Gillingham capitalising on League One relegation could offer double win in manager hunt: View | OneFootball

Gillingham are back in the manager market after sacking Stephen Clemence just six months into the job.

The Gills have had a less than stellar campaign in League Two, finishing just 12th in a season where they started strongly. Neil Harris began the year as manager, grabbing three points on the opening day at Stockport County.

Remarkably, they won their opening five fixtures, including four 1-0 wins in League Two and an astonishing win over Southampton in the EFL Cup.

This excellent start was followed by a falter in a run of four defeats in seven games, with Gillingham deciding "to go in a different direction" and moving on from Harris in early October.

First-time EFL manager Clemence took the role to minimal fanfare and was dismissed after their 2-2 draw with Doncaster Rovers on the final day.

The Gills managed to come back from 0-2 down but were helped by opposing goalkeeper Thimothée Lo-Tutala's sending off in the 55th minute.

Darrell Clarke a strong suitor for The Gills

Current Cheltenham Manager Darrell Clarke could be an ideal candidate for the vacant position at Gillingham.

Clarke's preference of using two strikers in a 3-4-1-2 formation would require additional recruitment from The Gills, due to how much they have lacked up-front this season. Main striker Josh Andrews has just six goals, behind winger Connor Mahoney's seven goals. The most concerning aspect is how centre-back Conor Masterson also has six, showing the clear lack of raw quality at the top of the pitch.

At Cheltenham, he was used to having goals come from different channels though, as Liam Sercombe netted 11 times from midfield to become the top scorer. Wing-backs Will Ferry and Liam Kinsella have been used by the manager in League One this season over the traditional full-backs found at Gillingham. One player he would surely like to develop, however, is 25-year-old Remeao Hutton, who has definitely been a marque player since signing in January, providing seven assists from right wing-back.

Given the Robins looked completely dead and buried when he arrived – having taken just one point and not scored a single goal in their first nine goals – the turnaround led by Clarke this season has been remarkable even though they were relegated on the final day of the season.

He transformed a fairly uninspiring squad, which speaks to what he could do with some of the talent and financial might available at Priestfield. Indeed, Gillingham's stable financial position will be an attractive proposition for Clarke, who is experienced in promotion dogfights in League Two and took Port Vale up via the play-offs a few years ago.

The 46-year-old spent the longest period in his managerial career at Bristol Rovers in a four-and-a-half-year stint which saw him accumulate an impressive record of 1.51 PPM (points per match), according to Transfermarkt.

New owner Brad Galinson's net worth of between $80-100 million hasn't remotely been realised at the club yet but freedom in this summer's transfer market is arguably too attractive for a manager like Clarke to turn down.

Cheltenham, on the other hand, reported huge losses in 2023, which doesn't bode well for the 2024 statement given their recent relegation.

Gills could look to capitalise on their relegation to League One by tempting Clarke away. Appointing him would be a double win – giving them a strong coach to lead their promotion push while significantly weakening one of their potential 2024/25 League Two rivals in Cheltenham.

The fruitful market puts Gillingham in a favourable position

Clarke won't find a clear path to the Gillingham job if he does decide to depart Cheltenham this summer, with high-profile managers waiting in the wings.

One such manager is Gareth Ainsworth, who has been jobless since his departure from Queens Park Rangers in October. The 50-year-old left his former club in an unenviable relegation position in the Championship. This isn't to say that he isn't a more than ideal candidate for Gillingham. During his long tenure at Wycombe Wanderers from 2012 to 2023, he enjoyed promotion successes that took the club to League One in 2018 and the Championship in 2020.

Scott Lindsay could also be a likely option for the American-owned side. He currently manages Crawley Town in League Two. Lindsey performed a miracle this season by putting the Red Devils in the last play-off place, which is surprising given most had them down as a relegation candidate. They will play fourth place finishers MK Dons in the play-off semi-final, meaning Gillingham might not get a chance to poach the 51-year-old for another month, if at all.

Whatever the outcome of the play-offs, though, Gillingham will be winning in the manager market with a strong financial backing and an exciting pool of potential managers for the 2024/25 season to choose from.