Wise hauled in after attack on board

14 April 2012

Milwall chairman Theo Paphitis will hold talks with Dennis Wise today after the player-manager's latest attack on the club's board.

There is increasing frustration within the club's hierarchy at Wise's criticism of the incoming chairman Jeff Burnige, but he appears to have overstepped the mark with his remarks yesterday. "I have seen the comments and I will catch up with Dennis later today to discuss them," Paphitis said.

Wise claimed after the 3-0 victory over Plymouth yesterday that Millwall would be secure in a play-off position if the board had backed his attempts to bring in loan signings. The Millwall manager added that the club's new strategy, which he described as "cutting things and not going for it", was responsible for derailing their promotion bid.

"I don't think certain people believed in me enough and I think that the way that things have gone is disappointing," said Wise, whose team are 10th in the Championship and three points adrift of the playoffs. "I think that nine games ago if they had given me a chance I am a firm believer that we would be tucked in nicely where Preston are, with six or seven points more.

"I think the strategy of the club when it actually changed was not good timing for us as a team and it upset us for a certain amount of time and that's the disappointing thing about it. I think it was a wrong time. At the end of the season would have been better. If I could have had a few more players we would have been in there [the play-offs].

"We believe we have a chance but there's times when you need help and nine games ago I had an awful lot of people out and an awful lot of people missing and that was the time. We will only see at the end of the season, or over the next four or five games, whether it's a missed opportunity or not."

Both Paphitis and Burnige have remained silent. However, the Millwall manager's latest remarks are likely to prompt a response. "I might have put my foot in it but so be it," Wise said. "I can't keep quiet for much longer. I just feel it's inside me at the present moment and it needs to come out because they have worked so hard, these lads, and they know that we are not far away but also they all know that we need a helping hand and they know that at the time that we needed it we didn't get too much."

Wise, though, claims there is nothing to be gained from voicing his frustrations to the Millwall board. "There's not much to discuss - the time's gone, nine games ago was the time. There are not the players out there to get and not on the money that we wish to try and give them."

Millwall's victory over Plymouth at the Den was their first home win since Boxing Day. Then, like yesterday, Barry Hayles and Danny Dichio were among the scorers. Peter Sweeney netted the other goal.

Wise hauled in after attack on board

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