New manager Neil Harris will be hoping his appointment will inspire his Gillingham side to a much needed win against Crewe Alexandra tonight.

The relegation battle at Priestfield is pivotal for a Gillingham side that are staring relegation straight in the face and League Two beckons if they don’t start picking up wins and fast.

Having failed to win in their last seventeen outings, The Gills go into the game extremely low on confidence having been hammered 7-2 at home by Oxford United on Saturday.

With the transfer window now closed, Harris now knows who he has at his disposal with club captain Kyle Dempsey having left for Bolton Wanderers at the eleventh hour.

Incoming on Monday was former Millwall midfielder Ben Thompson, but he will have to wait to make his debut as he wasn’t signed in time to face Crewe.

Two players that were missing at the weekend could make Harris’ first Gillingham squad with striker Vadaine Oliver expected to come straight back into the side having missed the last couple of games due to the birth of his child.

He could be joined in the squad by defender Christian Maghoma after his loan spell at Eastleigh. Maghoma appeared to have played his last game for The Gills having been allowed to go out on loan by former boss Steve Evans, but seems likely to have an opportunity to impress Harris with the new boss seemingly likely to shuffle the pack after Saturday’s disastrous defeat.

With the whole Gillingham squad out of contract in the summer, all of the players are now playing for new contracts, either at Priestfield or elsewhere.

Gillingham’s defence have looked woeful at times this season and under Evans they failed to look solid, especially with Pontus Dahlberg in goal. Papering over the cracks, Gillingham were lucky to have had Jamie Cumming in on loan from Chelsea and his departure exposed those gaping wounds.

Under Steve Lovell, Gillingham tried to play a more expansive brand of football, but that exposed them further and they’ve looked Sunday league at best at times.

Harris’ first job therefore will be instilling some confidence, building the shape and style of the side, but crucially picking up points and urgently.

If ever there is a game to win, then that’s tonight.

With eighteen games left this season, The Gills will need probably at least thirty points more to stay up – many will question whether Harris is prudent to start planning for next season.