NEIL Harris admitted he was “extremely envious” of some of the talent Leeds United had at their disposal following Millwall’s loss at Elland Road.
Wilfried Gnonto and Dan James did the damage in an impressive Leeds display that sent them top of the Championship.
Having recently spent three seasons in the Premier League, Leeds have been able to splash the cash with their record signing, Georginio Rutter, costing £36m.
The Frenchman was among Leeds’ most impressive performers on a warm afternoon at Elland Road and Harris reflected on the gulf between the two clubs’ resources after the game.
He said: “You have to stay in games, you have to be hard to beat. You look at Leeds’ line-up and their bench – I’m extremely envious of that. That’s a Premier League club in waiting again and ultimately a football club that should be in the Premier League.
“They’ve got the resources to be able to do it and will do it this year, in my opinion. We had to stay in the game, we had to be disciplined. And I think that’s my only disappointment, the manner of the goals we conceded. When they cut through us and play really well, it’s hard to stop that. The best teams don’t stop Leeds doing that.
The match saw a couple of flashpoints with Jake Cooper in particularly clashing with some Leeds players and earning a booking after a wrestling match with Wilfried Gnonto.
On the moments, Harris said: “You wouldn’t expect anything different, would you? I don’t need to comment on the individual moments… I’ll just pretend I didn’t see any of it.
“No gripes from me from any decision-making from the referee at all.”
Matija Sarkic was also important in keeping Millwall in the game, pulling off a wonderful one-handed save to deny Crysencio Summerville in the first half before a double save to keep out Rutter after half-time.
On his goalkeeper, Harris said: “When you come to Elland Road, you need your goalkeeper to make saves. At St Mary’s he made a great one in the last minute to win us the game and today he made some key ones as well and I thought we made some good blocks and last-ditch challenges. Another strong performance from Matty.”
The Lions’ manager Harris acknowledged the challenges his team faced against a formidable Leeds side but also highlighted the positive aspects of their performance, particularly the resilience shown by their goalkeeper, Sarkic. Despite the defeat, he remained focused on the areas where his team could improve and praised their defensive efforts throughout the match.