Gills boss offers damning verdict after relegation to fourth tier and top-flight trio eye Black Cats talent
AS THE curtain fell on the regular League One season on Saturday, attention has already turned to next term.
Pompey ended their campaign in disappointing fashion, after falling to a 4-1 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday.
And there were plenty of highs and lows on the final day as automatic promotion, the play-off positions and relegation were decided.
Wigan and Rotherham were crowned champions and runners-up respectively, while MK Dons, Wednesday, Sunderland and Wycombe will contest the play-offs.
Gillingham, Doncaster and AFC Wimbledon joined Crewe in being relegated.
Gills boss Neil Harris didn’t mince his words after the Kent outfit were condemned to League Two football by a 2-0 loss at home to Rotherham.
Harris, who took the helm at the end of January, told Kent Online: ‘A good attempt sums it up since February 1. Before that it has been nowhere near it, has it?
‘Ultimately, I am the manager of the football club and I take responsibility on behalf of the football club for letting our fans down this season.
‘The standards, the professionalism, the recruitment, it hasn’t been good enough, and we have paid the price.
‘We made some quick gains, we have been relegated on goal difference, with 40 points.
‘We haven’t got to 45-46, or 47 points, which you normally need in this division, so we have gone as far as we can.’
In other news, Tottenham, Brighton and Crystal Palace have reportedly joined
Aston Villa in the hunt for Sunderland’s Dan Neil, according to reports.
The 20-year-old Black Cats academy product has come of age this term and in January his form had reportedly had Steven Gerrard’s side monitoring his progress.
And Sky Sports correspondent Pete O’Rourke tweeted: ‘Tottenham, Crystal Palace and Brighton are eyeing moves for Sunderland star Dan Neil.’
Meanwhile, former Scotland international
Scott Brown is in the frame to become Fleetwood’s next permanent manager, according to the Daily Record.