Michael Duff has made it clear that Saturday's West Yorkshire derby against Huddersfield Town is not about him, even if the Bradford City boss is facing a former club for the first time since taking charge at Valley Parade. Bradford are unbeaten in Duff's six games in charge and go into the 12:30 GMT kick-off as they prepare to meet the league leaders.
The timing adds plenty of intrigue. Bradford beat Peterborough 2-0 on Tuesday to reach the Carabao Cup quarter finals and set up a match with Manchester City, but the immediate focus is firmly on League One and a rare local showdown that carries significance beyond the usual three points.
Duff keeps the focus on Bradford City
Duff's message ahead of the game has been simple: the occasion should not take over. “This weekend is not about me,” he said, underlining that the derby should be judged as a contest between two historic clubs rather than a personal reunion.
He also pointed to the scale of the fixture, describing it as two big clubs with more than 100 years of history and two sets of supporters and players ready to go at it. His hope is for what he called a “ding-dong football match”, but one played on Bradford's terms rather than on emotion alone.
That is the real challenge for both sides. Duff warned that if Bradford drift away from what they do well, the game could turn into a mess, and he expects Martin Drury to be giving the same message to Huddersfield's players. In his words, the key is not to play the occasion, but to play the game.
Why the derby matters
There is more at stake than pride. Bradford are fourth in the table and have not conceded a goal in Duff's six matches in charge, a run that has helped settle them quickly after his arrival earlier this month. Huddersfield, meanwhile, are top after winning four and drawing one of their past five league games.
It is only the third league meeting between the clubs since March 2007, which makes this a rare West Yorkshire derby in the modern calendar. That history helps explain why Duff says the game will mean more to supporters than to the players or staff, even if everyone involved knows how much the result could shape the mood around both clubs.
Martin Drury has already stressed that it would be naive to expect calm at Valley Parade, and he is right. In a fixture like this, the atmosphere will be intense from the start. The most important question is whether Bradford can stay disciplined, stay compact and keep doing the things that have worked so well under Duff.
For Bradford, the derby is a chance to test themselves against the side setting the pace in League One. For Huddersfield, it is another chance to show they can handle pressure at the top. And for Duff, despite the storyline around his former club, the only result that will matter is the one that helps Bradford extend their strong start.
