Millwall were ‘Parkin’s Pick’ on this weeks Championship Check-In Podcast, Sam and I discussed Neil Harris’ huge impact and how he’s turned around the Lions fortunes.
#Millwall #EFL
🌎 LINKS
TWITTER: www.twitter.com/BenjaminBloom
INSTAGRAM: www.instagram.com/BenjaminBloomFC
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/TheBenjaminBloomFootballChannel
PATREON: www.patreon.com/BenjaminBloom
MERCH: www.benjaminbloommerch.store
SPONSORSHIP: benjaminbloommusic@gmail.com
😊 THANK YOU
Here is a shout out and thank you to all the wonderful people who have support via Patreon:
Krissy Day / Adam Ferjani / Chris Rand / Daniel Ashby / Johnny Jay / Little_Crow / Russell Peek / Simon Palmer / Noel Baker / Michael Stocks / David Roy Humble / Adam Burton / Nick Matthews / Daniel Mayhew / Oliver Barnes / Sean Rooney / James Bamford / Iain F / Tony / Tim & Phatthananan Brady / Trevor / Danny McGoldrick / James Ruddock / Jay Coyle / John Mattheson / Auzathoth / Harry Worthington / Mike Kirby / Simon Forde / WhiteHartDane / Matthew March / Rob Scott / Paul G / Lee Stirling / Lee Pitts / Richard Johnson / Off Tjelta / Peter Scott / Matcat / Sean Moran / Hamza Darby / Gavin Camp / Jordan Humbling-Cook / Martin Trainer / Sean Mobsby / Peter Edward / Mike Doran / Alan Ohran / Bittz Gaming / Dennis Smith / James / Toby Long / Geoffrey Llewellyn / Jon Merrell / James Rennie / Rob Payne / Ask Gudmundsen / Jed Sharp / Brad / Stephen Bentley / Benjamin Yates / Kris / Sophie Leney / Mr E / Jenny Morrill / Shaun Dickerson / Aaron Bright / Chris Mower / Jace Elliott / Harry Bluenose / Alex Smithson / Mark Ingram / Hugh Rout / Marco Red24/7 / Jon Abbott / Dane / Raymond Barker / Brian Thomson / Joseph Williams
So Sam as always on this podcast we want to try and um dig into your brain and your you know hundreds of games of experience and not just say what everyone else will be saying what everyone else will be saying is wow new manager bounds 10 points in four games
Milw moving up the table are they clear of trouble fine my question to you Sam how has he done it yeah I I think this is quite a difficult one mate to get too complex about to to be honest so I’m getting my caveat in now um I don’t think there’s
Been too many surprises has there you look at the shape there obviously they were playing something of a 3421 under Joe Edwards if if memory serves that that that was I think quite flexible under his his management he didn’t stick to one style but uh once kind of setup
But but laterally that is what he’s gone for he got two very hardworking um wire players there um the two Midfield players I think is interesting if you think back to think it was last week’s podc podcast I spoke about Casper denor possibly coming back in for this game to
Give them a little bit of creativity which has has still been you know evident that lack of creativity in the games that they’ve been been taking maximum points from but I don’t think he was even in the 18 I think Neil Harris did speak of him postmatch to say that
He has been training well but at the moment savil obviously a player he knows really well and and Billy Mitchell are getting that nod in that department and I think you know played pretty well again on this occasion Mitchell someone who div divides opinion I think had a
Good game Sav all that combination him and Tang ganga has um supplied a couple of massive goals away at Southampton and and again at the weekend and you cannot neglect ever that setpiece threat I think mil and IP switch just joint second to Cardiff in in that regard and
You look at I suppose a lack of front players a lack of options for for Neil Harris the key to them getting enough points in this division is going to be about clean sheets and finding a way to score and invariably set pieces are going to be a a really fruitful um
Avenue for them so yeah I don’t think there was loads in this game at the weekend uh I think there’s been some improvement from some individuals I think Tang ganga’s one that I saw live a couple of times early on and he looked a little bit uncomfortable playing the
Type of football that Joe Edwards wanted mil to play under him so yeah there’s definitely an improvement in him and that’s probably uh because it marries quite well with Neil Harris and how he wants to set up think more simplified brief has been asked of and that’s no
Criticism of the milw players um not only might it be a more simplified brief but it’s one that I think that fan base buys into a lot um just fits a lot better that that style with that fan base doesn’t it and what they expect from their players yeah
You’ve got that and you’ve got a group of players where the majority will know exactly how um Neil Harrison and David Livermore work and exactly what they’ll want them to execute on the on the pitch I think that’s probably also been evident with the lack of changes as well
That’s that’s partly due to um circumstances in terms of player availability but he wants that core of 12 13 players I would suggest Neil Harris that he’s going to make maybe one or two changes each week and trust those players try and build those relationships with them but of course
You know we’d be kidding ourselves if if we we’re not saying that a lot of this is just down to organization on the training ground and good old school motivation and and and that’s what we’re seeing um I think the majority of the games apart from Southampton where they
They obviously had to give up a few chances there’s been very few chances on on the mid goal don’t remember there being too much in in this game and and again you know with Jake Cooper uh someone that he’ll trust implicitly and and Tang ganga um Joe Bryan I thought
