Boss warns against complacency

Boss warns against complacency

Published Mar. 7, 2013 1:15 p.m. ET

Millwall striker Benik Afobe has gone back to Arsenal after his loan spell was cut short by a serious knee injury.

The 20-year-old will require surgery after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Tuesday night's defeat by Wolves.

Afobe made five appearances for Millwall after making the switch to south London last month on a deal until the end of the season.

A Lions statement read: "Everybody at Millwall FC would like to wish Benik a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him back in action as soon as possible."

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Millwall boss Kenny Jackett this week also lost winger James Henry for the rest of the season due to a knee injury.

The Shakers are under a transfer embargo for the second time this season after being forced to apply for a loan from the Professional Footballers' Association to pay players' wages.

And ahead of Saturday's clash with fellow League One relegation candidates Portsmouth, Blackwell revealed that trying financial times at Gigg Lane mean some of those figures amount to very little indeed.

"This is what people have got to get their heads around - I'm asking players to commit themselves to Bury football club, into tackles and whatever, and if they get injured they've got nowhere to go," he said.

"I had one or two letters from people saying 'these players get well paid'. Let me tell you, there was a lot of players here getting paid nothing and then some are paid £100 and £200 a week.

"You get more than that on the dole. They've shown their pride - they're not going to sign on the dole, they want to give it a go. They want to get their careers back on line.

"There's six or seven players who'll go to Portsmouth at the weekend earning less than the minimum wage and yet they're giving everything they've got for the club."

Despite the 4-0 defeat at leaders Manchester United last weekend, results elsewhere were not damaging as the Canaries retained an eight-point cushion over the bottom three.

However, should Norwich - who have recorded just one victory in the previous 11 league games - get beaten at home by 16th-placed Southampton on Saturday, that safety barrier could soon start to erode.

"It has been shown by QPR's win (last week) and Reading had also recently been on their best run of the season, that what you have is a group of teams around us and below us which can all win games", said Hughton.

"You only have to have one of them put a run together, which they are all capable of doing. Can you afford to relax? Absolutely you can't.

"There are too many stories, even in recent seasons, of clubs which have been in good positions that eventually have gone down."

Hughton added: "When you are playing against teams around where you are in the league, they are games you do not want to lose.

"We have 10 games left and we need to make sure we get the required points from those in whatever fashion we do it.

"It is quite obvious there are averages over the season, most look at the 40 point mark, but there are going to be seasons where it is higher than that, and also lower than that.

"First and foremost though, it is about getting points in the next game."

Norwich, who went on an superb 11-match unbeaten league run earlier in the campaign, have scored just 27 league goals, one of the lowest in the top flight and shipped 45 - including several heavy defeats, being hit for five home and away by Liverpool.

Hughton accepts finding that happy medium is perhaps his toughest challenge.

"We would like to be scoring more goals, and that would hopefully guarantee you more wins, but for us it is about getting the balances in the team, which means being hard to play against," he said.

"We have to be competitive first, which will then give us a chance to win matches."

Hughton added: "Southampton's recent performances have been very good, even if the results have not been what they would have liked, so we have to prepare ourselves for a team who have a lot of offensive options, and aggression in the way they play.

"If the warning signs are there, it is because of their recent away performances, so we have to be guarded against that."

Hughton revealed fringe midfielder Andrew Surman - who last featured in the FA Cup defeat against Luton on January 26 - was likely to be sidelined for the rest of the campaign after surgery on his knee problem.

"It is a small ligament operation, which will keep him out probably for the season, but we will assess that when we see how he recovers," Hughton said.

Norway international midfielder Alex Tettey (knee) also remains out, as does England goalkeeper John Ruddy, who continues his rehabilitation from a thigh surgery.

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