Millwall boss Harris on where his team went wrong against QPR

BY RICHARD CAWLEY

Millwall manager Neil Harris says there will be no individuals blamed for Wednesday’s 2-0 loss at QPR – and reckons his side are paying the price for mini lapses in matches.

The Lions are winless in five Championship games and were majorly out of sorts in the opening 45 minutes at Loftus Road.

Massimo Luongo and Ebere Eze both struck during that period. 

Harris said: “There is no individual blame for the goals, they both take deflections. I’m sure Ben [Amos] will be disappointed and might get better contact on both efforts on goal, but he also made some very good saves at key moments in the game.

“There is no individual blame culture for the goals conceded. When I talk about them being crappy [ones to let in] it is because they are frustrating.

“We never quite dealt with the corner or dealt with the first shot. For the second goal there is no block on the second effort. We are just a yard away from everything at the moment.

“Against Leeds there were five blue shirts between the ball and goal – but we’re not quite close enough. That’s my disappointment at the group.

“We’re not conceding bundles of goals compared to every other team in the league but the goals we concede are avoidable. We are not close enough and not aggressive enough. That’s why I expect more from my players.

“I go back four or five passes before the goal and it is not quite right. When we are at our best we’re right all over the park. At the moment, only for certain times in a game, we’re not right all over the park.

“It is where I have got to be patient with the players and keep demanding more and getting the work into them.

“We know full well we don’t become a bad team overnight but you can become slightly unlucky. It’s about doing the same traits that made you so good.

“We have got to keep striving to improve. That is when you start picking up second balls again and start dominating games for a longer period.

“There was no lack of effort [against QPR]. No real rhyme or reason – it just wasn’t a cohesive performance. The second half was a lot more of our quality. We were more on the front foot, won a lot more second balls and had some end product.”

IMAGES BY BRIAN TONKS