Was a really good capture in the summer he’s not had a brilliant season but him and and Leonard I think there’s enough there to to continue especially with the games on the horizon to to be pretty um pretty stodgy defensively and and not need the necessity to get loads of goals
But there you go I spoken for a couple of minutes uh I’ve tried to give you a few little ingredients as to why but I think we all know the the main reason and that’s a unified Den in the next few weeks under someone that rightly is
Absolutely loved in that part of the world um you know I for one was yeah not not not affected hugely cuz it doesn’t directly affect me but seeing someone that I played with a long time ago and and someone who I watched score so many goals for that club and manag
Them so successfully to be getting the stick he was towards the end of his previous tenure there’s something yeah quite beautiful about him seeing him back there and fist pumping and getting them all going again is this a um is it too early to give a tick in the box to
The ownership because when we were talking about the you were you were in front of the problems that Joe Edwards were having we talked about that before it went down and I said oh you know man what big call to take out row and obviously cross in the Box a big L for
The higher in the middle is it too early to say the ownership’s now kind of not necessarily redeemed themselves but certainly brought back some credit with the fan base I’m like hugely conflicted about about that I suppose uh just because you know I cover a lot of games at Milan uh I know
You know budgetary Wise and in terms of resources you know it’s incredibly difficult for mil probably to have the reality that they could get in the Premier League in the next few years and I know people will point at Luton and say look what they’ve achieved
But I think when we spoke on this topic early part of the Season Ben you said yeah but look how they recruit I think it was you anyway and look what their strategy is and abs absolutely I think if you contrast between the two clubs
Um that’s what m will have to get to and along with that I’m not sure you’ll get out of the division being so one-dimensional as they were maybe previously under Harris and it’s probably an argument but maybe under Gary route as well I think you have to have slightly better footballers in some
Of your departments so that’s why I’m conflicted because listen if Neil Harris keeps m in the division by a distance do I want him to doesn’t matter why I think do I believe he should be at the club at the start next season absolutely he should
But is that going to give them I don’t know the the impetus to have that alignment from the the boardroom to to the management to improve the squad in a way that’s going to get them into the promotion shakeup I’m not so sure you can do it playing that football
Um there may be examples and I’m open to um to to people that watched this to tell me about teams that have done it playing but I just think you know when you when you’re trying to improve the um the excitement levels the attacking nature of the side um you know
That’s all got to be done over a longer period and then that’s why as bad as the results were under Joe Edwards I was still like oh that’s a bit of a missed opportunity you know if they could have just seen it through and maybe just
Stayed in the division by hook or crook then January would have been really interesting and next season would have been really interesting to see if they could become um a bit of everything that passion that incredible support when it’s going well but also a team that all
Of a sudden has a bit more craft and a bit more W Factor so we’ll see we will indeed and we’ll clip that one out we always have discourse with the um MILF fans I don’t do that I just get I just get stick don’t do that you
Won’t won’t you absolutely won’t no I think but I just just finish on you know I think the most honest and yeah balanced and M Ardent Mill supporter would say k it’s a it’s a tricky period in history yeah I mean like Crystal Palace down the road will be at premier
League and established Premier League they’ve been in this kind of predicament for five years haven’t they Co we just got to win one nil every week and rely on the back five um you know um soaking up copious amounts of pressure to get us over the line and there’s a bit of that
At M isn’t there it’s getting that balance isn’t it between um being exciting um and also staying in the division or showing a little bit more intent so I’d be interested to know what the mil fans want ultimately and would it be you know nearly in charge with a
Um a bit of a blank canvas in the summer to to make that surgery which I think the squad definitely needs doesn’t it um there’s going to be quite a lot of changes there in in the summer they want Neil to do that and build a squad that
Could potentially challenge or do they want to see that that big sea change once he’s uh he’s achieved The Great Escape get your thoughts in the comments Neil Harris and milw on fire
36 Comments
I love the Berylsons and when they were trying new unproven managers and players it got me excited. But we just can’t compete with our budget. I now see it was never the players or the tactics it was the confidence in the fan base that cost us so many points. Joe was the right manager at the wrong time, if we had different owners, owners who could spend then joe would work. But we need to rely on ‘Neil Harris’ or ‘Millwall’ players which, the way modern football is going, we will never compete. My only ask with Harris is to use the youngsters like mayor or emakhu, and hopefully James for now.
