8:50am Monday 8th March 2010
By Sunni Upal
FRAZER Richardson is challenging his Charlton team-mates to keep their composure and win the big derby against Millwall on Saturday.
The Addicks visit The Den for the first time in a league meeting since the 1995/96 campaign but Richardson knows the ground better than most having played there for Leeds in the previous two seasons.
He said: “It can be deafening at The Den, as I remember from last season with Leeds when their fans were really up for it.
“Intimidation is all in the mind and I think we’ve got enough big characters in the team to not let it get to us. “I think it’s very important that we go into it with cool heads because it’s very easy to get carried away with the crowd and the atmosphere.
“There are going to be strong tackles but you get them in every game, so it’s very important just to get on with it and keep calm and do the things we want to do.
“Millwall are a hard team to play against.
“They’re very organised and good from set-pieces but we’re not looking for a draw, we’re going there to win.”
Richardson’s former club Leeds played Millwall in the League One play-offs last season and the defender is determined his new side will not be involved in the end of season lottery come May.
He said: “I can’t stress how much I want that second place having been in the play-offs a few times but if it has to be the play-offs, then we will do what we can to get through.
“A lot of teams struggle at the end of the season because there is so much pressure on every game to get three points and there are four or five teams in that situation at the moment.
“Norwich seem to be running away with it but there’s still second place to fight for and as long as we keep winning, we should be there or thereabouts.”
Charlton have sold out their allocation for the derby match on Saturday and the travelling fans will be hoping the bragging rights come home to SE7.
Richardson said: “It will be a good test for us to go away from home and pick up another three points, which is what we will be looking to do.
“There are 11 games left now, so it’s important we get as many points on the board as possible.
“We all want to play well for ourselves and the fans but it’s the three points which count.”
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