In a bit of a shocking development, Millwall Football Club has terminated the contract of manager Neil Harris, a club legend, after just one full season on the job.
The Board was unhappy with Harris' inability to win the league title and was further angered when his squad lost the final of the Promotion Playoff to Sheffield United on penalties.
The Lions were 29-17-17 with a +28 Goal Difference in 2015-16.
After receiving offers from several League 2 clubs, a few lower European league sides and a Mexican club, Harris decided to stay in Football League 1 and signed with the only club that made him an offer.
Harris joins Blackpool Football Club - a club whose last significant silverware was an FA Cup win in 1953 but who was 8th in the Premier League when the calendar flipped in January 2011. They were relegated to the Championship that year and have since slid to League 1 mediocrity.
Blackpool are not seeking trophies in 2016-17. They just want to avoid relegation and make a little noise with a Cup run to the Round of 32. Those lower expectations could give Harris the opportunity to have the tenure needed to build up a squad. The current roster is flimsy, shallow and lacking any real direction. I'd expect Harris to immediately implement his 4-2-3-1 and begin looking at where he can cost-effectively improve his side.
The club will participate in the European Continental Shield held in Turkey this Summer. Here's the roster that Harris will take to Turkey:
Position, Player, OVR, Age
GK Kyle Letheren, 63, 28
GK Myles Boney, 58, 18
GK Colin Doyle*, 65, 31
RB Emmerson Boyce, 59, 36
LB David Ferguson, 60, 22
LB Clark Robertson, 61, 22
LB Charles Dunne, 60, 23
LB Luke Higham, 53, 19
CB Tom Aldred, 61, 25
CDM Jose Miguel Cubero, 61, 29
CDM Connor Oliver, 56, 22
CM David Norris, 62, 35
CM Jim McAlister, 64, 30
RM Brad Potts, 59, 22
RM John Herron, 59, 22
RM Jarrett Rivers, 50, 22
LM Henry Cameron, 56, 19
LW Bright Osayi-Samuel, 58, 18
ST Nile Ranger, 68, 25
ST Jack Redshaw, 60, 25
ST Mark Cullen, 62, 24
*out about 6 more weeks as he rehabs an ACL injury
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