AIDEN O’Brien has warned against complacency against Rotherham on Saturday, saying Millwall must “apply” themselves in the same way they did against Everton.
The Lions get back to the task of pulling further clear of the Championship’s bottom three this weekend, when they will aim to extend the current four-point gap back to Rotherham.
The Millers are 21st, a point above the relegation zone, and are looking for a league double after defeating 19th-place Millwall 1-0 last August.
Neil Harris’ side know the dip that can follow a major cup clash: After facing four Premier League sides in the FA Cup in 2017, they drew each of their next league games 0-0.
O’Brien is eager to avoid similar disappointment on Saturday.
“We’ve got to listen to the coaching staff and what they say in training is key,” O’Brien said. “On Thursday and Friday we’ve got to take on board everything and hopefully we can put it into play and do the best we can.
“Whatever 11 the gaffer puts out we’ve got to make it happen. We need to make sure we get these three points.
“I can’t wait to get out there again on Saturday now and focus on the league. It’s a very big game against Rotherham, we’re both fighting down at the bottom and we need to make sure we play how we played against Everton.
“We put a lot of effort into that game before we regrouped. I think Rotherham is a more important game for us. We want to stay in this league, we want to get the points to do that as soon as we can. It starts on Saturday.
“We have to make sure we apply ourselves properly.”
O’Brien praised Millwall fans for their role in last Saturday’s fifth-round win when Murray Wallace scored a last-gasp winner against a side assembled for £215million.
“On paper it’s a whole different kettle of fish,” O’Brien said. “You go out there and perform the best you can and we made them look average. They would probably agree with that as well. That’s what we do, we bring teams down to The Den and, I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, when The Den is rocking like that it’s very hard for the other team to gain momentum and confidence within themselves to break us down.
“It was key, from the fans to the players on the pitch and the subs. We did our part and made a very good Premier League team look average.
“[Harris] mentioned it before that we weren’t going to need much motivating because we were going to hear the fans. They were going to give us that buzz and that extra yard we needed, which it did. He was right, he’s played here and is a legend and knows how it goes.
“It gave everyone that push the get the victory.”
*Read a long interview with Aiden O’Brien in today’s Southwark News where he reveals why he needs to hold down a regular place after a conversation with Mick McCarthy.
Image: Millwall FC