Millwall midfielder Shaun Williams believes his side are always at their best when Leeds United visit.
The Lions have had a poor start to the season, which resulted in long-serving boss Neil Harris walking away from the dugout just two days before the visit of Marcelo Bielsa’s Whites.
Leeds don’t have the best record at the New Den in recent years, losing in five of the last six visits, drawing the other. They lost won there with Neil Warnock in charge, back in 2012, winning 1-0 while a young Harry Kane turned out for Millwall on loan from Tottenham.
The latest instance of a poor result the 2-1 defeat before the international break, in a match which changed when Gaetano Berardi was incorrectly sent off after 14 minutes - a red card that was rescinded after appeal on Monday.
Caretaker coach Adam Barrett took charge of the game, but Williams said he thought it didn’t matter who was in charge because Millwall always gear themselves up for meetings with Leeds.
“He’s been here for a while and knows how the manager and Livers [David Livermore, assistant boss] worked,” said the 32-year-old, per London News Online .
“He didn’t really change too much.
“I think I could’ve managed us against Leeds at the weekend – it kind of speaks for itself. We probably would have won if the gaffer was still here as well. Just because of our record against Leeds at home and what it means to the fans as well.
“I’m not saying it was an easy one for Ads to take, but it was set in stone that we’d perform. We were at them from the off. The [early] goal and the sending off helped."
He also revealed that Leeds had the ability to dictate the tempo of the game in the second half despite the one man disadvantage, with one particularly telling quote that illustrated what the fitness demands, pressing and passing style implemented by Bielsa has brought to Leeds.
United came away with 68% possession despite playing with ten men for 75 minutes, with Millwall happen to play their natural game and defend their lead with a deep-lying block and men behind the ball.
“In the second half it felt like they had about 13 players – because of the possession they kept,” he said. “But that’s fine – you can keep all that because it is goals that are needed.
“Bart [Bialkowski, goalkeeper] wasn’t too troubled.”
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