Millwall set to appoint Alex Neil as new manager
Millwall are close to completing the appointment of Alex Neil as their new manager.
The former Norwich and Stoke City manager is putting the finishing touches to his contract and is poised to take over at the Championship club following the departure of Neil Harris earlier this month.
Neil has been out of management since leaving Stoke last December and has impressed Millwall officials in talks, with his experience of the second tier regarded as a crucial factor. Harris departed Millwall earlier this month by mutual consent and Neil, 43, will inherit a club currently 13th in the Championship table who have just won one game in their last eight.
Millwall travel to Frank Lampard’s Coventry City this weekend with Neil expected to watch on from the stands at the CBS Arena. Interim head coach David Livermore will take charge of this Sunday’s match.
“I know that I’ll be taking the game on Sunday against Coventry,” Livermore said. “I know that behind the scenes things are moving probably as quick as they can. Obviously we’ve had Christmas Eve, Christmas and Boxing Day so I do know there’s progress off the pitch but I also do know that I’ll be taking the game on Sunday.”
Harris stepped down from his role as head coach just days after calling a portion of fans “thickos” following a defeat by Coventry.
“We just looked like a team that was trying really hard and just lacked the moments,” the 47-year-old said following the 1-0 loss.
“That’s where I think people have to get their head out of clouds and realise we’ve done well to achieve what we’ve achieved so far and how tough it is for us as a group. Right at the end, we’re putting the ball in the box and one of the young centre-forwards and young wingers are standing outside the penalty area. It just shows we’ve got a lot of learning in front of us. That’s just levels, isn’t it.”
Harris, who is also Millwall’s all-time top goal scorer, returned for a second stint as manager of Millwall in February with the club just one point above the relegation zone and went on to steer them to 13th before announcing his departure.
