McCall speaks about his frustration at Bradford City sacking

Two months on and the pain is not going away for Stuart McCall.

“People say you’ll get over it and move on but I’m finding it hard,” he admitted.

“I’ve left Bradford twice as a player and twice as a manager before and I got it each time.

“But this one has been really sore for me because I know it will be a case of not going back again.

“I genuinely believe that given time we would have been successful. But it is what it is.”

Speaking for the first time about his sacking, McCall is pleased to see how City’s results have picked up so well for Mark Trueman and Conor Sellars.

There is no bitterness about their success – just a conviction that he could have done the same with the right players at his disposal.

A six-game losing slump cost McCall his job in mid-December but he still maintains that better times would have been around the corner.

“Everything that’s come to fruition is everything that we’d planned. The biggest feeling I’ve got at the moment is utter frustration.

“The results have turned round, and I’m delighted for that, but I was always confident that would happen once we got our better players back in the team.

“Look at Levi (Sutton), who went under the radar a little bit. He got sent off and then he had injuries.

Top scorer Lee Novak missed 11 games for Stuart McCall through injury

“He needed a run of games and he’s been fantastic. Billy Clarke has come back, Evo (Gareth Evans), Elliot (Watt) is playing really well, (Lee) Novak scored some big goals.

“When you look back, we lost one of our first six games. That was Harrogate and obviously there was a furore about that.

“But all that was with no suspensions and injuries – so I was always confident in the bad run that when we got the majority of our better players out on the pitch the results would change.

“Every player we’ve brought to the club were really good types you want in the dressing room.”

Injuries to key personnel proved McCall’s undoing as City plunged down the table – only goal difference separated them from the relegation zone when the axe fell.

The team lacked strength in depth – something that he maintained would be addressed in the January transfer window. But he never got the chance.

McCall said: “When you analyse things, we’d sorted out (recruitment director) Lee Turnbull and we’d discussed who I thought was the best striker in the league in Danny Rowe.

“We couldn’t get a striker we’d wanted in the summer so, rather than throwing money at it, we’d have it in our armoury for January.

Every player we’ve brought to the club were really good types you want in the dressing room.

“We were well under budget to have a really good spree. In fairness, that’s what they have done – they’ve got Rowe in and Lee and I had spoken about Niall Canavan coming.

“The ones who have gone were those we were trying to move on. That was the plan.”

McCall feels City “panicked” to get rid of him just a fortnight after announcing a year’s contract extension and was upset with talk claiming that they were in real danger of dropping into the National League.

“If people running the club lose faith in the manager, then 100 per cent there’s only one decision to make,” he said.

“You saw that with Frank Lampard at Chelsea but he had 18 months.

“There was this hysteria, and I think some at the club got caught up in it, when they were discussing the National League with 30 games to go.

“I think that had a lot to do with it. I found it strange that one week people think you’re the right man for the job long-term and you’re signing a new deal and then to lose faith like that was disappointing.

“I can understand getting panicky with 10 games to go – but when you’ve got 30 left and your better players coming back and others being lined up with money in the bank for the window.

Stuart McCall wanted to bring Danny Rowe to City in the transfer window

“Without the injuries we’d had, I think we’d have been mid-table and gone into January looking to strengthen and go for the play-offs.

“We know it’s a results-based industry. But look at the bigger picture and the players that were returning.

“That’s the most frustrating part. I just wish the club could have shown a bit more courage and bravery.”

Defeat at Exeter last week was City’s first in the nine games since Trueman and Sellars were promoted from the academy to take over.

The Bantams are not totally out of the woods yet but with an eight-point cushion on the drop zone, and games in hand, the position looks considerably brighter.

“Fair play to the two lads who have come in,” added McCall. “They have picked up some great results but that hasn’t surprised me, if I’m honest.

“I always knew things would pick up because there are good players in that squad.

“To have half a dozen of the better players out the team, results were always going to suffer. It was just unfortunate that there were so many injuries in the same area, middle to front.

“The hurtful part was hearing people were beginning to talk about the National League. I tried to assure them that the situation would improve.

“It’s tough when you are losing games. But you need to keep focus and know who is coming back.

They have picked up some great results but that hasn’t surprised me, if I’m honest.

“It was a long-term thing for me and I really relished the opportunity to try to build something.

“I’m loving seeing Chris Wilder picking up a few results now because Sheffield United stuck with him.

“(Ole Gunnar) Solskjaer is getting absolutely battered at Man United but he’s picking up.

“It’s having that mental strength to back the person if you think they are the right man in the job.”

McCall has not completely ruled out one more crack at management if the opportunity comes up. But it is likely to be north of the border.

“We’re going back up to Scotland so we’ll see what happens. But the way I feel at the minute, I can’t see me looking for another job down here.”