Millwall boss not applying any pressure on Macaulay Langstaff after he nets first Championship goal

Millwall boss Neil Harris is not placing any extra expectation on Macaulay Langstaff after he scored his first goal since a summer move from Notts County.

The forward netted in his ninth match for the Lions – today’s 3-1 win over Preston at The Den. Langstaff also has two assists – setting up Duncan Watmore last weekend at QPR and also providing the cross for George Honeyman’s opener this afternoon.

Langstaff scored 29 goals for County in League Two last season.

The 27-year-old has now netted in the Championship, League Two, National League and the National League North.

Asked if opening his Millwall account takes pressure off Langstaff, Harris said: “He’ll be judging himself on goals because he is a natural goalscorer.

“I can’t explain to you how Macaulay Langstaff feels today because only goalscorers know. He is a natural finisher who scores bundles of goals – so not to be off the mark until now will be hurting him.

“It is my job as a man-manager to feed him that confidence and help him on the training pitch. His all-round game has been exceptional in his last two appearances – he has had assists and his pressing from the front is good.

“He has learned so much in pre-season. I said all along that we’d have to be patient with him. Nobody knows how good Macaulay is going to be in the Championship – he doesn’t know. He is adapting to life at the moment. I can’t tell you how hard it is to be a Millwall number nine as well – especially playing here at The Den.

“I’d like to think I’ve been helpful to him over the last few weeks. I just don’t want to put too much pressure on him now. I try and take the pressure off all the time by saying ‘give him time, give him time – it could take months to adapt to Championship football’.

“It’s still going to take him time. He’s had three good performances if you include the game at Portsmouth in the cup. Three really good starts. He needs to feed off that and carry on off that. He doesn’t need pressure or expectation on his shoulders to expect goals. I’ll just settle for really strong performances from Macca – to play with the energy, desire and combination play in the front four. Because if we keep playing like that, he will score goals.”

“The stats show how well-placed we should be (in the table). That is fine, in one instance, but you need to start delivering and we did today.