Jackett proves that nice guys can win

13 April 2012

Alan Pardew was joking but, as with all the best lines, there was gravity underpinning the humour. "Kenny Jackett is too nice to be in charge of Millwall," he said, when quizzed on the Welshman's remarkable achievement in leading the Lions to the higher echelons of League One.

"He's just a lovely fella," said Neil Harris, Millwall's longest-serving player. "You
won't find anyone with a bad word to say about him."

But nice guys are not supposed to work for Millwall. This is the club of Burberry and rough 'n' tumble Bermondsey, of frosty receptions on Cold Blow Lane and whose official anthem, Let 'em come', sounds like an invitation to step outside to settle differences. Dennis Wise might have been born to manage Millwall but Jackett?

"You can only be yourself, I suppose," he said, laughing. "I could never be a sergeant-major. I like to think I'm approachable but I'm also a professional person and do the job as well as I can."

Nobody at Millwall would quibble with that. It is why Watford have put him on their shortlist to make a return to manage the club where he made more than 400 appearances and had a spell in charge 12 years ago.

Millwall make the short trip to Leyton Orient on Saturday knowing a win could take them top of the table and it says everything for the club's progress that their 2,700-strong travelling army expects them to do just that.

These are dizzying times at The Den, the memory of last season's struggles banished by Jackett's class of 2008.

This is a vibrant side boasting skill, speed and fortitude in abundance: Dave Martin and Lewis Grabban, both discarded by local rivals Crystal Palace, have been revelations, contributing 10 goals between them; defensive lynchpin Zak Whitbread is attracting interest from West Brom and loan signings have been integrated without the team missing a beat. Yet Millwall's makeover extends far beyond their football. Off the field, there have been changes. Suddenly, as if inspired by their side's feel-good style of play, fans are making The Den a place of smiles, not scowls.

"It's time for the club's image to change because it's a false image," Jackett said. "We're extremely professional in everything we do now, there's a strong community feeling and the supporters' behaviour has been excellent.

"It might sound insignificant but we played Leeds at home recently and it was a big thing to have the game kicking off at 3pm on Saturday. In the past, it might well have been moved but we wanted to take on that challenge, to show we have changed."

Millwall's transformation may yet extend to becoming a Championship club once again, although much depends on whether Jackett stays.

The 46-year-old has a strong managerial pedigree, having worked with two former England bosses — Graham Taylor at Watford and Sven-Goran Eriksson at Manchester City — but says he's just grateful to have been handed the chance to revitalise Millwall. "When you're a manager, you can't be thinking of where you might be in five years or even one year," said Jackett.

"You have to focus on the short term. I've enjoyed every job I've had in management and so long as I'm still in this game a few years down the line, I'll be happy."

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Jackett proves that nice guys can win

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