Bradford City warned they could face Graham Alexander interest | OneFootball

EFL podcaster Callum Fowler believes that Bradford City could face Championship interest for Graham Alexander

EFL content creator Callum Fowler believes that Bradford City boss Graham Alexander could be the subject of interest from Championship clubs as the season unfolds.

The Bantams are the only side in League One to pick up maximum points from two games, following up a routine 2-0 win over Peterborough United with a statement 1-0 win at Hillsborough against Sheffield Wednesday.

Graham Alexander's side are showing no signs of a hangover after massively exceeding expectations last season, coming up short in the play-offs in their first year back in the division after six years in the fourth tier.

And especially against Wednesday, Bradford weathered a storm in the first half. The tactical tweaks from the manager helped turn the game around, leading to a comfortable second half.

Bradford City issued warning over Graham Alexander's future

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Speaking on the EFL podcast, The Pyramid, Barnsley fan and EFL content creator Callum Fowler feels that a side like Preston North End could find themselves after Alexander as the season goes on.

Preston are currently pointless after two games in the Championship in a campaign that many critics have tipped them to struggle in. If the pressure mounts to the point where Paul Heckingbottom is dismissed, Fowler believes they could turn to the Bantams boss.

"We all watched that game [vs Sheffield Wednesday]," co-host Tom Garratt said. "I thought first half Wednesday were very good."

"Second half, Bradford were the better side," Fowler continued. "I worry for them a little bit that a Championship side could try and nick Alexander, like a Preston or someone like that. That's the only thing I worry for them, because they're the best side I've seen so far.

"That's a game between two of the best sides in the division, and I thought both were a bit rubbish in fairness, but it's such a poor league, and I think that Bradford look the most organised with the players to do it.

"Preston would be daft to sack Heckingbottom, but if they do, I worry for Bradford. It's the only thing stopping them."

Graham Alexander's long history with Preston North End

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Graham Alexander is widely considered a Preston legend. Comfortably in the top 10 appearance makers at the club during his playing days, the 54-year-old spent eight seasons at Deepdale before departing for Burnley in 2007 and ended his career back at the club in 2011.

The former Scottish international was well-renowned for his set-piece taking at North End, and played a major role in their 1999/2000 third-tier-winning campaign, before leading the club to back-to-back Championship play-off finishes in 2005 and 2006.

He made exactly 400 appearances for the club in his first spell, and took that tally to 421 in his final season at the club in 2011/12, famously scoring a free kick with the final kick of his professional career in a 2-2 draw with Charlton Athletic.

Alexander's managerial career began that year, too, as he took charge of five games as caretaker boss alongside David Unsworth after Phil Brown was sacked in December 2011.

A return would be 15 years in the making, coming after managing six different clubs and earning promotion with three of them. It would also provide the opportunity to manage in the Championship for the first time, after stints in the National League, League One and League Two in English dugouts.

Bradford City need to do all they can to keep Graham Alexander this season

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That being said, there's a big chance for Alexander to manage in the Championship with his current club, given their trajectory.

Last Thursday's win at Hillsborough marked the 54-year-old's 150th game in charge of the Bantams. Over that time, he's led the club to back-to-back top four finishes in the last two seasons and has won 74 out of those 150 games.

Bradford will know how integral their manager is to their recent success, and will be eager to keep him on board to try and get a second promotion in three years under their belts.

The lure of a Preston side may be tempting for Alexander, but as Fowler admitted, Paul Heckingbottom is the right man for the job at Deepdale, and if he finds himself sacked, then there'd be questions asked outside of the generic 'who would replace him?'

Perhaps a move to a struggling Championship side wouldn't appeal to Alexander at all, especially while he has Bradford on the up. That's what Bantams fans will be hoping as the season goes on.