Gillingham sign Haji Mnoga from Portsmouth and free agent Robbie McKenzie but manager Neil Harris missed out on a striker hours before the transfer window closed
17:00, 02 September 2022
updated: 19:44, 02 September 2022
Gillingham manager Neil Harris admitted they were agonisingly close to landing a forward on transfer deadline day.
With centre-back Haji Mnoga and versatile defender Robbie McKenzie already agreed, Harris then had a striker all set to join on loan at 7pm on Thursday night. Five minutes later, they were dealt a blow after the frontman joined a League 1 side.
It’s understood the forward Gills were chasing was Leyton Orient striker Harry Smith, who moved on a season-long loan to Exeter that evening.
The 6ft 6inch Chatham-born forward is well known to the Gills, playing there as a youngster before spells at Sittingbourne and Folkestone preceded a move into the Football League with Millwall, then managed by Harris. Exeter did also announce the arrival of Fulham striker Jay Stansfield on Friday, also joining on loan.
Harris has spoken about the closing of the transfer window, ending a busy summer which saw him make 16 new signings.
“It was absolutely horrendous, that is the best way of summing it up!” said Harris, on the summer window. “It has been a tough four months, I have to be honest, not just for me, for the football club, to re-jig a whole club and a squad, but in many ways I am delighted. I can get on now with the group we have got.
“Yesterday (Thursday) was a rollercoaster, we completed two deals relatively late. We had an attacking player that the club really supported me on, to come in as well, that was done at 7pm but lost to League 1 at five past seven, you could have knocked me down with a feather at that stage.
“We set out to do three, we did two, one we lost out, I have no problems losing out to levels, it happens.
“On the whole it has been a really busy window, obviously you are judged on what you do over a period of time. We have done near enough what we wanted to do, we got close to one more and it’s finished now, we concentrate on Saturday (at home to Swindon Town), this is my group now until January 1.”
With the Gills lacking goals, Harris was keen to strengthen the forward line but is happy with the quality he has got. They just need to start delivering.
He said: “Top end of the pitch we have Mika (Mandron), we have Kash (Scott Kashket), we have Lewis (Walker), Ben Reeves who can play as a no.10, Alex MacDonald who is still searching for that elusive extra yard that he is getting closer to, Olly Lee who scored four goals in pre-season as a no.10.
“Jordan Green and Hakeeb Adelakun have unbelievable pedigree and ability and we have seen that in glimpses. We have a lot at the top end, I felt that maybe just a bit more impetus up there might help us over the next four months, but it wasn’t to be.
“The co-chairman (Paul Fisher) was really supportive. We thought we had it done (with the striker), it fell apart at the end as so many do. Nobodies fault. Nothing to do with the football club, just the player decided the level above was a better option and sometimes how do you argue with logic like that?
“I have to put trust in the players we have got as well, the question mark is when is it going to happen for them at the top end of the pitch? It is my job to help them get better but their job to produce as well. There is pressure on the group now, come on guys, it is down to us, time to produce.”
There are strikers that remain available as free agents. Players without contracts before the window closed are able to sign for new clubs.
It’s something Harris hasn’t ruled out, but said: “Lads are usually free agents for a reason, it could be because they don’t want to come to League 2, to Gillingham, they are not fit or they have not been wanted for whatever reason by other people.
“You have to be careful, sometimes you do get good ones, I have done it before in September, it’s very unlikely in February (after the January window closes).
“There are players that will be out there available. If there is something that suits us that we can do then we are not adverse to it, and I will definitely support it, but only if it improves us as a group. Chances are very slim because there are 92 clubs and probably three out of them will do something in the free agent market, that will be it, could we be one of those three? Possibly, but nothing is happening today.”
Harris admits he’s missed out on several players during the window, saying: “You have player targets, someone becomes available and you think ‘wow, wouldn’t it be great to have him’ but then that chance disappears.
“It is the same for players as it is for the clubs. Clubs will have plan A, B, C and D. You go for A but sometimes you have to settle for D, same for players.
“Like it or not, if a player can go to Charlton for four times the money or come to Gillingham, they are going to go there for loads of money, I accept it. We have missed out on a lot of players that we chased, for all different reasons, that is the nature of the beast.”
Harris was hopeful of landing an experienced central defender during the window but with that not happening, he’s gone for 20-year-old Mnoga, who has plenty of potential instead.
“I have chased experience all summer but have just not been able to get one,” Harris admitted.
“It comes to a stage of who is available at the end. Haji is someone I have seen live. He is completely different to what we have got, he is so athletic, quick, plays various positions and he is going to be a really good player. We think he has the attributes to help us at the moment.”
And on the return of McKenzie, who left in the summer hoping for a move elsewhere, Harris said: “Me and Robbie have been speaking all summer. The dialogue has been really good, I know his agent well, I have no issues with him.
“As a player you have to try and push your boundaries as far as you can, then you have to look at family situation, logistics, it hasn’t materialised so far with Robbie, but we stayed in touch, we talked about golf, family, football, holidays, and obviously about coming back various times but it just hasn’t materialised.
“We picked it up a couple of days ago, asked what his thoughts were and it fell into place for both of us really. We are really pleased to have him back, the players are pleased and I think the fan-base will be pleased.
“He is different to what we have got, he did well for me in League 1 at a difficult time last season and stood up, he is a very technical player, I really liked him, right wing-back, left wing-back, right and left centre-half, holding midfield, I watched him one game play as a no.10 but that wouldn’t be for me, but he has that versatility.
“He also has a really long throw as well, which helps as we look to find different ways of scoring, we are searching at the moment. I feel he is as comfortable on the left as he is on the right, on the left he is as good a player as I have seen use the outside of his right foot.”
Harris was asked about money coming in from Jack Tucker’s move to MK Dons. The Gills are expecting a compensation fee and the manager believes some of that money has already been used in the budget. Relegation could mean the rest is used to balance the books, however.
Harris said: “The conclusion to that is edging nearer I am led to believe and there is compensation due. What that is I don’t know. There was finance due.
“What has to be taken into consideration from a club point of view is that revenue has dropped because of league status, there will be a thought process to losing TV revenue, and what we make from Jack has to level it out a little bit. I understand that.
“Have we had a bit that has already gone into the budget already? Possibly. We have not got £1m in for Jack Tucker and I’ve been given £500k. It has not been that. We have a budget to work on and we have worked within it.”
The 16 players signed by Harris this summer;
