Neil Harris was unexpectedly fired from his job as the Kent club’s manager after almost two years in command at the Priestfield Stadium, despite a respectable start to the current season that had them only one point out of second place in the League Two standings at the time.
After Steve Evans’ tenure as manager went south, Harris joined Gillingham in January 2022. Despite his best efforts, the former Millwall and Cardiff manager was unable to prevent the Gills from dropping out of League One.
They struggled as well in the first half of 2022-23, and if it wasn’t the timely investment of American businessman Brad Galinson, who took over from Paul Scally at the club in December 2022, Gillingham could well have been in non-league.
Galinson’s money provided Harris with new, experienced signings which helped the club to turn a corner, and by the time the 2022-23 season came to an end, Gillingham were safe and sound in the fourth tier.
Harris’ departure came as a real surprise though when it happened two weeks ago, with Galinson wanting to go in a different direction after three league matches without a win.
Gillingham’s Worst Ever Managers (Ranked)
Keith Millen has taken charge of their last two League Two fixtures, with the first one being a 2-1 win over MK Dons to take them into the automatic promotion places in the division, but a 4-1 loss at Walsall followed, which saw interim boss Millen sent off in the first half for tripping up opposition player Tom Knowles.
There is a need for Gillingham to appoint Harris’ successor in the near future – let’s take a look at the latest updates on the situation.
Ex-Premier League midfielder a candidate
Little has been divulged on the potential next manager of Gillingham and who the candidates may be, with only a few names that have really been tipped to be in the running.
The Sun revealed last weekend that ex-Gills player Steve Bruce, who started his career in Kent before going on to play for the likes of Man United, had support from certain sections of the boardroom if he were to be keen on the job.
However, there were worries about how much his backroom staff would cost, and ironically one of them has also been sounded out as a candidate.
Per Alan Nixon, a regular fixture in Bruce’s coaching staff in the form of Stephen Clemence was one of the candidates that has been spoken to in regards to being the replacement of Harris.
Clemence is yet to manage a club himself, but has been alongside Bruce at the likes of West Brom, Newcastle United and Sheffield Wednesday, with the 45-year-old, who played Premier League football for Tottenham and Birmingham City, wanting to now branch out on his own.
Galinson provides update on appointment
Gillingham owner Brad Galinson has regularly updated supporters on the process of finding the successor to Harris, and on Wednesday afternoon he issued a further update via X.”Manager process update. We are near the end of interviewing 20+ candidates,” Galilson wrote.
“I will meet those shortlisted personally next week. We are being thorough.
“I understand the importance of this appointment & appreciate your patience. Keith (Millen) will be in the dugout on Sat (against Notts County, although he won’t as he has to serve a suspension).”
If the words of Galinson are to be believed, then there could be a new appointment towards the end of next week or perhaps the start of the week after.
The recruitment strategy at QPR has been criticised as the club looks to figure out how to turn their season around.
The London club has suffered from a very difficult last 12 months, with form nosediving from play-off potential to relegation candidates.
The departure of Michael Beale last October marks the beginning of a downward spiral that currently sees Gareth Ainsworth’s side sitting inside the Championship relegation zone.
The 50-year-old helped turn around the team’s form in the previous campaign following Neil Critchley’s short-lived reign in charge as Beale’s replacement.
But this term has seen the Hoops win just two of their opening 11 fixtures, with summer recruitment highlighting a lot of issues behind the scenes at Loftus Road.
What is the latest situation at QPR?
According to a unnamed club source speaking to The Athletic, the failure to cash in on high-value assets last summer is seen as a major mistake by those working within QPR.
The likes of Ilias Chair and Chris Willock were both cited as potential assets that could have been sold to raise transfer funds to improve the overall first team squad.
Chair’s international status as a Morocco first team member was singled out as something that has raised his transfer value, making it worthwhile to cash in for the club.
That his style of play also doesn’t quite work with a team struggling for results like Ainsworth’s has also been mentioned as one reason why cashing in made sense last summer.
The failure of the academy system to produce stars has also been mentioned as a big issue that QPR needs to resolve soon.
Could QPR earn a major January transfer windfall?
The London club could be due a major windfall in January if reports of Manchester City’s interest in Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze comes to fruition.
QPR are due 20 per cent of any sale of the forward, which could amount to an eight-figure sum for the Loftus Road club.
Can QPR salvage their season?
If Eze is sold in January for a high price, it might be a significant turning point for the club because it will allow them to make some purchases during the winter transfer window.
However, because it is not a given that it will, QPR cannot prepare for that.
Ainsworth’s ability to advance the team must first be determined by the club, which is becoming less and less plausible.
To avoid being demoted, QPR must find quick repairs. A new manager could give this squad the boost they need.
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