“Something Fundamentally Wrong” – Former Gillingham Boss Shares His Thoughts On The Club

There was optimism around Priestfield Stadium at the beginning of the season, with a strong belief that Gillingham would be challenging for one of the promotion spots from League Two. 

Neil Harris was the man in charge as the Gills got off to a flying start, winning their first four matches to sit atop the division. With the former Millwall boss in charge and the club backed by American businessman owner Brad Galinson, promotion was seen as a real possibility. 

Harris, however, found himself out of work come early October as the club looked to ‘go in a different direction’. At the time of the managerial change, Gillingham sat eighth in League Two, and have since gone in a different direction as they currently occupy 11th spot. 

Eventually, the Kent club hired former Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Stephen Clemence as their new head coach. It was the first foray into a permanent managerial role for the 46-year-old and he had the club competing for a playoff spot until a disappointing run of just two wins in 10 matches

After failing to achieve a playoff place this season, what should be expected of Clemence and his players next season? The Real EFL were given the opportunity to pitch that question to a former Gillingham manager. Tony Pulis was in charge at Priestfield for four years, winning promotion from the old Division Three in his first season.

“You would hope they would get promoted. I honestly thought this year they were going to do that. With the appointment that they made (Neil Harris), I thought it was really solid and looked like a sound base with an experienced manager going in there who’s now done brilliantly going to Millwall and keeping them up.”

Pulis believes the club should have achieved promotion this season and shouldn’t be in the bottom division.

“There must be something fundamentally wrong behind the scenes, I don’t know what it is, for them not to have done it because they are a club that should be a league, two leagues higher because the potential is there. You’ve got the whole of Kent that would support them if they’d done well.”

Tony Pulis was speaking to The Real EFL courtesy of OLBG.

Writer’s View

Who knows what the season’s outcome would have been had the club not decided to dispense of Neil Harris’ services? The Gills were well in the playoff hunt and, since his departure, Harris has ended up back at Millwall and guided them to safety.

Clemence will be hoping to improve on this season’s showing and reignite the club, taking them back to where their former boss believes they should be. It was a difficult task in a first role for the manager and the experience gained during this campaign will surely stand him in good stead for next term.

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