No room for sentiment in play-off race, insists Cardiff boss Harris

NEIL Harris has insisted there is no room for sentimentality when it comes to the ferocious battle of the play-off race.

The manager’s former side Millwall, where he is considered a club legend for his exploits both as their record goalscorer and while in charge, are on Cardiff ’s coat-tails heading into the final two fixtures.

The Lions are just two points behind Harris’ City, but if there was any suggestion that the manager might be torn over wanting them to trip at the final hurdle, he has set the record straight.

When asked whether it might be tough to will his former side to lose in their fixture with QPR this weekend, Harris replied: “No. I’m Cardiff City manager, I want to win.

“I want to be a successful manager. I had a good career because I wanted to be a winner.

“To be involved in the game as long as we have, and managers a lot more experienced than me, they stay in it so long because of the winning mentality.

“Ultimately we all do it because we want to win. Me wanting Millwall to lose games? It’s not about Millwall losing games, it’s about my team getting more points than the teams behind us.

“I want more points than Millwall, I want more points than Swansea, not just because they are the team up the road and local bragging rights, it’s because I want to be successful and want sixth spot.”

Given the three-month footballing hiatus, it seems like forever ago since Harris took charge of the Bluebirds.

When he took the reins back in November, Cardiff were languishing in 14th place and the thought of a top-six spot seemed a long way off.

It’s not been a smooth ride at times, they certainly got in a rut of draws around the festive period, but they have emerged the other side stronger and have strung together an astonishing run of results when others have failed to do so.

But in those eight months, there are two matches in particular which stand out above all others during which Harris

believed he learnt more about his team than at any other time.

“Sometimes key moments come in adversity as well as success,” Harris said ahead of this weekend’s clash with Middlesbrough.

“Success, yes, you could say winning against Leeds, but coming from 3-0 down at Leeds and playing the last 20 minutes with 10 men. That’s key.

“We got beat 6-1 by QPR on New Year’s Day, I learned a lot about my team that day as well. Good and bad. The changing room afterwards and the following days... sometimes you have to look at both scenarios.

“You have to look at the good things and the bad things, how people respond. I’ve learnt a lot in my time here.

“I’ve made mistakes and it’s about not replicating those mistakes as often as you can.

“I tend to look forward more than back, so it’s about the next game. You always look at yourself, whether you picked the right formation or the right players to play in that formation.

“I have to take it on the chin if it’s me or if it’s the players then we’ll look at it.

But as soon as you finish one it’s about preparing for the next one.”

The next one, in this case, of course, is Middlesbrough away tomorrow afternoon.

If results go their way then a victory could ensure their place in the top six come the end of the weekend, allowing Harris and his team to breathe a little easier heading into that final fixture against Hull City.

But there is the small obstacle of Neil Warnock standing between Cardiff and another precious victory.

Boro have not won a game at home since Boxing Day, but when a team is scrapping for its life, all form goes out the window.

Warnock, of course, will have unrivalled knowledge of many of these players, having worked with the large majority of them for so long during his successful three-year tenure as City boss.

And Harris believes that probably will count for something come 3pm on Saturday, but has urged his team to impose themselves on the Teessiders this weekend.

“I think [familiarity] does come into play, because you know players,” Harris said.

“Neil would have watched us over the last seven months with real interest, just to see a side he has done well at. Like I watch Millwall and Southend and Cardiff and Forest, where I played. He’ll be aware of what we are trying to do here.

“We are a developing group and we are adjusting as we go along.

“We hope to pose a real threat to Boro on Saturday and we want to stand up strong to the physical element of the game, but we want to impose a bit of footballing style as well.”

Neil Warnock sent Harris a text message to wish him good luck when he took the Cardiff hot-seat back in November and the current Bluebirds boss said he reciprocated a few weeks ago when his predecessor got the job up at the Riverside.

If it’s one game he is not wishing him luck in, though, it’s tomorrow’s.

With a play-off spot and relegation on the line, no matter how romantic, there will be very little room for niceties.