AIDEN O’Brien said anything is possible after Millwall picked up their third consecutive Championship victory at Ipswich Town on New Year’s Day.
The Lions had gone eight games without a win prior to the festive period – but have moved six points clear of the relegation zone after collecting maximum points from their three Christmas and New Year fixtures.
Millwall went on a 17-match unbeaten run in the second half of last season as they narrowly missed out on a place in the top-six, eventually finishing 8th.
Asked if they can produce a similar run, O’Brien said: “It’s possible. We’ve had three wins on the trot now. Anything is possible – it’s football.
“You wouldn’t have thought we would do it last year and we did. Everyone wrote us off and they are still writing us off.
“We’re never going to give up. The manager and the fans know that. We’ll go right to the end – whatever the possible outcome is. Hopefully it is a positive one.”
The 25-year-old was making his first start for almost three weeks at Portman Road and was ‘buzzing’ with the three points.
“It wasn’t the prettiest of games,” O’Brien said. “We weren’t at our best, but at the end of the day, we got the points we needed.
“That’s nine points from Christmas, which is an unbelievable period. We’ve got to keep cracking on now.
“We were second to most balls in the first half and it just wasn’t going our way. They scored after two minutes and in any game that kills your mentality and momentum. You’ve got to pick yourself up and get back going again, which we did.
“The manager changed the shape at half-time and put Morison on – we went 4-3-3, pressed them up high and got the three goals we needed.
“I’m buzzing. I’m happy for all the lads and the fans, I think we’re back as a team now and go into the new year exactly as we have been doing.”
Goals from Shane Ferguson, Jake Cooper and Tom Elliott put the Lions into a 3-1 lead, but substitute Kayden Jackson netted late in the game to ensure a nervy finish.
And O’Brien admitted his side were determined to see out the victory, something they were unable to do on their last trip to East Anglia – at Norwich City – in November.
He continued: “I was absolutely blowing in the last 10 to 15 minutes – it was my first 90 in a little while.
“It was a great strike but we were like ‘this ain’t happening again’. We had to stick together, we ain’t getting a draw after being 3-1 up.
“It’s still early, but we’re heading in the right direction. We’re six points clear of the bottom three now. We’ve got to keep tugging away as a team – each person chipping in with goals, assists and being solid at the back.
“Hopefully we can have a glass of whatever you want to have a glass of at the end of the season when we stay up.”
The victory at Portman Road was Millwall’s first on the road since they beat Bolton Wanderers in April.
O’Brien continued: “I don’t think it affected us about how long we have waited for this. It was a tough game, just because you are rock bottom and fighting against relegation it doesn’t mean they aren’t going to give us a right test.
“They did that, but luckily we came out on top because it would’ve been a bit of a curveball if we had lost it.
“Winning at home to Forest and then losing at Ipswich would have been a tough one to take, but we got there in the end and we made it happen.”
Image: Millwall FC