LEE Johnson praised the job Neil Harris has done at Millwall, and called the Lions boss a “good guy”.
Bristol City manager Johnson welcomes his Lions counterpart Harris to Ashton Gate on Saturday, where the Robins will be looking for their second league win this season after beating Barnsley 3-1 on the opening day.
Johnson has had the better of the contests between the two men so far in their managerial careers: he was boss of Barnsley in 2015-16 when the Tykes twice defeated Millwall in League One.
And Johnson knows the kind of challenge his players will face this weekend.
”They’re a physical side and very consistent. They’ll offer a good test for us,” he said.
“I really like Neil Harris, he’s a really good guy. I played against him on a number of occasions and obviously we are a similar age.
“Delighted for him, how well he’s doing. He’s a young English manager, that’s important as well. It’s a cut-throat, dog-eat-dog world, football management, and when you’re in the technical area…it’s like a war, if you like.
“But after the game we’ll have a drink, sit down and be the mates that we are.”
Millwall are still searching for their first league win of the season. The Lions lost 4-3 to Ipswich Town on Tuesday night, the third successive game they dominated but failed to collect three points.
Millwall goalkeeper Jordan Archer was at fault for Ipswich’s first goal, but midfielder Shaun Williams also accepted responsibility for conceding possession leading up to it.
Williams insisted the side would “stick together” as they aim for that elusive first victory following their late defeat to the Tractor Boys.
“It’s frustrating, we made a lot of sloppy errors and got punished from those errors,” Williams said. “It was a great start, but I gave the ball away for the first goal. We probably could have closed the shot, and then Jordan should have saved the shot, as he said himself.
“I don’t think he’ll be feeling up or down after conceding four, they weren’t all his fault.
“On the bright side we scored three goals against a team that’s unbeaten so far, but at the end of the day we’ve come away with no points again.
“It wasn’t just at the back, it was all over midfield, up front. We were punished by a clinical side, that’s what happens in the Championship.
“As we were attacking they were getting ready to counter attack like we normally would. It worked for them and it’s disappointing for us.
“They only had four or five chances but they were so clinical they managed to score. If you step up a level that’s what happens, you get punished. In League One you might get away with it a couple of times before they score.
“I think that’s why teams are paying millions for strikers and they’re getting goals.
“There’s no point in dwelling on it, we have to look to Saturday and try and get it right.
“We have to stick together, keep working hard and fight for each other like we do every week.
“You can’t win every game. You have to look to the next game and try to get three points.”
Image: Millwall FC