Blackpool warned that Bantams will want to impress new boss

Temporary Blackpool boss Terry McPhillips says tomorrow's game against Bradford City is likely to be their hardest fixture of the season to date.
David Hopkin was named as Bradford City's new manager earlier this weekDavid Hopkin was named as Bradford City's new manager earlier this week
David Hopkin was named as Bradford City's new manager earlier this week

The Bantams have lost four of their last five games in League One, leading to the sacking of Michael Collins at the start of the week just six matches into the season.

A day later, former Livingston boss David Hopkin was handed the role and McPhillips is expecting to see a reaction from the West Yorkshire club.

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McPhillips said: “It’s a massive club, isn’t it? With big pressures. They get massive home crowds.

“There’s been sackings already and it seems to be getting sooner every year.

“So it makes it a harder game for us, without a doubt. We don’t seem to get that rub of the green or that bit of luck.

“They’ve got a new manager, rightly or wrongly, and he’s coming here for his first game and that’s going to make it a tough game.

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“But we will be ready, it’s exciting and everyone who is fit has thrown their name in the hat. Now it’s a case of having to pick a team and the bench.

“We always study the opposition and we’ve shown the lads some of what they do, but it’s all out of the window now isn’t it?

“The new manager is there and he’s got a proven record of his teams being organised and competing, running, chasing and fighting. That is what it will be all about on Saturday for starters.

“We’ll have to win that fight first before we can try and win the football match.”

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The last time Bradford came to Bloomfield Road they were roundly beaten 5-0 under the management of former Pool boss Simon Grayson.

McPhillips says he would love a repeat of that scoreline but knows it’s unlikely.

“I’ll take that now if you can wrap it up for us,” he added. “But we know football is not like that, it’s never going to be like that.

“Anything we get on Saturday we’ll have to work our socks off for and we’re expecting our hardest game of the season so far.”