Ian Holloway has praised the swift impact of his new arrivals.

Millwall played with five of their winter window signings against Reading, with new winger Paris Cowan-Hall coming off the bench at half-time, and Holloway is hoping the spirit his new-looks Lions will enable the Lions to stave off the threat of relegation, but they are along way from being where they need to be.

“The little Italian was smiling for ear to ear afterwards,” Holloway said. “Somebody said ‘buy him’. He cost the Pozzo family €4million, I don’t know we can do that yet but I want to make him believe. 

“He’s a really good player I want to get him fitter. Paris is going to be fine, and I was delighted when (Alan) Dunne came on. It was vital he came on. It was vital what he did, and I'm having that.

“I want to try and build a team that I'm proud of. Things have been going too poorly. Who's going to believe? I always do and I always will. 

“Someone used the word 'relief'. If you're a manager and you can't be relieved, you should believe all the time and I'm pleased for them that they showed that. 

“The other day I was horrified because we capitulated and that’s a lack of confidence and that’s a lack of team spirit and togetherness, and it was horrendous. 'If I was the only one to buy a raffle ticket I would still lose'. 

"I believe that spirit we displayed will see out fans go home with renewed hope and it isn't all doom and gloom.

“We are nowhere near I want us to be, I've got so many things to do with a brand new group, but I need to do it.”

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