Bradford City sit top of League One after their 1-0 victory at Luton Town ended a 58-year wait for a win over the Hatters, and BBC Final Score pundit Aaron McLean believes the Bantams are exactly where they should be, despite persistent speculation linking manager Graham Alexander with the vacancy at Preston North End.

McLean backs Alexander to stay the course

Speaking as part of his regular EFL takeaways column for BBC Sport, the former Peterborough United and Hull City striker was effusive about the environment Alexander has built at Valley Parade.

"Bradford are a massive club, you only have to listen to the noise they make at Valley Parade and the support they get," McLean said. "Graham Alexander is an outstanding manager who is at the right club for him to continue progressing."

Alexander has been heavily linked with Preston, where he enjoyed a long career as a player, following the Deepdale club's managerial vacancy. Those links have swirled throughout the week, yet McLean's assessment suggests the Bradford head coach has something worth staying for in the third tier.

Defence the foundation, goals the question

Bradford have conceded only four goals in seven League One games, a joint-best defensive record across the entire EFL. McLean highlighted that resilience as central to their early-season credentials, while also flagging the obvious caveat: the Bantams have scored just seven times in those seven outings.

"Is their lack of goals sustainable for a promotion challenge? No, probably not," McLean acknowledged, "but at the moment it hasn't needed to be because they have been so good defensively and so hard to beat."

He was keen to stress that the solidity is not merely a back-four achievement. "That's from front to back and when they do get their noses in front, they know how to see games out," he said.

Bouncebackability cited as a key trait

McLean also pointed to Bradford's mental resilience as a defining characteristic of this squad. The Bantams won their first two fixtures, suffered back-to-back defeats, and then responded with three consecutive victories, a sequence that McLean suggested reveals genuine character in the group.

"After back-to-back defeats you are looking at them and thinking, 'oh was it just a good start', but then they go and win three in a row," he said. "Even in adversity they can bounce back and respond in the right way."

That victory at Luton moved Bradford above Sheffield Wednesday at the summit of League One, underlining how quickly the table can shift at this level after only seven rounds of fixtures.

A young striker tipped to shine

Looking ahead, McLean singled out one Bradford player for particular praise, describing forward Bobby Pointon as "a fantastic young striker" who he has tipped to become "one of the best strikers in the division over the next few seasons". McLean also expressed confidence that the team's overall conversion rate will improve as the season develops, potentially removing the one obvious concern about their title credentials.

With the joint-meanest defence in English football's top four tiers and a squad that has already demonstrated it can absorb setbacks, Bradford's early-season form appears to be built on more than a fortunate run of fixtures. Whether Alexander remains in the dugout to see where it leads is a question that, according to those close to the club, is still to be fully resolved, but McLean's view is clear: Valley Parade is exactly the right stage for the manager at this point in his career.

Frequently asked

Are Bradford City top of League One?
Yes. Bradford City's 1-0 win at Luton Town moved them above Sheffield Wednesday to the top of League One after seven matches of the season.
Is Graham Alexander leaving Bradford for Preston?
Alexander has been strongly linked with the Preston North End vacancy, given his history as a player at Deepdale, but as of the time of writing no departure has been confirmed. BBC pundit Aaron McLean has described Bradford as the right club for Alexander to continue his development as a manager.
How good is Bradford City's defence this season?
Bradford have conceded only four goals in their first seven League One games, a record that is joint-best across the entire EFL according to BBC Sport.