Ben its simple he has instilled the Millwall way. No more are we trying to knock the ball around like we are Manchester City and giving it away around are own penalty area. (Once which was the Blackburn Goal 2 dropped points there should be 4 wins out of 4) You know Ben you watched a lot of Neil Harris Millwall back in the day. That is pretty much what we are doing here. Its not about being pretty now its about Getting the results to get out of trouble. He said it himself patterns of play really he needs a pre season for that but what we can be is very Millwall like tuff to beat and everyone win there battles. Thats the minimum he expects passion and desire to fight for the badge. I stand by what i said on a previous video Ben that will be enough to keep us up.
I would just like to point out Sam that Neil Harris brand of Football is still our highest point total 72 (I believe it was) since being back in the division. Anything is possible with the belief and desire to do it.
If he keep us up he deserves a statue COYL MILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Ben and Sam to be Honest Harris has put conference back in the players, As our all time Top scorer and Club Legend he knows how to set up our way of playing. When he left five years ago it was a good choice by him to do so as he had took Millwall as far as he could, Two other managerial rolls at Gillingham and Cambridge has made him a better manager, Now he's Back I have no doubt we will stay up.
Super Neil Harris
With Edwards IMO he was the person at the wrong time. I loved what he was trying to do but he didn't have the players to do it. If he'd have stayed in charge we'd be in league 1 next season. The board have saved themselves a little bit but there needs to be a shake up in the summer. Harris should be given a season next year but he needs to be backed and recruitment needs to be better.
I want us to reach the dreamland hopefully we can next season with a rebuild if we stay up COYL MILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL
Joe edwards ain’t worth a wank Harris is our leader la la la
Though opinion on Rowett was divided(he did, to be fair, reach decent positions in his 4 years) but you can't bore the fans , season in, season out and I said at our nadir under Joe that I was STILL pleased he went through, obviously, did not realize we would plummet with what I saw as a better squad than last season. Additions of Scottish International Nisbet, the presumed emergence of Ejhomo and Esse, and Joe Bryan and De Nore signing all seemed positive. No more George Long, Injury prone Bennett, young Tyer B. on the wing and the German gone were all positives and though I have gone for over 60 years,I bought my first season ticket this year after 30 years at this stadium and have already bought my season ticket early for next year(Over 63=£245 for 23 games).
What's changed? We had the players to do much better but though I think and hope Joe Edwards succeeds in the future,it transpires that he wasn;t the fit for us at this time. The PASSION has returned and the crowd is now making a massive difference making Millwall fight and outbattle teams at Home, certainly. All this without our 2 main strikers Bradshaw and Nisbet, who will flourish but has underperformed. This ONE striker nonsense was completely ineffective with an unwanted Club Record 5 home wins out of 25 games as we offered little going forward with our lone striker being marked by, at least,2 defenders. Tanganga is now making his mark and THIS back 4 seems solid. But for now, it's battling "1/0'" wins, realistically.
The results have been better however its not been good football imo he's put the confidence back into the same players however he's not the man to move the club forward he's not tactical wizard the board need to put some money into the squad and get a manager in long term to improve the club he will always be Millwall legend coyl
As grateful as I am for what NH has achieved so quickly I do think that he's not the long term answer because, as Sam points out, we could never progress playing this brand of football. Although NH got us our highest points total in this league amit was first year back and teams didn't know how to deal with us. Second season was a different matter. We'd been well and truly sussed and NHs insistence on sticking to that style ultimately led to the fans turning on him. If we do manage to stay up we will know much more in the Summer with the type or ability of the players we try to recruit. Will we go for a Matt Smith type in which case we know that the football will be more of the same or does he try to recruit smaller more mobile forwards to change our style. If nothing else it will be interesting.
They were lucky against Birmingham. Birmingham had a striker who had at least 4 clear cut chances and he didn't hit the target with any of them. Birmingham should have been at least 1 goal ahead by the time Millwall scored.
There have been a few changes that have made a huge impact.
Tanganga and Cooper are more aligned because neither of them are having to cover the others shortcomings.
Cooper is no ball player and Tanganga had very little game time before coming in. Those shortcomings put the pressure on the rest of the defence.
If you want a good ball playing defence then everyone has to be able to do that.
It’s no surprise that Sarkic has also improved under Harris. They are now part of a single unit.
Mitchell has helped break up the opponents play and keep them from getting too close, restricting chances for the opposition.
As for the Millwall way, it’s generally about everyone working hard together. We’ve had good ball players in the past that have also had a great work ethic. We can’t carry anyone.
Also it’s been about trying to play the players in their best position.
Flemming doesn’t do well out wide and playing him as a second attacker or just in front of a loan striker works.
A lack of depth in attack is still our biggest problem. Too few options and too many injuries.
