Harris determined to maintain Millwall momentum - 7M sport

Harris determined to maintain Millwall momentum



Posted Sunday, May 06, 2018 by PA

Harris determined to maintain Millwall momentum

Millwall boss Neil Harris is already looking to improve his squad for next season after ending their Sky Bet Championship season with a 1-0 win over Aston Villa.

The Lions missed out on the play-offs, finishing three points behind sixth-placed Derby as Preston pipped them to seventh place.

Shaun Williams’ penalty was all that separated Millwall and Villa, who face Middlesbrough in the play-offs, as goalkeeper Mark Bunn saved a second spot-kick.

But Harris was quick to play down expectations for next season after guiding Millwall to their highest league finish since 2002.

“Our aim come August 1 is to get 50 points next season,” he said.

“There has to be a sense of realism in terms of what we’ve achieved this year.

“We’ve improved in every transfer window that I’ve been here for and that’s our challenge again this summer. I’m not going to go out and spend £15million on a striker but we need improvements.

“I think I’ve got talented players and a great group of lads. We set some tremendous records this year but we’ve fallen slightly short.

“I think any more than one goal would have flattered us today. Considering the heat that the game was played in, and the fact that we couldn’t make the play-offs, it had a great tempo to it.

“I wanted seventh spot – Preston pipped us to that – but 73 points and eighth against the calibre of teams in this league is a fantastic achievement.”

Henri Lansbury’s foul on Jed Wallace gave Millwall a penalty on the half-hour with Williams sending Bunn the wrong way.

After the break, Josh Onomah’s bending strike whistled over for Villa and Millwall goalkeeper Jordan Archer’s best save saw him dive full length to get a fingertip to James Bree’s strike.

Villa assistant Colin Calderwood admitted his side must improve quickly ahead of the play-offs.

“We need to play at a different level in our next game. We have to be more towards our A game than we were today – and we will be,” he said.

“The magnitude of the clubs involved in the play-offs this season make them all exciting games – and hard to call. We can’t think that a play-off semi-final is the limit of our success.

“One moment we were playing Derby, then Boro scored. In our heads we always thought that it would be Boro. They’ll be ready for us; we’ll be ready for them.”

Calderwood fulfilled the post-match media duties after the death of Villa manager Steve Bruce’s mother Sheenagh this week. Bruce’s father died in February.

“Steve is fine,” Calderwood added.

“He’s had a real tough time from January onwards so we’ll give him all the help that we can. Everyone at the club knows he’s a leader.

“We understand that coming into work brings a moment of relief, too. He’s very close to Fergie, as well – that just adds to things, along with the stresses of the job.”

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