Terrified Foxes just couldn’t handle our bear pit crows Morison
YOU have to be a man to play at Millwall. To stand up and be counted and be prepared to bear arms at one of the most intimidating fortresses in football.
For Ben Chilwell, the Leicester and England Under-21 left-back being linked with Arsenal, the Den became a bear pit he could not contend with and he was visibly affected.
Millwall striker Steve Morison, who saw just how the hostile atmosphere appeared to trouble Chilwell, said: “He started taking throw-ins and after a couple of bits of verbal from the fans he didn’t want to take them any more. He said his fingers hurt him and he asked his centre-half to take them after that. You either sink or swim when you come here.
“So far, three Premier League teams have come here, and they have all sunk. We spoke about it before the game, we wanted the fans to be hostile, we were hostile on the pitch.
“It wasn’t about knocking someone over, and then asking if they were OK, and
then picking them up. We are here to win a football match. If a team doesn’t want a physical battle then they have no chance.”
Other Leicester players never quite came to terms with a Millwall side whose passion was ignited by their tremendous support.
It spilled over at the final whistle with fans invading the pitch and hanging off the crossbar.
Police were called to deal with the situation, three fans were later arrested and referee Craig Pawson will include in his match report that objects where thrown by both sets of supporters. Shaun Cummings’ 90th minute winner kicked off the delirium, and it was another setback for Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri against a League One side who played for nearly an hour with 10 men following Jake Cooper’s dismissal.
Ranieri had gambled on making 10 changes to the line-up of the Premier League winners and then saw his new selections overawed, then outfought and finally showboating when they should have finished the chances they created.
Ranieri was honest enough to concede that Millwall wanted it more. Morison said: “I think we were better with 10 men, but, of the three Premier League teams we’ve played (they also beat Bournemouth and Watford), Leicester had the best game plan. For the first half an hour we couldn’t get anywhere near them.
“But we kept going because we are a proper team. Once you go down to 10 you are thinking ‘don’t concede’.
“We could have sat back and rolled over but we didn’t, we kept going, fighting with the crowd behind us and the atmosphere we have learned to rely on. We had one chance and we took it, and that’s what it’s about, winning matches. When Shaun broke through with the ball I was praying he’d score. I needn’t have worried. It was a super finish from the calmest man in the world.”
But Morison has noticed that young players coming to the Premier League are no longer fully equipped for the task of dealing with the pressure.
He said: “Football is changing, you saw it today.
“The centre-halves drop off and let midfielders go for the headers from goal-kicks because they don’t want a physical battle, that’s how it is changing. They come to us here and if they don’t want a physical battle they are going to come unstuck, because it is what we do, week in week out. I think its great.”
The Lions were also served well by goalkeeper Jordan Archer, who was again brilliant with key saves in both halves that ensured he was man of the match.
Manager Neil Harris said: “We were a little in awe of City to begin with, but going down to 10 seemed to galvanise the stadium and then the crowd galvanised us. Results like that just don’t happen and we’ve put together a great dressing room. It was another magnificent performance by my players and another great afternoon.”
On a personal note, it was a return to where it all began, my south London roots as my father played for Millwall just after the first world war. He also played for three other League clubs, including Leicester. The Den just seemed the right place to be.
MILLWALL (4-4-2): Archer; Cummings, Webster, Cooper, Craig; O’Brien (Gregory 79), Williams, Butcher (Abdou 75), Ferguson (Romeo 86); Morison, Onyedinma. Sent off: Cooper. Goal: Cummings 90. LEICESTER (4-3-3): Zieler; Amartey, Wague (Wasilewski 70), Benalouane, Chilwell; Musa, King, Mendy; Kapustka (Albrighton 64), Okazaki, Gray (Vardy 73). Booked: Zieler. Referee: C Pawson (South Yorkshire).