Former Millwall and Cardiff boss Neil Harris is reported to be keen on the management vacancy at Portman Road.

Harris has been out of work since leaving the Bluebirds in January, having made the Championship play-offs the previous season.

Since yesterday, the 44-year-old has gradually climbed to becoming the bookies’ favourite and is now at 5-4 on.

According to the EADT, Harris is keen on the role and is being considered by the Blues, who sacked former boss Paul Cook on Saturday after nine months in charge.

In January, TWTD revealed that Harris was among the managers under consideration by former owner Marcus Evans prior to Paul Lambert’s tenure coming to an end.

Speaking to TWTD on Monday, Blues CEO Mark Ashton said the process would start in earnest following the Charlton match.

“We have sift through [the applications received] and do it properly,” he said. “We’ll do that in the next 48 hours.

“We’ve got a game tomorrow and then [chairman] Mike O’Leary and I will lead that process and I want to see as many as I can because this industry is filled with perception and it’s not until you meet people you see what they’re really about. I’ve got to clear my diary and this has to be my focus with Mike.”

Harris, who is from Orsett in Essex but is understood to have family in Suffolk, was a striker in his playing days most notably with Millwall, while also featuring for Nottingham Forest and latterly Southend.

He was named the Lions’ permanent boss in 2015 having had previous stints as their caretaker boss while in charge of their U21s.

Harris remained at the Den for five years, taking them into the League One play-offs twice, winning at Wembley in 2016/17, having been beaten in the final the previous year.

He spent only 14 months at Cardiff but saw them to fifth in the Championship before losing to Fulham in the semi-finals.

Photo: Action Images

ThaiBlue added 18:01 - Dec 9 Rather have keith harris and orville as his no2.
7

MattinLondon added 18:02 - Dec 9 @grumpyoldman Tha main difference between then and now being that people trusted the Cobbolds to make the right appointment.
10

ghostofescobar added 18:05 - Dec 9 Difficult to understand how Harris would be seen as a huge leap forward from Cook?? As the first managerial appointment by Gamechanger, it doesn't sound like a "statement" appointment? If this happens, the crowd will turn quickly if there aren't positive results and decent quality football very quickly.
9

BlueRuin69 added 18:10 - Dec 9 Hmmmm......have to disagree slightly with most of the above. His record as manager is actually pretty good, so its a maybe from me. Lampard, Mowbray not going to happen.
6

chepstowblue added 18:11 - Dec 9 We've narrowed it down to a short list of 74 !
1

Cloddyseedbed added 18:19 - Dec 9 What's the betting on a new manager being introduced at the home game with Sunderland?
4

1Warky added 18:25 - Dec 9 God save us!! I can only imagine these awful prospects are being fed to the fans so that we will be somewhat relieved by the eventual appointment. I can't believe Cook's sacking was being considered for quite some time (according to Ashton), was made with a view to challenging this season, and yet no replacement was lined up, even for the rest of the season. Very poor. The team needs a manager quickly.

4

Bazza8564 added 18:26 - Dec 9 Cant see it sorry, if the bookies are shortening odds and / stopping bets I suspect Mr Ashton's team are having fun creating fake news. All of this is a distraction, as it always is, MA knows and gets who he wants, and will tell us when hes ready and not before. In Ashton I trust
7

roystevensonsrocket added 18:26 - Dec 9 I think he'd be a brilliant appointment.He's a winner and obviously a good organiser of a team which would be nice at last .prefer Mowbray but he doesn't go in 4 flowing football .Harris will get us out of this decking division .
0

TimmyH added 18:30 - Dec 9 @cloddy - exactly what I was thinking today, hopefully it won't be Harris. Don't forget Harris had a number of years at Millwall as a player and then as a caretaker manager before becoming the No1 there so he knew the set up the style of play and probably many people around the club and their expectations and it was more of a question of being an underdog mentality. At Cardiff the opposite, newly relegated into the Championship with a budget and all and all very indifferent results (you could say that would be like coming here but a league lower). Not for me...

5

CrockerITFC added 18:38 - Dec 9 Of course he's keen, we'd be the biggest club he's ever managed
2

jas0999 added 18:38 - Dec 9 Would be an awful appointment. Him and Lennon are absolute nos. Bircham no better. Harris style of play is horrible to watch and won't suit the squad.
7

dirtydingusmagee added 18:39 - Dec 9 Out of work since January ! so hasnt exactly been head hunted, The fact that Evans was lining him up is scary too, Surely we can do better. Beginning to worry now .
7

churchmans added 18:42 - Dec 9 6 straight losses for cardiff got harris tge sack! NO For me
7

LimerickTractorBoy added 18:55 - Dec 9 Has to be a better option out there, come on Ipswich, up your game.
5

Saxonblue74 added 19:00 - Dec 9 It's a maybe from me. Just don't understand peoples obsession with Lampard, he's done nothing!
3

Juggsy added 19:04 - Dec 9 Cook In!
0

Suffolkboy added 19:06 - Dec 9 Some extravagant names and suggestions ,and condemnations BUT let's see what our objective calculating Board decide ! COYB
0

bluewarrior added 19:07 - Dec 9 His track record is pretty good and he was a player with backbone - I'll give him my full support. Seems very blinkered to dismiss him before he's even started. As someone said earlier, we welcomed Cook on the back of his impressive track record and if it was me making the decisions, he'd still be in place. To not give Harris a fair chance (assuming it is him) is also paying no respect to our experienced and in my opinion highly capable ownership and board.

1

Nobbysnuts added 19:09 - Dec 9 No no no no no.....completely uninspiring.
3

grumpyoldman added 19:10 - Dec 9 Actually, supporters were calling for Robson to be sacked not long after he started, so not all of them trusted the Cobbolds. My point was managers arriving aren't going to be at the top of their profession, beggars can't be choosers. I am sure you want the same as me a successful football club, some on here seem to think their opinion matters above everybody. I was using the example of Ramsey & Robson as what could have happened if TWTD was about when they were appointed.

2

Suffolk_n_Good added 19:24 - Dec 9 Not for me :(
3

ringwoodblue added 19:25 - Dec 9 We won't get a say in who is appointed so it's immaterial what we think. Whoever it is, we have to trust in the powers-that-be who have made the decision and get behind the new gaffer.
2

blues1 added 19:27 - Dec 9 Some of our fans are simply unbelievable. All this underwhelming rubbish almost every time sone1 os linked. Presume u all want a big name manager? We've done that before. Keane, jewell, Lambert. That went well didn't it? Surely the only thing that matters is that whoever comes in gets us the success we all crave. Back in 1969 we appointed a rookie manager, who's o ly managerial experience was 44 days at Fulham. No doubt you'd all have been underwhelmed. Look what happened there. Whoever gets the job, we a need to get behind him. Not saying hed be my 1st choice but then, it's not our choice, and as we won't be the ones interviewing him, it won't be us finding out what he has to bring to the table . Frankly, doesn't bother me if ivexnever even heard of who gets appointed. As long as he brings us some success

5

blues1 added 19:33 - Dec 9 TimmyH. U say he didn't do as well at cardiff? Only there 18 months and got them to 5th in the championship. Only missed promotion as lost in playoffs. Not exactly a failure was he? And no, he wouldn't be my 1st choice maybe but I'll back him if he should get it. Not sure he will tho. Have yet to see any confirmation, that any of the names mentioned either on here, or in the betting, are actually in the running. Seems to be all conjecture. This person's "believed to be", reported to be". Think there may be a big curveball coming our way when the successful candidate is announced.

2

Blogs 295 bloggers

Ipswich Town Polls