The Andy Lochhead column

IF EVER there was a right time to play Millwall, then it's now.

The FA Cup defeat will still be smarting and there's nothing motivates you more than coming up against a side again that has just turned you over.

But more than that, the Lions will probably be more like pussycats tomorrow as they have their minds set on bigger things.

It could have been Burnley looking forward to a quarter final tie at home to Tranmere in eight days time, but thanks to Daniele Dichio, it's Millwall who now have the chance to make the last four.

The Londoners are in the middle of a winning streak right now and chasing a play-off place, but you can bet your life all the talk at the Den this week will be about the FA Cup and not the league.

Dennis Wise can try to keep his players minds on the job as much as he wants, but there's no doubt the players who come up against Burnley will not want to pick up any untimely injuries to rule them out of the Tranmere game.

I speak from experience because it was exactly the same in my day. Normally you would go into tackles 110 per cent committed, but dangle the carrot of a big game and I'm not ashamed to say that percentage drops sharply in the lead up.

It's a subconscious thing and it's only natural.

The other thing that is sure to be preying on Millwall minds is the money the club would make from reaching the semi-finals. It means a hell of a lot to a Nationwide League club, with all the TV coverage and media interest. Given the choice between three points over Burnley and beating Tranmere, I think I know which the chairman would pick!

Naturally, the manager will have other ideas and Wise himself will be up to his old tricks. He's seen it all and done it all before and the FA cup won't distract him for a second. However, I don't think there will be any 'left-overs' from the fiery FA Cup tie, when Stan made me chuckle by saying Dennis had a nibble at everything and the dog.

Anything that happened that day was in the heat of the moment and this will be a totally different game.

The Burnley lads will know the Den is an intimidating place to go, but you don't let a few shouts from the crowd get to you once the match has started.

Whenever I played at Old Trafford, all I got for 90 minutes was abuse - something about being a bald bar steward - but if anything it just made me laugh. It's a man's game, after all.