Millwall boss Neil Harris says he is burdening the pressure of keeping his club in the Championship ahead of a crucial match against Blackburn Rovers.
The Lions' all-time record goal-scorer returned to The Den 10 days ago after Joe Edwards was dismissed following a poor run of form. Harris held the post for four years previously, leaving in 2019.
The response has been timely with back-to-back wins against Southampton and Watford which has moved Millwall behind Rovers on goals scored in the Championship table.
With two points separating seven teams, the battle for survival is as tense as ever. Ahead of a trip to Ewood Park this midweek, Harris insists he is trying to relieve the burden of staying up on his players.
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“I think they are taking responsibility but I’m trying to take the pressure off them and put it on my shoulders," Harris said on the relegation battle.
“I can take it. I pick the team and I ask the players to play in a way. Yes, I’d like them to handle the ball a little bit better at times – I can’t go on and kick it for them.
“But it is on me now, yeah? And I’m not shirking that. I haven’t got a transfer window or Tom Bradshaw for a period of time. I can’t sign any players. A lot of them are not my players (that he signed).
"I’ll take responsibility for the football club and I’ll help the guys above me running the football club – because I know what it takes here.
“I want the players to just be the best they individually can. And if they are good enough? Brilliant. And if they aren’t good enough then we’ll take responsibility for it.
“But at the moment they are showing their character and spirit. That’s all I’m asking. I’m giving them a lot of tactical information at the moment and we just have to be really careful we don’t overload them.
“So we’ve done a load without the ball. We can control that. With the ball, they have to make their own decisions at times and that’s where we have to help them with that as well.”
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