Millwall boss indicates fatigue has nothing to do with late goals conceded

Posted on May 6, 2019 in Millwall

Millwall boss Neil Harris has said that the team’s downfall in the closing stages of matches have nothing to do with fitness concerns. The south London side recently shipped their 17th goal after the 80th minute of Championship games and that cost them a point during a hard-fought encounter against Leeds United.

Speaking after the 2-1 defeat, Harris indicated that fatigue should not hamper the performances towards the end, but one can attribute the mental strength towards the outcome, he said: “It certainly shouldn’t be fatigue but whether it’s tired minds, that’s different. It won’t be tired legs, sports science plays a huge part at our football club as it does across world football these days. “We know where the players are at stats-wise, minutes-wise, training-wise. It’s not fatigue in the legs. How do you define human error in any industry? We gave a poor second goal away, even if you have to give credit to Leeds and the way they play.”

Millwall conceded their 17th goal after the 80th minute of the season this term, and this has constituted nearly 30 percent of the tally. Moreover, the Capital outfit have lost 15 points through the process, and that could come to haunt them as they make the push to beat the Championship drop at the end of the season.

Harris’ team are currently just one point ahead of the drop zone but they have an additional game in hand when compared to the bottom three. Other than this, they have the home advantage with five of the remaining eight matches at the Den, and that could make or break their prospects of remaining in the second tier for next season.

Millwall face West Bromwich Albion at the Den this weekend where they will be eyeing their maiden home win since the turn of the year. The Lions have bagged just two points from the previous five matches in their homeground.