Assistant gaffer Dave Livermore has said that he more than knows the expectation of the fans as we head into the game against Charlton and he admitted it was a must win match for us.
Having made more than 300 appearances for the club during 1999 and 2006, Livermore is well versed in Millwall life and having had the success of promotion back in 2001, the FA Cup finalist medal in 2004 as well as being named Player of the Year in 2006, Livermore is trying to transmit that, alongside manager Neil Harris, to the current crop of players as we look to pull off a second Great Escape this season.
With Charlton the opponents on Friday, Livermore told the official site that nothing less than a win would do given the nature of the game and our Championship positioning.
Victory would also be our first in 13 attempts on home soil, and that’s equally something Livermore knows has to change.
‘I have now been on the coaching side for five years, including three back here at Millwall, and although we’re now working with more senior pro’s, the same basic principles apply. The key is to be organised, plan well and help the players do their jobs better.’
Livermore says that since taking over from former manager Ian Holloway, he and Harris have been simplifying things for the players in terms of the style of play, what they ask from them and he feels that the structure now is far more comfortable for the players so he’ll looking to see that come across more on the pitch in the remaining games.
‘We have simplified things a bit for them in terms of how we play and given them a structure they feel more comfortable with. We wanted to get two centre-forwards back into the team, and ideally attack with two wingers, although due to injuries we have had to do so with midfielders. We want to see our team attack, be exciting, score goals and yes, ultimately win games.’
With the current challenge being a massive one, Livermore isn’t dodging that and he knows a huge turnaround in form is required if we are going to manage this at this late stage of the season.
‘We have got some good players here who are capable of getting results and we are encouraging them and showing them how they can achieve that. We came very close to pulling off what would have been a terrific win at Brentford and we believe we are moving in the right direction. Friday will be another tough test for us of course, but our crowd can be a massive factor. If the team can put on the kind of performance they can get behind, we’re hoping the fans can help suck the ball into the back of the Charlton net!’
Vital Millwall on:
Vital Millwall on:
Organisation & Planning Key For Livermore
