Manager Neil Harris has said that individual errors cost Millwall at The Den in the defeat to Gillingham at the weekend.
Hosting the Priestfield outfit for what ended up a three nil defeat, Harris knows a number of things went against us on the day – not least the red card to Jordan Archer – but ultimately his frustration lay in the fact that we caused much of our own downfall.
Speaking to the official site in his post game press interviews, a disappointed Harris explained.
‘They were three frustrating goals – poor ones to give away. You certainly can’t give good teams two-goal head starts and lose a player and expect to climb the mountain. I’m disappointed with the individual errors for goals. The first goal was poor marking by us on a set-play, which was uncharacteristic. Players have to do better, players have to be stronger, have to organise better and take responsibility.’
With all that said, Harris was pleased with the response of the players following the half time talk, and with ten men he felt we were much improved in the second period even though the improvement wasn’t enough to effect the scoreline.
At least there was some character and fight shown in his mind.
‘Having said that, with 10 men I thought we had a right go second-half and I was delighted with the performance. The third goal was a kick in the teeth because we were the better team in the second-half and we could have finished the game on a real positive.’
In wider press coverage of his after game interviews, Harris is also quoted as saying.
‘It was poor marking from the set-play for the second goal, which is uncharacteristic for us. The players have to do better and be stronger and more organised. I want them to take responsibility.’
Adding.
‘I thought we had a right go in the second-half, the character we showed was encouraging. We just didn`t get the ball in the net. The third goal was a kick in the teeth because we were the better team in the second half. I like players who take responsibility and own up to a mistake and don`t make it again. If they do they will find themselves out of the team. I have high standards – they`ve set them during some good performances. If they can`t hit those on a regular occurrence they won`t be playing.’
As for Archer, the gaffer also had a few words on his sending off.
‘He`s done really well this season, he`s a young man with a huge desire. It`s not a problem today, it`s another learning curve. He`s had a stop-start week this week, but he`ll learn from it. He`ll learn that his confidence can`t start on a Saturday or a Friday, it`s got to start when the last game finishes.’
Having been pleased with the character shown in the second half, his thoughts on the first half mentality were also aired.
‘I was clear with the players. I`m really fond of my players, I think they are a great group of lads. But I said to them: When you`re preparing for games, when you`re training, you must enjoy it. But you can enjoy training with a real intensity to it, and I said to the players if they can`t flick a switch between being laid back and relaxed, and then serious enough when it matters, then you have to be serious all the time. And, for me, as a player, I wanted to win everything. I was serious, every session, because that was my character. I said to the players I questioned their mentality after the Wycombe game and if you`re making the same errors more than once then is it mentality, is it character? At this football club you have to have a winning mentality and you have to have a character that`s really strong. That`s the squad and the team I want.’
Vital Millwall on:
Vital Millwall on:
Individual Errors Cost Us – Harris
