Bradford City’s search for a new manager has been hampered by the refusal of one of their top prospects to meet with the club.
The Bantams are said to have approached former MK Dons and Oxford United manager Karl Robinson, who appears to be uninterested. Pete O’Rourke, a known and reputable voice in the world of football writing, has reported that the 43-year-old has declined the opportunity to talk with them.
Robinson, who has been unemployed since quitting his position as Leeds United’s assistant manager last season, was also said to have rejected down a job at Fleetwood Town earlier this season after they fired manager Scott Brown. While neither that nor the Bradford news has been formally confirmed, it appears that Robinson is content to wait before returning to the game.
In his final three full seasons with Oxford, he finished in the top ten three times, having previously gained promotion to the Championship with MK Dons. He is still considered an exciting young coach at the age of 43, having taken over at MK Dons when he was only 29.
Bradford are currently without a manager after sacking Mark Hughes in early October. Since then, the Bantams have won seven of their nine League Two games and defeated Grimsby Town in the EFL Trophy. Given that form, caretaker Kevin McDonald is among the leading runners to assume the post permanently, although others are also in the running.
While Robinson will not be speaking with the club, former Lincoln City manager Danny Cowley could still be in the running – he’s the club’s chairman.
– He’s the favorite for the job, which he also has for the vacant position at his former club.
With Bradford currently 11th in the table, only three points outside the play-offs, whomever takes over will be in a strong position to propel League Two’s largest team towards promotion.
Opinion
Is there a more important job in League Two than Bradford City’s? Almost definitely not. They’re big enough for regular Championship football, which puts a lot of pressure on any manager who is contacted.
It’s surprising that Robinson didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to join the squad at Valley Parade. Despite a strong showing at Oxford, he was never able to elevate them to the level of viable promotion prospects.
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