PRESS CONFERENCE: NEIL HARRIS AHEAD OF MILLWALL GAME

What's given Cardiff City's Neil Harris a 'better idea' of January plans as he talks Millwall reunion and racism in football
By Glen Williams

The Bluebirds boss is busy preparing for the arrival of his former club on Boxing Day


Neil Harris says he has a "better idea" of his January transfer plan as he continues to give Cardiff City players game-time in the Championship.

The manager has previously conceded that the Bluebirds squad is too bloated and that outgoings were probable next month.

He says now that he knows more about his squad, the picture is becoming clearer.


Ahead of his reunion with former club Millwall on Boxing Day, he said: "I'm building the picture all the time. The demeanour, body language around the training ground, just building the bigger picture. I’ve got a lot better idea.

"I’ve used some players in games to give them an opportunity as well. While doing that not affecting performances and results.

"If you don’t give people an opportunity you’re never going to learn about them.

"Over the course over the next four games you will see an array of players playing, quick turnaround and the injuries we pick up."

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Alan Harrington passes away

Former Cardiff City and Wales defender Alan Harrington has sadly passed away at the age of 86.

He spent his entire career with the Bluebirds and played over 400 games between 1951-56.

Our thoughts go to Alan’s family and friends at this time.

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A marker laid down

Millwall’s Shaun Hutchinson wants the Lions to bounce back at Cardiff after defeat to Barnsley last time out.

He said: “I’m looking forward to it - I look forward to every game, to be honest. With the way the away form has been of late, we don’t fear anyone at the moment. We know that we can go and put in a performance.

“He’ll [Neil Harris] know all of our strengths and weaknesses and he’ll set up a team to get three points. It’s up to us to go there and get on the front foot.

“We’ve probably put more pressure on ourselves now with not winning at home [on Saturday], so we need to go there and try to rectify that. We need to get as many points as we can.”

The gaffer is here... and we’ll be under way shortly

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Players responded?

Good couple of days. Let players recover. Against Preston, I spoke quite honestly about that.

"Players have been great, had some good messages this morning. We were short with the ball on the weekend, short of quality on the ball. It’s not just about the player on the ball, but the players around them. Not spoken to individuals. There’s a time for that. But at the moment it’s about concentrating on us as a group. Some of our passages of play without penetrating the opposition were brilliant. Marlon and Leo trying to get on the ball, they are good at that but not used to doing it recently."

Spoken to Millwall?

"Staff and players I know very well there. It’s a team that’s done very well since Gary (Rowett) has gone in there. We need to match the energy and work rate on Thursday"

Personally, for you?

"I’m really looking forward to it. Gary’s taken over but he’s a mate of mine and a good manager. I know a lot of his staff personally, but I’m really looking forward to it.

I look forward to that challenge. It’s an extremely difficult game and hard to break them down. We have to try and penetrate them and use the ball better than what we did against Preston."

Used knowledge to help?

"My knowledge of the players (will help). I’ve got a very talented group of players here at Cardiff but I’m working to make it better. It just happens to be Millwall"

Injuries?

"Benno, there is an outside chance. Joe Ralls will be out for a few weeks, FA Cup will probably be too soon. Possibly Swansea game?"

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Jazz Richards?

"Confident in the fact that Jazz is a quality player with huge experience. He’s not played a huge amount of games for his age because of his injuries. But he wants to make up for lost time. The challenge for me is to keep him out of the treatment room and get the best out of him."

Transfer window opening soon...

"Lots of discussions behind the scenes. It’s not right to talk about January at the moment because we have three big games"

Beating teams around you?

"It’s important to try and win every game as we know. It’s so tight. We just got to keep grinding out the results and display improvement with and without the ball. It was a great learning curve over the weekend and knocked me down a peg. I have to be patient with my players"

Racism/poor behaviour…

"We’ve not been in that position since I have been in charge. It’s a cultural and societal thing and is horrible, disgusting. There is no place for it in our industry that we love. Football authorities need to act strongly. Everyone needs to tackle and eradicate it. The harshest possible sentences to those who found guilty. So much work has been done. At Millwall I was proud there as a manager to see what the club did behind the scenes. We need to show in unison that it won’t be tolerated. We back all our players and supporters have a big part to play in that too."

