Neil Harris was confirmed as Millwall’s new head coach on Wednesday as Joe Edwards was relieved of his duties after a poor run of form that has seen the Lions come dangerously close to the relegation places.
Edwards was chosen as Rowett’s successor in November but fast forward three months and his first senior job in football has ended. Four wins in 19 games is abysmal and not up to the standards of any club no matter the level. Millwall’s last win came on New Year’s Day against Bristol City where they snatched a 1-0 win but have since only picked up a single point. The 37-year-old was shown to be out of his depth with the job and can’t have too many complaints that the South London club didn’t want to stick with him any longer.
It would be catastrophic for the club if they were to go down and Harris will know that. He has a previous history of battling relegation with the Lions when he took caretaker charge after Ian Holloway was sacked, leaving them eight points adrift of safety. Ultimately it was too little too late, but he was given the job permanently and would go on to manage them for four years, achieving promotion back to the Championship. The situation is not even close to being that bad this time around though, but the Millwall legend has a lot of work to do if he is to keep his beloved side in the division.
The 46-year-old has had a pretty hectic campaign so far. His season began at Gillingham and he had the club at the top of the League Two table after they won their first four games but four defeats in seven afterwards saw the club drop to eighth leading to his dismissal in October. Harris was then appointed head coach of League One outfit Cambridge United in December but was only in charge of the U’s for 13 league games, winning five of them. When the former striker left Millwall in 2019 he promised John Berylson, their late chairman, that he would always answer an SOS call if the club were ever in need of his services. Now that the call has come, it’s up to Harris to get his side out of the trouble they are in.
The Lions have 13 games left this season and face promotion chasers Southampton at the weekend. They currently sit on 33 points in 21st position in the Championship. Last year, 45 points was the minimum required to stay up so theoretically they need just four wins. Games against Rotherham United, Plymouth Argyle, Huddersfield Town and Birmingham City are the games that will make or break Millwall’s campaign.
There’s one thing Harris knows how to do and that’s make The Den a hostile place. Whilst Lion’s fans may not be happy that they are going back to route one football, they will be getting a side that will show fight and determination- something that they’ve probably lacked for a while. The players have no excuse now not to perform. It wouldn’t be a coincidence if they underperformed for their third manager this season and the club’s all-time record goal scorer will hold his players responsible for their actions from now until May.
With his history at The Den as a player and manager, he will be backed fiercely by the fans. There is a chance that this appointment doesn’t work out how everyone hoped but there’s more reason to suggest it will. Fans should be optimistic that Harris will turn things around and bring that excitement back to South London. He knows how to get the best out of his players and isn’t afraid of grinding out wins, especially as an underdog. The returning head coach knows the club inside out so he will be sure to get his hands dirty from the get-go and won’t be afraid to hurt anyone’s feelings. A club legend status isn’t handed out lightly, specifically at Millwall and it’s written in the stars for his return to be successful and for the Lions to guarantee their safety.
