Rotherham United v Bradford City: Matt Hamshaw keen to emulate impact of rival boss Graham Alexander

His team top of League One and with a body of work behind him, the Bantams manager comes to the New York Stadium for Thursday's televised Yorkshire derby with his stock high.

In his first job, and with Rotherham United in the relegation zone, Hamshaw – to be frank - does not.

Highly regarded as a coach, Hamshaw has won six of his 20 games since becoming the main man, losing 10. Half of those wins came in his first three games in interim charge.

There are reasons for it as he tries to transition from the older, but too often under-performing, players signed by Steve Evans last season to a younger side more tilted towards potential than experience.

Injuries have not helped, with Marvin Kaleta the latest ruled out, for at least two to three weeks by a leg injury. The good news is forwards Martin Sherif and Kion Etete could come back into the reckoning.

He can take some encouragement from Alexander's first 24 games at Valley Parade, of which he won just nine. Fans were unhappy then, but Alexander was given time to turn it around and delivered promotion from League Two last season.

Last month he was the first Bradford manager to make it to 100 games since Phil Parkinson, who was in charge from 2011 to 2016.

"He's done an extremely good job," said Hamshaw. "I've always thought he's been a good manager.

"He went to Salford and you hear some absolute rubbish come out of people's mouths about this, that and other but you can see what he's achieving now and what he's achieved in his managerial career.

"There's some real good managers out there, some real good football people, who if they get time, they're successful. We've come across a lot already this season.

"You've seen Grant (McCann at Doncaster Rovers), you've seen what Nigel (Clough)'s done at Mansfield, you've seen now what Graham's doing at Bradford.

"You have to build a culture and environment and a successful gameplan.

"(Bradford) players automatically know whichever one comes in or goes out, they know exactly what they're doing. It does take time. It's one thing you don't get in management.

"It's a well-supported football club. It's probably not been where it should have been for a number of years now for whatever reasons. I don't know the ins and outs of Bradford but whenever I've gone to scout a game there or watch a game or a player, the atmosphere has always been excellent.

"I'm saying it's not so long ago that they were in the Premier League (1998-2000), it probably is a lot of years ago, however, I can remember Benito Carbone (Dean) Windass and everyone playing there.

"You could argue they've been starved of success and are reaping the rewards for standing with their manager.

"There's a story in there somewhere, isn't there?"