Harris is the right man at the right time. But I don’t think he is the long term solution. What we really need better recruitment and a longer term strategy for the coaching staff.
How can we do so well with the youth setup, yet get so few into the first team squad?
Just to make my thoughts on this clear, Neil has uinited the players and asking them to do what they are capable of. Moving forward whatever manager/coach we have they will be hampered by our recruitment which is done by a NVQ journalist who has never kicked a ball in a professional game. Excluding loans we have not signed a striker for 3 years apart from Nesbit who seems to injury problems, when we have been in obvious need and that should indicate our problems building up, you cannot win games without scoring goals.
We do want to play better football but putting in a shift will always be more important to us than looking pretty for the sake of it.The obvious summer reset/rebuild and who will be overseeing it just has to wait.All that matters right now is getting enough points out of the last nine games. COYL !
We won on Sat, the football was dire, apart from the goal of course.
Harris biggest mistake first time as Manager was not seeing potential of Eze. It cost the club 20 million. The dropping of De noore for more workmanlike players worries me that he again wont be able to progress our techical players who have far more transfer potential. The only chance for the club to progress is develop saleable assets and reinvest.
If I recall correctly, we went like 20 games unbeaten under NH in the championship..
Yes sam, recruitment is key and ours has been poor, eze was let go by millwall, however, our under 23's and under18's sre flying, some real prospects, take a look.
I want neil long term to succeed, no better man, its the milwall way.
Joe Edwards is a clipboard manager. Probably a great tactician with his whiteboard and marker pen but proved to be a woeful man manager. Should stick to coaching kids as that's all he seems to be good at. Didn't even look like he really cared. Spent most of his time sat in the dugout sulking
Neil Harris for the passion he brings, Rowett for the stability and Edwards for the style of football ( that he was trying to implement ). For right now though, we need what we have as it has brought the fans together and when the Den is rocking, it's a massive lift for the players and gets them over the line.
I think that most Millwall fans will agree with Sam's analysis. We would have loved the Edward's experiment to have worked. There were a couple of halves where we played the best football of the last 10 years, and still lost by 2 goals. Relegation would have/will be a disaster and put us back 5 years. If we can survive (nothing is certain) then Harris will be given a chance. He will have the opportunity to start anew. His last stint ended when I think that he had run out of ideas. Hopefully his experiences post Millwall can be used to re-energise us.
All due respect to your guest, but he still seems to refuse to admit that the side was 100% going down under Edwards. Last time on he said that these players are nowhere near championship quality (despite two seasons of playoff contention), well I think Harris has proved that wrong. Harris hasn’t done anything special, just organized the side and changed the formation. What this really all comes down to imo is just how woeful a manager Joe Edwards actually is.
Whether you can get promoted playing this style of football, idk. I think there have been plenty of teams that got promoted playing a more direct style. However, most fans, myself included, aren’t really that bothered about getting promoted. We just want to be a competitive championship side, which just wasn’t happening under Edwards.
My only worry with Harris is if he doesn’t like players like De Norre who have that positive flair whereas Mitchell, although has been good recently, is more negative in his play.
Could be ten nil this weekend.
Whilst no one can deny the points haul under NH, the test comes in the next two games Leeds/WBA against good teams and if they prove to be two losses and teams below pick up points, We are back to square one possibly bang in trouble.
Thank god we got super Neil back!!
Hard work and passion bring short term results however the Football is more dire under Harris then under Rowett. Long term if this club has any ambition they need to invest in decent players and get in a decent manager and coaching team. Our CEO and head of recruitment are ruining this club with their backward lacklustre ambition. Harris long term not for me.
We have had plenty of luck since NH took over that has also helped a rejuvenated squad
I think it's been said that few teams at this level play old school and is maybe why it's effective. They train to expect play from the back. A ball over the top bypasses the 'press' and also influences the opposition choice of players which indirectly negates what the can do ideally.
Regarding the summer, there are too many changes needed that can realistically be expected in both budgeting and recruitment terms. The likelihood of significant changes in one season is low, but the recruitment dept needs addressing re Aldo imo.
Edwards wanted to play a certain way but without the players that could it was overly optimistic and naive.
A mixed style is a good template but the talent needs to be there.
Tanganga is a loan, we haven't really strengthened in the years since Harris was here bar Flemming. It's been re-signing players and loans. It's going to need a change in structure to improve.
Te fans were bemoaning the lack of exciting football under Gary Rowett and hounded him out, they got what they wanted under Joe Edwards but couldn't handle the poor results. Now their back to exactly the same style that they were moaning about under Gary Rowett, boring football that gets results.
Easy really, dont over complicate football, we havnt got great players we have workhorse players who will grind it out
Millwall fan here Super Neil Harris is a magician Legend