I keep telling you - things are/ could be worse....... I reckon all 4 tyres are shredded - and the wheel nuts are so firmly screwed in, we end up snapping them to get them off.... The trouble for Harris is that he's got a few points on his licence from his Cardiff and Millwall days - due to skidding and crashing.... Does Galinson want to hand him the keys to a Ferrari - or should Harris go back to a bike with stabilisers ?
Quick genuine question for you mate, my days of supporting the Gills started around Len Ashurst and Gerry Summers, so it started after our then Division Four promotion. The question is can you ever remember any of those managers clapping the fans, I can't - maybe they did but I can't remember them doiing it. I know managers like Malcolm Allison and Terry Venables did, but they were flamboyant managers and both managing clubs that are now in the Premier League. The only reason I ask is because I saw someone on twitter moaning yesterday, that Harris didn't come over and clap. It just feels like it's anything to pick a hole in the guy, after what was a bravely fought contest.
brb Ashurst and Summers were of a generation when it wasn't the norm to 'clap' the fans.. They stayed by the dug-outs and slipped quietly 'down the tunnel' at the end of matches. These days. I think that it's more important to 'engage' with the fans (( something alien to Scally )) - so that fans can be shown appreciation for their loyalty and commitment--- especially during a prolonged period of misery....It might receive a certain level of vocal criticism - but - I believe that fans will be sympathetic if their team loses after have burst their lungs in trying not to lose.... The lack of interest shown by our players in too many games, would probably not do Harris any favours if he went around the pitch at the end of another abysmal display.
Can we go back to the Ashurst and Summers days, I preferred football more then. All that was needed was the bogs upgrading.
I was 100percent happy when Harris was appointed manager. Last season he gave us hope with the way he improved the team at the beginning. Possibly the new manager bounce. Also felt we were going into games not to lose rather than win. We were close to staying up if we could of won one of are last 6games. we didn't and got relegated. Ok at least we should do ok in league 2. He said judge him after 10league games. We had 10. Not great but not bad. Since then we have played 13 more and got extra 4 points and bottom of the league, not to mention 7 goals all season. Any other manager would have long gone. He has worst win percentage of any Gills manager, worst goals for over 12 months as a manager.. I never expected we would be top 8 but no way bottom either. We know budget was small but probably not the least in league. He signed Kashket and Mandron, both played league one last season and both were offered contracts by Crewe. His strikers that he wanted. Yes he wanted more but budget probably didn't help. Nil Harris team have not scored in 8of 9 league games. How is he still manager???
I suppose the question to why is Neil Harris still manager, could be asked in a similar way regarding Evans, why is it when he is at other clubs: He won the conference with Crawley 2011 He got promoted with Rotherham 2013 He got promoted with Rotherham 2014 He won nothing with Gillingham He's second in L2 and just beat Aston Villa in the FA Cup with Stevenage in 2023 The same happened to Justin Edinburgh, leaves Gillingham and wins Leyton Orient promotion the following season. Why is this, I'll have my guess why, because we keep blaming managers rather than what they have to work with. Evans and Edinburgh are clear examples of that. That's without counting Stimmo and MadDog. When I say what they have to work with, I also mean behind the scenes, so.... The answer is simple STOP sacking managers lol.
Both Gerry Summers and Keith Peacock never won anything back in my day, but both managers I believe stayed with the club for six years each, so that's twelve years, in modern times over twelve years, we must have got through the same number of managers and back where we started because of it.
Hardly any manager does well at all the clubs they manage for what ever reason. Some managers are sacked to soon (Maddog) others leave to better jobs, some go elseware and start again. Some never given a real chance. Harris on paper should have been a good choice for us but it has not worked out. Some say give him the higher budget and see how it goes. Why if we have got worse in the last 3 months, apart from a few cup games we have been been terrible. Maybe if we could see improvement I would say keep him and see but January is the month that is most important for a new man with transfer window.
People may wonder why I stick by Harris like I do. It don't mean I'm right, I know that, I understand every single fans frustration. I have certain principles, that weighs a situation up for what it is, regardless of what goes on, on the pitch, and I listen to what people past and present say from the club, and from that I make my own personal judgement, and I'm a sod for moving once I've made up my mind. I've made a lot of judgements since MadDog was sacked, and Stimmo before him, I've made judgements on how previous managers were treated by either fans or the club. I always felt what happened after the Dover game when Hessy was in charge, was absolutely disgraceful. I don't boo when I go to games, I've don't think it's right either that grafitti or threats are used. Sometimes as a manager things are out of your control, sometimes decisions are made for you, that could be due to finances, that impacts on your relationship with players, the tactics, the ability to do the things you want to do, that impacts on taking the club forward, that inpacts the fans expectation, that impacts on our league status and survival... https://www.not606.com/threads/gabriel-zakuani.404649/
