Millen Seeks Crowd Backlash

Bristol City assistant manager Keith Millen believes that the R’s crowd will turn on their players if the visitors start well.

Millen may well take charge of the Boxing Day clash between Rangers and the Robins of Gary Johnson doesn’t recover from a bug in time.

In assessing the R’s Millen believed that while the hosts are a talented group of players, it will be up to City to come and turn a vociferous crowd against their players.

‘We know they’ve got a lot of good players there,’ Millen told bcfc.co.uk

‘A lot of talented individuals who on their day can be match-winners, so we’ve got to deal with them. But we want to go there and be more of a threat ourselves going forward.

‘They’ve got a decent record at home, they’ve had a few draws this year. I think they’re a crowd that will get on their backs if they’re not doing well at the beginning, so I think it’ll be important that we start well.

‘It’s a tough place to go, it’ll be a decent crowd, and it’s quite close to the pitch and it’s right on you as an atmosphere. We’ve got to look forward to going there and try to win the game.’

City will need to over-turn a winless run at Loftus Road dating back to March 1977 when Tom Ritchie struck the winner as the Robins narrowly avoided top flight relegation.

Several years and several managers later Rangers now have former Portsmouth man Paul Hart at the helm and Millen doesn’t expect him to change too much for Boxing Day.

‘Normally it’s a positive, normally the players are trying to impress a new manager to get in the team,’ he said.

‘They had a draw at home with Sheffield United in his first game in charge and he said he was pleased with them.

‘I wouldn’t have thought he wanted to change too much, but you don’t really know what the manager’s ideal shape is until he’s been there for a few games.’




Have your say on The Forum

Follow us on Twitter