Gillingham’s interim manager Keith Millen told he could be needed for another week as Crawley boss Scott Lindsey continues to be linked to the Priestfield vacancy
Published: 05:00, 27 October 2023
Updated: 07:39, 27 October 2023
Gillingham interim manager Keith Millen takes charge again this Saturday and has also been asked to prepare for next week’s FA Cup game at Hereford.
By next weekend it will be a month on since the Gills decided to sack Neil Harris.
More: Key man returns to full training
Rumours are rife at present over who will be the next permanent manager, with chairman Brad Galinson in the country overseeing final interviews.
Crawley manager Scott Lindsey - a former Gillingham coach and player - is a man many believe could be the next boss, although negotiations with his current club would certainly make that tricky, and potentially drawn-out, as compensation would need to be agreed.
Lindsey left Swindon for Crawley in January and his team are currently just below the Gills in the table but it will be his style of football that fits the bill, with a possession-based attack-minded style that bosses at Priestfield hope they can implement there.
Galinson said last week they had interviewed over 20 potential candidates to replace Harris, before narrowing down the numbers.
Numerous names have been mentioned, including former Charlton manager Dean Holden, who has also been linked with Bradford City, ex-Wigan boss Leam Richardson and Steve Bruce’s old assistant Stephen Clemence.
Former Gills boss Harris has been linked with the vacant post at Colchester United.
Millen, meanwhile, has been asked to continue taking the Gillingham first-team and advised that he might be needed for a little while yet.
Speaking to the press on Thursday, Millen said: “(I asked) is there a chance of (next week)? They said, ‘Yes, definitely prepare for Hereford’.
“At least now I can plan the week and how the next week looks.
“I am in charge for Saturday, I have been told that, I am also planning for next week, if it changes before the Hereford game, it changes.
“The not knowing and the uncertainty is there all of the time until it’s taken away, it is trying to reassure the players. I try and keep them up-to-date with what’s going on.
“On Thursday morning I told them I am in charge for Saturday and how next week will look. I think that is all you can do, give them as much clarity as possible.
“It is not ideal, of course not, but you could see on Tuesday (in a win at Swindon) that I don’t think the situation is affecting the group too much.”
Millen plans to give the players a day off on Monday before they start preparing for their FA Cup first round match away at non-league Hereford.
Gillingham sacked Harris on October 5, after defeat at Crewe, seemingly hoping that a new manager would bring a new approach to their way of playing.
Possession football appears to be the way forward and Millen’s been introducing more of that to training. He believes the current squad could handle it but knows implementing a new way takes time.
They’ve just played Swindon and Notts County, two teams who love to keep the ball.
“I think it takes time to get to where they are,” he said.
“Talking to the Notts County manager after the game, he was saying it was 18 months.
“The year before they blitzed the National League, Wrexham (the champions) pushed them all the way, but the record that year with their points and goals scored was unbelievable, and they continue doing what they do.
“To do that, first of all you have to have the right players to do it, you might need one or two windows to get the right players in, that is really important.
“You can’t try and get the team to do something that the players aren’t used to doing overnight, it takes weeks and really you need a pre-season, that’s what pre-season is for, to get that philosophy into the players.
“We need to be careful that we don’t dismantle all of the good work that’s been done so far, because we are in a good place, we are in the play-off positions, fighting where we want to be, there is a lot of good things within the squad, a lot of good players.
“I want us to have possession of the ball, 100%, I want us to be able to build through the thirds, but it depends on what the opposition do. If the opposition drop really deep then you don’t have to do much, you don’t have to be too clever until the final third.
“I think the players can handle the ball, I know they can, you can see it at times when we do get it right there is some really good interaction, movement and passing, their technique is definitely there. Sometimes it is about a bit of confidence and to say, come on, this is what we will do, but that takes time.”
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Luke Cawdell