

“As I’ve always said, the salary cap, while probably unethical in some people’s eyes and mine certainly, presents an opportunity for a club like Bradford City to navigate its way through the next two tiers without any real strain.”

Trueman and Sellars are expected to still be holding the reins for the weekend’s home clash against Cambridge. Realistically, a new man is most likely to be in place by next Tuesday’s game at Grimsby.

“It’s an important appointment and one that we have to get right,” said Sparks. “We want to take our time about it.

“We’re blessed by the fact that we’ve got two extremely talented coaches who are now looking after the first team.

“They are very excited about the prospect of doing that. I don’t think they went to bed on Sunday night.

“Mark and Conor are very proud to have the opportunity and have the desire to leave everything on the grass.

“That means the first team is in the safest hands I could possibly put it in for the short term. That allows us a little bit of time to make the appointment.”