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

itfchorry added 19:35 - Dec 9 Not for me - Bland
4

BluePayne added 19:36 - Dec 9 No no no no no no No!
3

SickParrot added 19:39 - Dec 9 I had lost confidence in Cook but I would rather have him than Harris! Of all the names mentioned so far Tony Mowbray would be my preference but despite his connection with Town I can't see him leaving Blackburn.
2

bluesince76 added 19:41 - Dec 9 No thanks its Lamport or Terry for me.
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bluesince76 added 19:45 - Dec 9 I mean lampard
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yorkieblue62 added 19:47 - Dec 9 Love your ref to Keith Harris & Orville Thai Blue. Neil Harris nothing special But as others have said, who knows where the next special one for ITFC is going to come from. Could just as well be a relative unknown as one of the experienced managers on the not so special magic roundabout....Cook..Lambert..Hurst ad nauseam
4

algarvefan added 19:50 - Dec 9 Sorry but it's a NO from me, not our kind of manager.
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bernie added 19:51 - Dec 9 Not for me , if true would of be better off keeping cook
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LegendofthePhoenix added 19:54 - Dec 9 First thing we need to do is get out of this league. I can see why Harris is a contender, as he has a decent track record in L1. If we did appoint Harris, it would be a temporary appointment for me and unless he did something quite amazing, we'd want a someone who brings an exciting brand of football next summer
0

gosblue added 19:56 - Dec 9 If we turn it around in the next couple of weeks, then why not John McGreal. If he includes Norwood in the 18 for Saturday alongside Bonne and Piggott, then I think we can expect two up top with the other one on the bench.
1

brittaniaman added 20:00 - Dec 9 Pretty sure Cookie would still be here, if he had got some decent coaching Staff, instead of the band of Inexperienced coaches he picked up on his way here ???
1

blues1 added 20:02 - Dec 9 Grumpyoldman. Ur spot on. Seems I said same thing as u did. Seems some fans don't get that bcse a manager has failed somewhere else doesn't mean he'll fail here. Likewise, success somewhere else doesn't guarantee success here. Strange that fans say they'd like Lampard, who failed at Chelsea, ( and only his 3rd season as a manager), but not Harris, who is far more experienced. Dont get the fascination with big names. Hiring a big name manager doesn't guarantee success. All we need is some1 who can get us the success we all crave. Even if its some1 we've never heard of.

0

Gforce added 20:06 - Dec 9 Keith Harris would have been a better appointment as said previously, but I'm afraid he's no longer with us,Orville I think is still alive and kicking, maybe we should ring his agent.
0

TimmyH added 20:06 - Dec 9 @blues1 - yes fairly successful in 2019/20 getting them to the play-offs with their parachute money and with most/existing players from the Premiership but next season lost more than they won which isn't good for a club still on wealthy terms compared to most of the opposition in the Championship. Yes until I see 'in talks' will I believe they will be a contender for the appointment but as Cloddy said an Ideal situation for the Sunderland match on the 18th to unveil him so expect some action next week.

2

TimmyH added 20:20 - Dec 9 Blues1 - 'Lampard failed at Chelsea' considering they had a transfer embargo for 2 windows and they finished 4th and made the FA Cup final hardly a disaster considering it was his 2nd appointment as manager and to be fair probably too bigger jump too quickly.
4

Texastom added 20:45 - Dec 9 No no no
1

blues1 added 20:48 - Dec 9 Timmyh. Yer, im not saying imo, that lampard was a failure but the fact he was sacked suggests he was. Totally agree with ur point on that. Harris tho, while yes, cardiff would have had parachute money, most of that would have been taken up to keep them financially stable, as it did at norwich the time before last that they were relegated. But as i say, this is just another link, with no proof he's even in the running. The fact the headline is "believed to be", doesn't prove either way. Betting odds at this stage of the process mean nothing either. Been 3 different names as supposedly odds on in the past few days. As u say, would expect some1 to be named prior to the sunderland game. Just hope, whoever it is, the fans get behind him. We cannot afford to become a club that sacks managers every few months.

1

Carberry added 20:48 - Dec 9 Let's face it Gamecanger won't have a say in this, they will just rubber stamp what Ashton and the Chairman decide. We can wish for Pep G but will end up with whoever they get. Unless there's a rabbit coming out of the hat this doesn't bode well.
0

Passit2Gio added 20:58 - Dec 9 Will please the “play 4-4-2” merchants but very worrying news if true
0

barrystedmunds added 21:07 - Dec 9 Thankfully it wont be any of us making the call on our next manager and judging by the comments on here concerning all the linked names we'd never reach a consensus anyhow. The only thing I'm convinced of is this. Past achievements or lack of is no guarantee of success! I just want the right one, someone who can turn this lumbering giant round and head it back in the right direction because for twenty years now it's been heading into oblivion.

1

juliangermain added 21:33 - Dec 9 I'd have stuck with Cook. Yes, we'd forgotten how to score goals but there was no need for panic and this crazy situation where he's sacked and they don't have a serious replacement lined up....But of those available I'd say Farke FFS, despite the obvious howls.... 3 seasons in Championship with that lot and he won it twice. I don't think there's anyone out there who can beat that for a track record, is there? And he's smart and articulate and doesn't just bang on about grit and character and fighting spirit. Frankly, I want someone who can move us on and up as opposed to going nowhere, in any competition at all for far too many years!!

3

dirtydingusmagee added 21:52 - Dec 9 Bluewarrior better dismiss him now than in a few months time .
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budgieplucker added 21:55 - Dec 9 Alf Ramsey, Jackie Milburn, Bill McGarry and Bobby Robson. I list the names above and before their appointment as ITFC Manager “Wor Jackie” would have been the most exciting name as a future Ipswich Town manager. A player who had a sensational goal scoring career and inducted in the England Hall of Fame . But an absolute disaster as a Manager as his time at Town. In contrast Bill McGarry did a really good job for 4 years picking up the pieces and getting us promoted back into the top flight before being poached by Wolves leaving the vacancy for Robson after some more established names had turned us down. While not necessarily top of my list Neil Harris deserves consideration for the job if he is interested as do indeed Neil Lennon. Most managers showing an interest will have had some form of failure on their CV, it's the mitigating circumstances that need to be understood or the acknowledgement from the candidate as to how they have improved to deal with circumstances that they may not have particularly handled first time round when they were less experienced. I get it that people have their favourites whilst fantasising about us playing beautiful football and dominating every game to cruise up the leagues……but actually the harsh reality is that you have to dig your way out of this league and we might just have to accept the next manager may only be here to take us to the next level and consolidate there before looking at the next stepping stone!!!

2

dirtydingusmagee added 22:01 - Dec 9 People saying Lampard failed at Chelsea, given he had no experience it was a bloody hot seat and big ask, he would have been better off starting with a club like ours and gained experience ,and climbed the ladder. Thats why i'd back him . He has years in front of him . ,
2

blueboy1981 added 22:03 - Dec 9 Who the Hell do some of you Dreamboats think we are going to get ?? We maybe seen as a ‘Big club' - but reality is we are mid table Division 3 right now. Some of you need a reality check … !!!
1

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