Millwall defender McNamara: No reason why play-offs cannot be obtainable goal next season

BY RICHARD CAWLEY
richard@slpmedia.co.uk

Danny McNamara sees no reason why Millwall cannot go from a relegation battlers to play-off contenders next season.

The South Londoners finished the 2023-24 Championship campaign bang in form with only Ipswich Town taking more points than the Lions after Neil Harris was appointed head coach in February.

And defender McNamara is confident that the head coach, Millwall’s all-time leading goalscorer, can have the Den outfit back challenging at the right end of the table.

The Lions did not lose on home turf after Harris replaced Joe Edwards, winning five of their six matches in SE16. The huge swing in form snared a 13th-placed finish.

“We can use the experience of this season to go and push up the other end,” McNamara told the South London Press.

“We have been in and around it (the play-off picture) the past couple of seasons before that, so there is no reason we can’t. Hopefully we can bring in a few more players to strengthen up our squad.

“We’ll go again and give it a good go.

“Chopper coming in lifted the group – massively. We were really down low. Results and performances weren’t going our way.

“I think Neil has touched on it, but coming to The Den was quite intimidating – because we weren’t getting results.

“Under Neil we were excited to go to The Den. We couldn’t wait to be there. We feel like we can turn anyone over there now – it’s weird how football works.

“I don’t think there was anyone better (than Harris) to come in and do the job. It is a massive achievement.

“It was about going back to that Millwall way – being hard and horrible to play against. Winning your one-v-one battles – winning every battle all over the pitch. Running more than the opposition.

“We’re not the best team in the league but we will work hard and Millwall fans will get behind us – as long as we’re giving our all.

“We’ve got back to basics.”