Video: Leeds United 3 Millwall 4 - Little comfort for Christiansen after rollercoaster Elland Road loss

United looked to be heading for a hiding when trailing 2-0 at the break with the Whites down to ten men after skipper Liam Cooper had been shown a straight-red card for a late tackle on George Saville in the 37th minute.

Incredibly, then ten men of United then rallied to take a 3-2 lead as a double from Pierre Michel Lasogga sandwiched a Kemar Roofe strike but Millwall hit back to claim a scarcely believable 4-3 victory with two goals in the final four minutes.

Christiansen said: “A lot of credit to them because we did in the second half as we did against Ipswich but again we don’t take anything and we cannot be satisfied and we cannot take anything with us.

“Yes, the fans saw the compromise and the big effort that the team made in the second half.

“It’s correct. But in the football I prefer to play like sh*t and take three points. This is football and we need to learn from our mistakes.”

Cooper’s red card was United’s sixth dismissal of the season and Leeds have now been reduced to ten men in their last three games.

Samuel Saiz was sent off towards the end of this month’s 2-1 loss at Newport County in the FA Cup third round and Eunan O’Kane was also given his marching orders for headbutting Jonas Knudsen in last weekend’s 1-0 loss at Ipswich Town.

“I am very disappointed,” said Christiansen, analysing the game as a whole. Once again we go from this game without any points.

“There were many ups and downs in the game, many emotions that we have gone through but we cannot afford to lose our possibilities to do something good in this league with the red cards.

“It must stop now. But anyway, we need to continue. We saw the response of the team in the second half.

“Unfortunately we need to shoot ourselves in the feet to react and to be one player less so perhaps the tactic for the next game is to start with one less because this is when we play best.”

“At least this red card was not from a provocation, it was not from a spit, it was because one player went in strong in a challenge.”