Millwall manager Neil Harris says being underdogs in FA Cup tie against Tottenham suits them
Thursday 9 March 2017 17:17, UK
Neil Harris has told the EFL Weekly Podcast that being the underdogs in the FA Cup tie against Tottenham will suit Millwall.
The Lions manager has masterminded the team's path to the quarter-finals, having beaten the likes of Bournemouth, Watford and Leicester on their way to the last eight.
The south London side could not be heading into the fixture in better form, currently on a run of 17 games unbeaten in all competitions - their best since the 1985/86 season - with nine clean sheets kept in their last 10 matches.
But they also face a Spurs side who have not lost a domestic home game this season, with Harris believing that Millwall's 'underdog' status will play to their advantage. Although he concedes it will be a tough ask against their in-form Premier League opponents.
"We've got a great bunch of players and they get on really well on and off the pitch. There is a real spirit amongst the group, pretty much what you would expect from a Millwall side," the Lions boss told the EFL Weekly Podcast.
"We'll certainly take that spirit and togetherness into the weekend when there will be difficult moments in the game for us. As a club, we've had our backs to the wall sometimes and we've always come out fighting.
"Being the underdog is certainly suited to us on Sunday and who knows - that's the beauty of the FA Cup, who knows what could be achieved.
"We've had tough ties in rounds gone by and we've earned the right to go up against one of the best teams in the country at the moment. We're really looking forward to it.
"We've embraced this competition since round one and we're certainly looking to go and compete against Spurs and to try and impose ourselves on them.
"All due respect to the guys we have played already, I think this takes us to another level. We've been at The Den for each game which has been an advantage and going to Spurs in their back yard certainly makes things a bit more difficult.
"There's also the form that Spurs are in. They have a terrific home record and are in terrific form at the moment with a really talented bunch of players."
Indeed, one of Tottenham's star men Harry Kane is a former Millwall loanee, spending half a season at The Den in 2012, with Harris sure that the north London side will field a full-strength team.
"We expect the big guns to play, it's a competition that Tottenham are certainly looking to win. They certainly won't want to take any chances against us because of our previous results," he added.
"Kane as an individual is difficult to stop, but it isn't just about stopping Kane, it's about stopping the supply to him and stopping Tottenham's strengths. If you do stop Kane, which is a difficult task, then there are three or four other individuals you have to worry about.
"Do we want to play a full strength Spurs side? In some ways, yes, because you are in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup and you want to pit yourself against the best.
"There's no doubt that if Spurs put out a full strength side and are at it, it could be a difficult afternoon for us and a difficult challenge but it is one we are looking forward to.
"If they underestimate us and weaken the side then maybe it gives more of a glimmer of an opportunity. Either way, whatever side Spurs put out, it will be an extremely talented side."
Millwall are just two games away from an FA Cup final at Wembley - a fixture that Harris himself played in during the 2004 season against Manchester United - with the manager taking inspiration from the efforts of other lower league sides in the competition.
"We are only two fixtures away but the reality is we are playing against really difficult opponent and then what could await us in the semi-final," he said.
"I'm really proud of my players for all we have achieved in the competition so far, but we do know that this is the cup of dreams and our inspiration is taken from ourselves in previous rounds and taken from Sutton and Lincoln at present.
"Are we going to win the competition? It's a tall order, it has been a tall order since round one but we are certainly enjoying it at the moment."
