Nathan Jones says Millwall are “severe rivals” to Luton’s play-off ambitions as he looks to mastermind a Championship double over the Lions and strengthen the Hatters’ promotion push.
Town sat in third place until Huddersfield beat Hull last night to leapfrog them, but the Bedfordshire side still have a four-point cushion on Middlesbrough at the top of the the chasing pack.
Millwall sit in tenth, just six points behind Luton, and manager Jones knows they pose a threat.
“Millwall are a very good Championship side,” he said, adding: “They have a really experienced manager, experience right throughout the side, real tough game every time you play home and away against Millwall, we know that.
“I haven’t looked in depth at the league but they are definite play-off candidates absolutely. Anyone below that I don’t know, but we’re looking at those as severe rivals to what we want to achieve.”
With eight games of the season left, Town have two matches in hand over third-placed Huddersfield and they still have to play the Terriers. They will move ahead of them with a victory over Millwall, which would be their first league double over the Lions since 1973/74, having beaten them 2-0 in October.
Jones said: “It’s Millwall, it’s as tough a game as can be. We absolutely know that. But it’s at our place and we’re a good side as well, we believe. So I know Gary (Rowett – Millwall manager) will be feeling exactly the same as I am.”
Luton go into the clash as on of the form teams in the Championship and Jones said: “We do three things really, really well. We work hard and that’s a given. We keep clean sheets and we’re the best in the league at keeping clean sheets (with 16). And we also score goals. We’re in the top three in the league for scoring goals (56) and chances created.
“If we continue along those lines and do the basics well, stay humble, stay focused and keep doing what we’ve done, then there’s every chance that we could achieve something. That’s what’s got us to where we are.
“If we suddenly think we’re something different and change, and start being a little bit more arrogant, not confident, but arrogant in certain stuff, then we’ll come unstuck because we’re not that type of team.
“We do the basics very well. The three most important things in football we do very well.”
