Why still favourite?

When he was appointed interim manager last weekend, Peter Jackson was installed as firm favourite by Victor Chandler to become Bradford City's next permanent manager. But in the days that followed he was soon replaced by Dagenham & Redbridge's inimitable John Still.

Still's name is mentioned by various lower league clubs whenever a vacancy crops up, and has been on the lips of City fans before and once again since Taylor's departure. Still has a fantastic record gaining promotion to the Football League with Dagenham in 2007, 18 years after he did the same with the ill-fated Maidstone United. Still can more than stand by his record over recent years, unearthing a wealth of talent and giving them league football - most notable Paul Benson, who impressive scoring record with the Daggers earned him a move to their more famous neighbours Charlton Athletic.

An impressive CV certainly, so it's no surprise that Still has his suitors. But is he really the answer to City's 64-million dollar question? Still's record also includes a short and unsuccessful spell at Peterborough and he has never managed further north than his time at London Road. That pool of non-league talent that he has brought into the football league is based around his Essex roots. It's alright getting James Hanson to give up his job staking shelves at the co-op and Steve Williams to put down his scissors to both take a wage cut and try cut their teeth in the Football League near their homes, but doing the same with youngsters from the capital to come north is much harder - just ask Luke Medley.

And only this week, we have seen double the problems Taylor had. I doubt it's a coincidence that the friendly against Guiseley - part of the fee for Hanson - was organised just days after Taylor left, having been once postponed to make way for the subdued pre-season tour of Essex. And Jacko waxed lyrical about team spirit on the long trip south to Gillingham. So was there really a north-south divide in the changing room under Taylor? It was he who struggled to initially find a home in West Yorkshire. Perhaps, his familiar signings of Luke Oliver, Lewis Hunt and Tommy Doherty had the same problems.

It was Paul Jewell who was hugely successful with his policy of ensuring all players lived within earshot of Valley Parade. It's clearly time for the same again. That could more than rule out the bookies' favourite.