MILLWALL head coach Neil Harris says he isn’t concerned by his side’s relative lack of height up front going into tomorrow’s game at Southampton.
Harris’ previous frontlines during his initial spell as boss always included a big presence, with Aiden O’Brien, Steve Morison, Lee Gregory, Jon Bodvarsson, Tom Elliott and Matt Smith all measuring six foot plus.
But the returning gaffer inherits a squad with just one attacker in the shape of Zian Flemming (6ft1in) able to make the same claim, something he is more than willing to adapt to as Millwall target Championship survival, starting on the south coast on Saturday.
Harris said: “We have to find different ways to play. I’ve done that over the years and certainly done that in the last few years – we have to find a different way.
“There’s all different ways of winning games of football.
“I think it is clear to say, and I don’t think this will come as a surprise to anybody, that we are not going to have a lot of the football on Saturday.
“Southampton like to dominate the ball, so we have to be really good defensively and have a really good shape about us.”
He added: “We have to be really clinical when we get our chances with the ball. We have to be really careful with the football, we have to progress up the pitch in our own way, but we’ve got some good players that can handle the ball.
“We’ve got some exciting players that can dribble the ball and we’ve got some goal scorers in the group. We have to find different ways of scoring goals.”
It has been quite a week in SE16, with Joe Edwards relieved of his position on Wednesday morning after a run of seven defeats from the last eight games, handing Harris the chance to make an emotional return after leaving in 2019.
The current boss is remaining tight lipped about what he will be doing first to stop the current slump, but hinted there will be a different Millwall on display at St Mary’s.
Harris said: “I’m not going to go into tactics or personnel at the moment, but I’ve got my opinion on what needs to change.
“Everyone will have to wait until Saturday to see what that might look like.
“I think the biggest thing is that something needed to change in the board’s eyes.
“At the end of February, you can’t change a group of players – I’m not saying they should change a group of players – but if you need to do something, then you need to change something.
“And as a manager, we accept if it is not the players that change, then it is normally the manager that changes.”
He added: “I’ve been in that position myself, so that’s fine. The club have made that decision.
“I’m on the touchline right now on Saturday. I’m going to lead from the front.
“The players are going to be prepared, they are going to be excited about the challenge and they’re going to know they have my unwavering support when we fight the battle.”
Southampton are chasing an instant return to the Premier League, although they have lost two of their last three games to Bristol City and Hull.
That leaves them third and just outside the final automatic promotion spot on goal difference behind Leeds United.
Harris will lock horns with all of the division’s top three between now and the end of the campaign, starting tomorrow with the Saints.
He said: “They’re a really good side. They’ve got some top, top players.
“There are a lot of good sides in this league, as we will see with Leeds v Leicester on Friday night.
“We’ve got both of them coming up as well, so we’ve got some tough games in front of us.
“The best Championship sides have a good set up and have really good individual players that can hurt you in any given moment.”
Harris added: “A good time to play them? Quite possibly.
“They are having their worst run of the season having lost two of the last three. I can’t really worry about what Southampton do and where they are at.
“I’ve got enough things to focus on at the moment about my own group – picking a team, a subs bench and who is going to be involved with that on Saturday.
“What I know is we will be ready for the challenge. Come three o’clock Saturday the group will be prepared, ready and reinvigorated.
“There are no promises that is going to be enough to get us a result, but one thing we won’t fall short of is desire.”