Ian Holloway has praised Bradford City’s “fantastic” manager Phil Parkinson as Millwall prepare to host the League One side in the third round of the FA Cup.

Parkinson has this season inspired Bradford into the League One play-off places, having previously led them to promotion from League Two and, particularly impressively, to the final of the 2013 Capital One Cup.

The manager has rebuilt the reputation that was damaged in being sacked by both Charlton – a decision that divided the club’s fans – and leaving Hull City after less than six months in charge. Before joining Hull, he had taken Colchester from League Two to the Championship in consecutive seasons. 

“He got all the way to the final the other year, didn’t he,” Holloway said. “He’s done a fantastic job.

“He’s a fantastic fella, but you only gotta look at the managerial stakes at the moment: Premier League bosses are ending up in the Championship, foreign managers are taking their place.

“It’s not easy in this world at the moment. He’s always been a good manager, and he always will be a good manager.

“The way it is, you’re only as good as your next job or your next club or your next game. Particularly with the media and programmes on it all now, it’s just becoming like ‘The Sack Watch’ now, isn’t it? It’s phenomenal, what happens to football these days.

“Phil’s just another candidate in that. Did he deserve that (being sacked by Charlton), did he deserve better than what he’s achieved in his career?

“The truth is he’s got a good job in Bradford, he’s done really well for them. Hopefully I can beat him on the weekend (laughs), so I have a nicer weekend than him.”

Parkinson succeeded Alan Pardew at Charlton but, after being unable to save them from relegation to League One in 2008/2009, was sacked in January 2011 despite the club being fifth in League One and three points off the automatic promotion places. They ended the 2010/2011 season in 13th.

“He’s a good manager,” Holloway said. “Charlton’s rise and fall was pretty unbelievable.

“Everybody was moaning at Alan Curbishley. Seventh in the Premier League, I’m sure everybody would take that now.

"Sometimes you don’t realise how good you’ve got it. Football’s getting tougher and tougher for everybody and you’ve gotta get results, it’s becoming more and more instant.

“It’s all about building. It can change really, really quickly in football.”

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