Cardiff/Millwall, high tensions etc…

"Hard-fought games, competitive sides by nature. Teams that want to win and go toe to toe. I played in some real blood and thunder games. Will it be that aggressive? I’m not sure.

"There is a rivalry on the terraces, vocally. I loved playing Boxing Day fixtures. Get out of the house and get away from the TV and chocolates"

Expectations?

"It’s down to the media to make more out of me being the old manager. Does it mean I want to win the game any more than normal? I don’t know about any more than normal. I want to win the game because I’m a competitive person. There’s an added incentive to the game from everyone looking in. There’s inside knowledge for both sides but I’m really looking forward to it."

A point from each of the last two games?

"I don’t do social media, what I say is we’ve played four really good sides, that have all been in the top five or six. They’ve been better than us on occasions but we’ve shown the capability to compete and come back into the games. Was the performance at Leeds good enough? Well, we scored three goals at Elland Road so well take that result.

Preston at times looked a lot more fluid than us. But I saw things I liked and didn’t like.

I’d have liked a better performance against Preston."

Last-chance saloon for a few players?

"Players always get judged by manager, peers in the changing room, media and the fan base. They’ll get judged every time. But I wouldn’t put my players under that pressure to say last-chance saloon. They should be trying to impress me every day."

Jazz ready to go again?

"He will be come Thursday if called upon. It’s been a while since he’s played 90 minutes and had a run of games. Expecting him to get up and go for a 10-mile jog, he won’t be on the radar. Mentally, for him, it was good for him to get through the 90 minutes. I could have taken him off to protect him but I wanted to leave him out there and come in with a clean sheet"

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Josh Murphy jeered - what did you say to him?

"I didn’t speak to him immediately afterwards. I was too engrossed in substitutions and getting messages on to the field to notice at the time.

It’s been brought to my attention and now I know. It’s never nice for an individual player or for us as a group.

You want everyone to be happy and loved and that feeling that everyone is there together.

But I also understand it from a fans’ perspective what they want to see from their players.

Murphy is a really good player, as we know. He’s come with a huge price tag and I’ve not seen the best of him in my five weeks in charge.

Before that, I can’t really speak but I’ll take it from the reaction that the fans haven’t seen the best of him either.

Is he a really good player? I think we all know the answer to that, he is. It’s down to me to get the best out of him and nurture that talent.

He’s a player that’s best with the ball on the floor, at his feet. So maybe he’s not had the best opportunities to show his qualities and we are trying to change that.

But also, as a player, you have to earn the right to be in the manager’s team. I gave Murphy an opportunity at the weekend and it wasn’t the strongest team performance for him to shine."

Jed Wallace wants to ruin your Christmas?

"He said it to me a couple of weeks ago. He’s a bubbly character, a lively character and a really good lad. He’s had a very good season. Like I have had here, you need to build those relationships in the modern game because that’s when people are at their best. When they feel trusted and respect and supported. He’s a player I had a good relationship with and he wished me all the best in my decision to come to Cardiff. But then he wants to ruin my Christmas by playing well! I certainly hope that’s not the case"

Used 21 players - do you have a very good idea of the players you want after January?

"It’s getting there. I’m building the picture all the time. The demeanour, body language around the training ground, just building the bigger picture. I’ve got a lot better idea.

I’ve used some players in games to give them an opportunity as well. While doing that not affecting performances and results.

If you don’t give people an opportunity you’re never going to learn about them.

Over the course over the next four games you will see an array of players playing, quick turnaround and the injuries we pick up.

Then after that you will see a lot more of a settled group and that’s when the window’s open and people come and see me about maybe wanting to leave, so I’ll have more of an idea then."

Tough conversations?

"All the time. I’m an honest manager and that’s the only way to manage because players respect that. They might not always agree! But you have to be honest.

You get another feel from people how they react. But moving forward, more tough conversations. When I drop people for bad performances they are tough conversations. They are just honest, good conversations to have."

Junior ready?

"We are hoping he will be training tomorrow, he’s got through some fitness work today. Will Boxing Day come too soon? Not sure, just the nature of a hamstring injury, you have to be careful."

Under-23s appointment latest?

"Not close at the moment. Application date has finished and is being looked at by the club. It’ll be rounded down to the next process then people will be contacted about coming in."

Thanks Chris