Millwall manager Alex Neil said there should be “no fear” as the race for promotion to the Championship heats up.
The Lions are the league’s surprise package, sitting third with four games remaining and could move into second with a live win over QPR on Saturday lunchtime. Sky Sports+Ipswich take on Middlesbrough on Sunday.
They will also secure a play-off spot if they win and Wrexham fail to beat Stoke.
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However, Millwall have had a rollercoaster ride in recent weeks and a win at promotion rivals Middlesbrough saw them climb into the automatic promotion places for the first time. A subsequent loss at home to Norwich and a draw at West Brom saw Ipswich take the lead in the chase to join Coventry in the top two.
But there was another twist on Tuesday as Ipswich surprisingly lost to Portsmouth ahead of the game.
Neil said this was “an outcome open to everyone”. But he urges Millwall’s players not to be overwhelmed by the pressure and instead enjoy the situation. Because the club finished last in the 2002 Championship play-offs.
When asked what his message was to the players, Neil said: “You never know when this opportunity will come around again. Don’t be a passenger and just let it pass you by.” “Enjoy every moment and do your best.
“From our perspective, we have to be fearless. We have to accept the situation, give it everything we have and see where it takes us.”
Tensions are the focus of the Premier League as Arsenal look to win their first title in 20 years, with Neil admitting some “nervousness” crept into his side’s performance at the Hawthorns last week.
Neil, who guided Norwich and Sunderland to promotion to the play-offs, said of the mental strength needed to get over the line: “Keeping your cool while maintaining your nerves when it matters most can decide the big moments of the game, and it’s never more important than at the end of a season when you need to find a way to be efficient and win.”
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Sky Bet Championship match highlights between West Brom and Millwall
While there is debate among the Millwall fan base over whether they should achieve automatic promotion or settle for the play-offs, Neil is keen to keep the club’s position in context, saying his side “gave Millwall fans one of their best seasons in decades”.
“If you told someone at the start of the season that we were going to make the playoffs, everyone would be buzzing,” he said. Because that was a goal we had been trying to achieve for the club for a long time.
“Now, does that mean we’re happy with that? Absolutely not. And I think we need to get some perspective on things here.
“Do we want to automatically go up? Absolutely. Who wouldn’t?
“But will we be disappointed with the playoffs? Absolutely not, 100 per cent, because it gives us a chance to see how far we can go and hopefully we can put in a strong performance against the corners and win more games.
“So as far as we’re concerned, we’re in a really good position.”
