Gillingham surprised many of their own fans yesterday by announcing the departure of first team head coach Stephen Clemence.
He joined the Gills in November 2023 following the sacking of then-manager Neil Harris. Clemence had previously been assistant manager at clubs such as Sheffield Wednesday, Newcastle United and Hull City to name but a few, all alongside the experienced Steve Bruce.
As recently as the start of March, Clemence’s side sat in seventh place in the final play-off positions. A run of just 10 points from a possible 33 since then however led to the board making this change.
It was clear to see that the Gills had high aspirations for this season, hence why they sacked Neil Harris in the first place. Clemence was expected to take them to the next level and it’s hard to say he’s done that.
Nonetheless, he wasn’t exactly given a whole heap of time and would’ve had the summer to reassess the squad. That’s not something that the board obviously agreed with though, now opting to pursue other options.
That run of poor recent form and missing out on the play-offs would what ultimately led to the Kent-based side giving the ex-Birmingham City midfielder his marching orders.
Promotion will no doubt be the aim again next season and here’s five potential managerial options who could help them achieve just that.
Kevin Phillips
This may seem a bit left field having just been let go by Hartlepool in the National League, a decision that stunned fans at the Pools. Phillips already has history with current Gills director of football Kenny Jackett having played for him at Wolves.
He guided the northeast club to 12th in the fifth-tier, ironically the same position Gillingham finished in League Two. Following the 7-1 humiliation to Gateshead, he’d the club to three wins, two draws and just one defeat in his final six games.
He played a 4-1-3-2 at Pools and that’s not too dissimilar to the formation that Gillingham play. However, it would be a step-up and maybe Phillips isn’t ready for that just yet.
Scott Lindsey
This one could definitely happen given that Lindsey manages fellow League Two side Crawley Town at the moment. Before Clemence’s appointment, Lindsey was linked with the job but opted to stay with the Sussex based side, a decision which has worked out well.
This one will depend on how Crawley do in the play-offs, if they get promoted it’s highly unlikely he will leave. It will also depend on the budget the Gills can provide him with and if he can reach the heights he has done with Town. He will need a decent amount of financial backing to make the move to Kent.
Gareth Ainsworth
Ainsworth may well be out of the Gills budget but he would be an ambitious target for any League Two side. The ex-Wycombe Wanderers and QPR boss has been out of work since October 2023.
He did however lose his last six games in charge at Loftus Road so he may be overlooked here. That being said he was at Wycombe for almost 11 years so if the board are thinking long-term then this wouldn’t be such a stab in the dark.
It’s unknown whether he’d drop down into League Two, but it’s not completely out of question.
Neill Collins
Collins was most recently at League One Barnsley and had them sat in the play-offs prior to his sacking. A run of four defeats from their final five games, where they gained just one point from 15 was enough to alarm the board into making a change at Oakwell as they head into the post-season.
The Scot took over in July 2023 following a stint in America with Tampa Bay and hasn’t done a bad job since returning to English football. However this may come too soon, especially given how it ended at Barnsley.
Mark Bonner
Bonner has only ever managed Cambridge United during his career, and in 206 games in charge, including two caretaker spells, he has a 38% win rate. The board could opt to take a punt here on someone who has gained promotion from League Two already.
He was let go following three defeats in his final three games including a 5-0 hammering at rivals Peterborough United but had done a decent enough job in the previous seasons.
Bonner also likes to play a 4-2-3-1 which would suit the way the Gills line up and he seems like one of the likelier candidates.
