SOUTHEND boss Phil Brown has predicted there will be an “edge” to Friday night’s FA Cup first-round clash with Millwall at The Den, after their 3-1 win over the Lions in September left Neil Harris “hurting”.
Brown believes that result prompted Harris to change to a more direct style of football and adopt an “all-or-nothing approach”.
Both sides go into the fixture in their best form of the season. Millwall have won four of their last five games, while Southend are unbeaten in four, a run that has lifted them out of the relegation zone.
But the focus switches to cup competition under the Den lights, and Brown promised his team will be “going for it” come 7.45pm.
He told Southend’s official website: “We know there’s a little bit of an edge to the game because of the Southend-Millwall rivalry and because the manager was a previous player here and they have a previous player in Dave Worrall.
“Adding to that, the spice of the game from when we played them at Roots Hall six or eight weeks ago.
“That spice resulted in us performing well on the day.”
“Chopper Harris was really hurting after the game at Roots Hall not long ago and he’ll want to put that right.
“Since that game they’ve won four and lost four and it seems to me he’s playing a little bit more direct which has resulted in an all-or-nothing approach.
“It will be a case of who wants it most on the night. With a decent following and buoyed by the fact we’ve not lost in four, we’ll be going for it as well.”
Image source: ©Millwall FC