CHERRIES manager Eddie Howe anticipates Millwall will be “a tough nut to crack” as rival boss Ian Holloway continues to make his mark on the Lions.

Howe told the Daily Echo: “Whenever you play Millwall, you know they are going to be combative and very committed and this Millwall side is no different.

“We have had some great tussles with them down the years and Ian Holloway is a manager who gets his teams to play good football and is beginning to implement his philosophy there.

“He has good experience at this level and has had success in the Championship. Not many people have two promotions from this division on their CV and those were real achievements. I am sure he will be looking to do the same with Millwall. I expect them to be a tough nut to crack.

“We never veer from our philosophy. I have always said there are certain tweaks you can make for certain teams but the principles never change and that will certainly be the case.

“We will be looking to impose ourselves on them and trying to get our passing game going, as we did against Ipswich. If we can match most of the elements of that performance then I think we would have a very good chance.”