"Run for the hills" - Millwall warned off appointing Ryan Lowe amid Preston North End-related criticism | OneFootball

We spoke to our resident Preston pundit to get his take on the potential of Ryan Lowe making a move to The Den.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Neil Harris completed his final game as head coach of Millwall on Saturday as they were defeated 1-0 by Michael Carrick's Middlesbrough at The Riverside.

Having returned for a second spell in charge in February, Harris' resignation came as a surprise to Lions fans. Speculation arose about his relationship with chairman James Berylson, but Harris reassured supporters after the match that the club was in capable hands and expressed his gratitude for the way the hierarchy had treated him.

Attention now turns to finding a replacement in the dugout for Harris, and with a busy Christmas period upcoming, Berylson will surely be desperate to appoint a new head coach quickly.

Currently, it is believed that Wycombe Wanderers boss Matt Bloomfield is a top target for the South Bermondsey outfit, whilst Alan Nixon also reported that Ryan Lowe is a possible contender from the coaches that are currently out of work.

Lowe left PNE by mutual consent in mid-August, and did a satisfactory job at Deepdale on the whole, with three consecutive mid-table finishes and some brief play-off pushes before fading away each time.

The 46-year-old walked away from the Lilywhites though after just one game of the 2024-25 season, which followed a run of five defeats at the end of 2023-24 without scoring in the process, believing that he had taken the club as far as he could.

Preston North End fan pundit urges Millwall to avoid Ryan Lowe

With the links to Millwall in mind, Football League World decided to speak to their resident Preston Fan Pundit, Darren Watson, to get his take on whether he thinks Lowe would be a good fit for Millwall.

Posed the above question, Watson said: "Personally, if I were to give advice to Millwall fans, then I would say that while it may look like a good appointment at the time, if he starts bringing in his own players, and you are playing the same type of boring football where it is going nowhere, then it will begin to get stale.

"I would try and look elsewhere and run for the hills if I was a Millwall fan.

"I wouldn't have him back (at PNE) even if he was given to me for free. I'm glad that we have seen the light and finally identified that other managers are out there.

"Our defence has got better and better under Paul Heckingbottom, and it shows what a good calibre of manager can do for your side.

"So, I would not recommend Ryan Lowe to any Millwall fan - there are much better options."

Millwall should look at targeting a younger head coach to succeed Neil Harris

Benji Walker (@benjiwalkerphoto)

While Lowe would be sure to keep Millwall in that mid-region of the Championship, giving an opportunity to a younger manager who isn't as proven may be a better option.

Bloomfield would be an ideal target with his 21 months in charge of Wycombe showcasing his qualities as the Chairboys presently sit top of League One and have had a ridiculously strong 2024.

Meanwhile, with Russell Martin now available following his sacking at Southampton, he could be a strong candidate, with the 38-year-old's differing style of play providing something that Lions fans may crave.

If the Preston perspective is anything to go by, Lowe is likely one to steer clear of, and with a number of managers recently becoming available, Millwall have plenty of strong options to consider.