If they’ve been told to mark someone at a corner – and I put on a board exactly which player to look for – and he scores, it’s their fault They have to put their hands up They don’t do it again. If he does, he won’t play.”He adds: “The players have respect for me And I have respect for them I treat them like grown men and they appreciate that We have a giggle as well. I have taken them out for the night and we have an enjoyable time, but it’s very low-key Here, I’ve just been totally honest with everyone Sometimes it’s difficult It’s not always nice being honest. I like playing the way Luca did it.”While Wilkins is an influential figure, Wise emphasises that he is “the gaffer”. He describes his management style thus: “We want organisation, and for players to know what’s expected of them.

If you put responsibility on them, they’ll do the right things. If you just let them go out and play, they’ll make excuses.”People expect me to be a screamer and a shouter, but I’ve never been one to go potty in the dressing room But I will point people out, and in front of everyone I put the onus on them. That’s why we’ve got a dietician and a fitness bloke.”In terms of the football style he espouses, too, his approach is more redolent of Stamford Bridge than Plough Lane “When we’ve got the ball, I want it passed,” he says “I don’t like them booming it. We didn’t look after ourselves as well as we should have done But here we want it very professional. But actually we didn’t train properly and probably didn’t eat properly.

Never mind that he possessed sufficient talent to claim 21 England caps, and not merely because he could bite in the tackle The headlines were easily scribed “Dirty Denn” and “Dennis the Menace”. Somehow “Dennis the Meritorious” doesn’t have the same eye-catching quality to it.So, you ask Wise, who is sitting clad in a training top and a pair of cut-off “trackies”, are you still crazy after all these years? He confirms your impression that few areas here at Millwall are modelled on the Dons of the Eighties “That’s gone,” he says “They were good times, and I enjoyed it. I want to put negativeness in the other team.”Undoubtedly, membership of the old Wimbledon “Crazy Gang” tends to define your career for ever. Afterwards I have a beer with them, and I haven’t got problems with anyone.”And does he still insist that his team should be “horrible”, as he was once quoted as saying? Wise explains: “I want my team to be fair – but in people’s faces If they get booked for tackles, I haven’t got a problem I won’t fine them for that Millwall’s renowned for being strong and tough I want it to stay like that I want us to have that mentality I don’t want sides to come to the New Den and enjoy it. Off the pitch, there have been the bruises inflicted by confrontations with authority. On it, he remains, in many eyes, the little assassin with a smile, the recipient of no fewer than 12 red cards in a career which began at Southampton, but which prospered under the management of Dave Bassett at Wimbledon, before a profitable 11 years at Chelsea won him FA Cup, Worthington Cup and European Cup Winners’ Cup trophies – but not appreciation from all quarters.”On the pitch, I’ve always tried to give as much as I could And yes, I will wind people up,” he says “You do what you can to win A lot of people didn’t like that But – how should I put this – I enjoy playing football Whatever happens out there, happens.

“I felt that system would benefit a couple of the players, Tim Cahill and Neil Harris, who are both Premiership quality, and they both have [benefited].”Many pairs of eyebrows, belonging to those who harbour their own prejudices about him, were raised with incredulity when Wise was installed He recognises that, and it doesn’t trouble him unduly. Ray feels I should play more.”That was virtually decided for him. “I’d always liked playing Luca’s [Gianluca Vialli's] little diamond system which we played under him when he was manager at Chelsea. We changed to that in a game against Ipswich when I went on as sub and it worked well That’s the handy thing about being player-manager. Then we did it at Cardiff [and won 3-1].”As a result the Lions have only been beaten once in nine games in a run stretching back to the start of December.