The M23 Derby, Old Firm Dreams and Neil Harris' Millwall Departure - Clinton Morrison Weekly Column
Will Jackson 
Popular pundit Clinton Morrison has joined up with the Freebets.com team this season to discuss the biggest games and talking points each week in the EFL.
The former Crystal Palace, Birmingham and Republic of Ireland striker will be giving his views and predictions on the pick of the matches each week, as well going over some of the hot topics in the football world.
This week Clinton discusses the M23 Derby due to take place on Sunday between Brighton and Crystal Palace, the Manchester Derby and Celtic v Rangers in the Scottish League Cup final, also on Sunday as well as Neil Harris' departure from Millwall.
Here's a full transcript of everything discussed this week.
Take advantage of Clinton's insight with our best football betting offers from our top football betting sites.
Content on this site will contain reference to products or services from one or more of our advertisers or partners. We may receive compensation when you view ads or click on links to those products or services.
The M23 Derby
Q: It's Brighton v Crystal Palace on Sunday - one of your former teams in their big derby of the season. It's not a rivalry many people know too much about, what were your experiences of playing in it?
When I was playing in it I didn’t really realise it was as big a derby as it is! I wouldn’t say it is up there as one of the big rivalries in the country, but the fans definitely buy into it and it does create a good atmosphere in the ground.
They call it the M23 Derby but no one really knows why it’s a thing, but the fans are proper up for it which gets the juices flowing.
Don't get me wrong, it's a big game and I remember that but you never got the feeling it was as big on the pitch as it is off it.
We played them a couple of times in the Championship and I remember we scored a really late goal to win 3-2 in one of them, which was class
Q: So you wouldn't have it down as one of the big rivalries?
It will be a good game and an entertaining one, but having played in games like Aston Villa v Birmingham, Sheffield Untied v Sheffield Wednesday, they're massive, massive games against local rivals and it doesn’t compare with those games.
Whenever bragging rights are at stake the players do get into it but I wouldn’t say there was the same niggle in it as there are with some of these other massive games.
Q: What sort of game are you expecting?
It will be a tough game for Palace, but they are in decent form at the moment and go into it after some decent results.
Then you have Brighton who don’t score loads of goals at home under Hurzeler - he’s doing a great job by the way - but I think Palace can compete and build on their good form. But it won't be an easy game, Bright are up there and I think Palace can be too by the end of the season, they are two good teams.
Palace were 2-1 up against Man City last week, I thought they could hold out for a win but that’s still a really good point.
People are starting to come back to form and fitness and they have a tough run coming up so its a good job. Adam Wharton might be back, Nketiah too and Eze is playing well so they can cause problems for Brighton, but I think it will be a draw at the end of the day.
Manchester Derby
Q: It's a day for derbies on Sunday, with the Manchester Derby on straight after the Palace game. If the M23 Derby isn't a big one, how about this?
Now that is a big game.
You would probably have to say that Manchester United v Liverpool is maybe the only one bigger and their main rivalry, but in the last few years this has become a bigger and bigger rivalry with City's success.
Q: What have you made from Ruben Amorim’s first few games in charge?
It has been hard for him. He is a top coach but he’s trying to juggle having a look at all his players and giving them a chance with getting results straight away
They had a couple of good results at first and you can see what he’s trying to do but that defeat to Nottingham Forest at the weekend will have been a blow to him, but it's going to be a long process and things aren't going to change overnight.
For me, they should have brought him in in the summer and got rid of Erik ten Hag then rather than wait until now. It’s hard taking over in the middle of the season and I don’t think we’ll really be able to see the impact he’s had until he’s had a bit more time to work with the squad, but also get one or two players in because you can see that the squad doesn't totally fit with how he plays.
He has had lots of injuries, not a full squad at times and its really hard to hit the ground running. But you can see with the job he did in Portugal with Sporting and winning titles with them and doing well in the Champions League that he is a top, top coach and its going to be a long process but it will be worth it.
Manchester United fans are not stupid. They know it is going to take a while, and itcould be a year or two before it comes good. They might not have much money to spend in January but they should trust the coach and give him time because he will deliver.
Q: Is it fair to say there are a few players who are going to have to buck their ideas up if they want to keep playing for the club?
Yeah I saw that Marcus Rashford has been linked with a move away this week. He is a top player but some of these players have to deliver on the pitch or else the new manager will have new ideas and you can miss out because that’s what can happen when someone new comes in.
He started well and I thought he had been scoring goals under Amorim, but then he hasn’t been in the team recently so I was surprised at the rumours of a move. But if you don’t perform then you don’t have anyone to blame.
