Neil Harris: Christmas period can define how second half of Millwall’s season pans out

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Neil Harris has admitted the Christmas batch of matches for Millwall is set to shape the challenge they face in the second half of the Championship campaign.

The Lions are in the bottom three and head to Stoke City on Saturday before following up with a Boxing Day clash against Reading at The Den. They have another home fixture against Forest three days later and then go to Ipswich Town, bottom of the standings, on New Year’s Day.

Harris said: “This is a period, if we’re being honest, that is not going to make or break our season. But it will go a long way to defining how the second half of our season can pan out.

“It is a very tough game at Stoke and then three that will be very challenging, in different ways. It is a period where we need to make sure we close the gap on the teams above.

“We need to maximise every opportunity to get some points at the moment.”

Stoke still have the likes of Jack Butland, Ryan Shawcross, Tom Ince, Saido Berahino, Benik Afobe and Peter Crouch on their playing roster.

Harris said: “They are a Premier League squad – certainly in name, They have got a lot of options, a lot of talented players in the squad – but they are competing at the same level as us.

“They have not got bundles of points more than us or running away with the league. We need to try and make sure we go there and play with no fear.”