"I would not be surprised" - Claim made on Alex Neil's future at Millwall FC | OneFootball

Alex Neil has won over fans at the Den after taking over from club legend Neil Harris in December

Millwall are enjoying life under Alex Neil, with the former Norwich City boss backed to have a long-term stint at the Den.

Neil had the unenviable task of replacing Millwall legend Neil Harris at the end of 2024, but has quickly won over fans with his youth-first approach.

But thanks to the fickle nature of football, Football League World's resident Millwall expert states it is hard to predict exactly how long Neil’s reign over the Lions will last.

Claim made that Alex Neil is “in it for the long haul” at Millwall

Since replacing Harris in December 2024, Neil has led the Lions to six wins from 15 games.

With 11 games remaining in the Championship season, there is an outside chance that 12th-placed Millwall could still finish in the play-off spots, but that appears a longshot at the time of writing.

Luckily for Neil, there is no immediate pressure to qualify for the play-offs this season, with FLW’s Lions pundit Lucas Ball stating that there is scope for a long-term project to be built at the Den.

Asked by FLW whether he could see Neil still in charge of Millwall in three years’ time, Lucas replied: “I think Alex Neil is in it for the long haul.

“I think he wants to build a project here and I think he's been impressed with the vision that the board have shown.

“Obviously likewise from the board’s perspective, for them to hire him.

“He's always been a manager that tries to develop young players wherever he's been as well, which is clearly part of the new strategy that the club are trying to implement.

“There's real reasons to be positive and hopefully that he might be here longer term.

“But what is longer term in football nowadays? Do I still see him being manager in three years’ time? Who knows?

“I would not be surprised if he was, but equally three years from now is a very long time in football.”

Alex Neil’s work at Millwall might be noticed by clubs higher up the pyramid

Lucas went on to reveal his slight concern that if Neil continued to impress at the Den, the Scot might attract the attention of clubs higher up the English football ladder.

Neil took Norwich City to the Premier League in 2015 via the Championship play-offs, although he also oversaw the Canaries’ relegation from the top-flight the following season.

That has proven to be Neil’s last taste of Premier League football, having since managed in the Championship with Preston North End, Sunderland, and Stoke City.

Lucas continued: “If he continues to do a good job with us and does have us up and around the play-off places, or we do get a play-off finish and we miss out on promotion in the next year or two, then who knows.

“A bigger club might come in for him, or a club that do go up to the Premier League.

“You couldn't necessarily blame him for taking the opportunity.

“I think it's a tough one to answer, but I think in terms of looking towards a project and where we were when Alex Neil still the job, we were nowhere near the finished article.

“We’re still not there, but this was never gonna be six months, get us in the play-offs this season and then we’ll review it.

“It was always advertised and very much seen as a project to build over the next couple of years when he took the job.

“So I think in that sense, there's that understanding at least, and that can only be a positive for us.”