With the international break giving us all a chance to reflect, Lions fans have been picking apart the news from the last few weeks
Greetings and welcome to another News At Den Fans Panel episode. We will be interviewing a handful of our seven members, who have all been lifetime Lions supporters, every few weeks to get their opinions on Millwall, football, sports, and life in general. This week, estates manager Matt, 41, and markets risk manager Tony, 5, will be joining us.
You’ve seen Neil Harris over four years before as manager. What did you think of his re-appointment and how favourably do you remember his first reign between 2015-19?
Like many others, I believed that in order to avoid definite relegation, a change was required. Although Neil Harris’ selection startled me greatly, I can understand the reasoning behind it because he is familiar with the team, has signed most of the players, and will energise the supporters. For me, winning and scoring more than 50 points in the quickest amount of time are more important than the actual quality of the sport. Being demoted would be disastrous. But in the summer, there must be a thorough evaluation that includes some responsibility.
His comeback reminds us of 2015 in certain respects, but at least this time it’s not too late and we weren’t in such a mess. The last time he rebuilt the club following Ian Holloway’s debacle, he provided us some incredible experiences. He was a true pro at using an entire Den and getting a “Millwall” performance. He also showed me that he cared by departing at the appropriate time and in the appropriate manner.
Harris’s homecoming prompted me to thinking about the legends of the club. Please list your top three Millwall players, along with a brief explanation of why, limited to those you’ve seen in person (no players from the 1920s, for example).
It’s a difficult choice, but throughout the past 30 years, I would pick Terry Hurlock—a player who is considerably better than most people realize—Tim Cahill—who can’t be forgotten for his big game goals—and Etienne Verveer for the New Year’s Day matchup with Crystal Palace (see the video below). Even now, I still grin when I see Gareth Southgate!
Although it seems more likely that Millwall will have enough to stay up, they are currently just four points above the bottom three. Which two teams do you believe will fall with Rotherham United?
Although I think we are headed in the right path, I don’t want to become comfortable. The current bottom three, Rotherham, Sheffield Wednesday (who have a horrible goal differential), and Huddersfield, are the ones I believe will be demoted. Birmingham, I would have responded, but I believe that hiring Gary Rowett was a wise choice that will keep them in the league despite their terrible performance.
The Millwall team has eight games remaining in its season. Which Lions player, and why, would you most like to see have a successful season finale?
I believe that Millwall fires Zian Flemming. We need goals, and Michael Obafemi seems like a terrific player who is beginning to get fit.
And lastly, Neil Harris said prior to Leeds’ match that he thought the atmosphere at Elland Road rivalled that of The Den. Which setting, when away from home, is the nicest that you have encountered?
There are so many options. My personal favourites were the cup matches at Chelsea, Arsenal, and Forest in the mid-1990s. Around the start of the millennium, we played a Thursday night game versus Portsmouth where we spent the whole 90 minutes chanting about the private life of their then coach which had recently been in the newspapers!