All of the players will want to prove themselves to the new manager. He is one of them but there are plenty of others as well.
Q: And then on the other hand there is Manchester City. What a crazy run of form they have been on - it's a long way off but do you think Pep Guardiola could ever be in trouble?
To be honest I don’t think Pep will ever be in a position where he is under pressure for his job.
He is the best manager in the world and with what he has done for Man City in the last few years he is pretty safe, but they need to sort things out.
They have been unlucky with injuries. We can see how important Rodri is to them by how much they have struggled since his injury and they seemed to be doing okay with Kovacic in the middle but now he is injured too, so maybe once he is back things will pick up again but it will be a worry.
Kevin De Bruyne is just coming back to fitness too so they will turn a corner soon when he is back to his best.
But I look at the team and I think the main thing is the lack of goals in the team.
I think Gvardiol is the second top scorer behind Haaland with three goals, and when you look at the attacking talent they have, that’s not good enough.
You have Doku, Grealish, Bernardo Silva, Foden, they need to be helping out a bit more because even though Haaland is one of the best strikers in the world, he can’t do it all himself.
You see last night (against Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday) and in the second half they were peppering the Juventus goal but just couldn’t get through, then Juventus go up the other end and catch them out. That’s just how it goes sometimes, but Pep still has plenty of credit in the bank.
It looks a long way off at the moment but you wouldn't be surprised to see them go on a massive winning run and get back into the title race.
Q: How do you see this game going?
Manchester United fans won't like me for saying it, but I reckon 2-1 to Man City.
Celtic Ambitions
Q: We have Celtic v Rangers in the Scottish League Cup final on Sunday too. If we're ranking UK derbies, is that one at the top?
Yeah you would have to say it is up there as one of the biggest derbies.
(Kris) Boydy tells me every week about the atmosphere and how amazing it is, I would love to go and experience one one day. It looks like a football-mad place and having two teams go head to head so often is great for a fan.
Celtic have the upper hand at the moment being so far clear in the Scottish Premiership and Brendan Rodgers is doing a great job up there again and the Rangers manager Philippe Clement is under a bit of pressure so you would have to say Celtic would be favourites going into the game.
Q: Were you ever tempted to move up to Scotland during your playing days?
I would have absolutely loved to have played for Celtic, especially with my Irish roots. The chance never quite came about during my career - probably because they had Henrik Larsson up front and he wasn’t bad!
But I would have loved that and to play in that massive stadium every week, in a football-mad city for a huge football club.
I got to play once at Celtic Park for Jackie McNamara’s testimonial with the Irish national team and the stadium and the atmosphere was unbelievable. It is a shame that move never happened but I can’t complain!
Q: I bet you'd have loved to play in an Old Firm game....
Oh absolutely!
I’d have been a proper wind-up merchant on the touchline. I loved playing in those sort of matches and getting under the skin of the opposing fans so that would have been right up my street.
Q: And a prediction for this one?
Boydy won't be happy with this one but I'm going to go with Celtic to win 2-1.
Millwall x Neil Harris
Q: Back to the EFL and one bit of big news this week was that Neil Harris is standing down as Millwall manager - what's gone on there?!
I don’t know what’s happened there, I was really surprised when I saw the news that Harris was leaving.
He is a legend at the football club, as a player and now as a manager and so to leave when the team is mid-table and threatening the play-offs is a real surprise.
It is a dangerous time to be losing a proven manager because it is such a competitive division.
Have they already got something else lined up? Does he have something lined up?
I don’t know but be careful what you wish for because it’s not easy to find someone who gets that club and fits in so well.
Maybe there was some criticism of the style of play?
I don’t know, I’m trying to work it out because it came as such a surprise. He took over when they were struggling last year and took them into the top six at times this season, but there are a lot of good managers out of work at the moment so maybe they have something lined up.
Q: I was really impressed by their opponents, Middlesbrough, against Leeds on Tuesday. Would you expect them to go on and secure a top-six spot this season?
They have some really good players.
The likes of Finn Azaz, Ben Doak, Latte Lath, they are good players and they have an excellent young manager Michael Carrick.
Losing to Leeds at Elland Road is nothing to be ashamed of, but they gave it a good go and are an impressive side.
I think they should finish in the top six this season, but the only thing they might be worried about is if a Premier League club comes after Carrick.
He plays football the right way, he’s young and with teams like West Ham under pressure….I think he could be the perfect fit at West Ham I really do, so Boro fans will be a bit nervous if something happens there with Lopetegui under pressure.
But if he stays there I can definitely see them pushing for promotion this season
Best Free Bet Offers
