Millwall come out of the break after playing 11 of their scheduled 46 games this season having amassed 17 points, good enough for 9th place at this stage.
Top Performers
When looking from a pure statistically standpoint, 26-year-old attacking midfielder, Jed Wallace clearly jumps out from the rest of his offensive teammates, putting up some impressive numbers – scoring four goals and grabbing one assist so far.
However, as Lions fans will tell you, football is a game that relies on keeping the ball out of the net just as much as firing into it does, something which the defensive partnership of Jake Cooper and Shaun Hutchinson have had major success with.
The pairing has received nothing but praise from manager Gary Rowett, who would say, “I don’t think there are many better centre-backs in the division and we’re grateful to have them”.
And that’s their job, they’re doing their job and the team is doing its job. It’s the team working hard to try and improve.”
Working in conjunction with each other the two central defenders have tallied an impressive six clean sheets and average over 10 combined won aerial duels – so why are Millwall sat at an underwhelming 9th place?
Where Are The Goals?
Wallace tops the goal-scoring chart for the Lions with a fairly substantial four goals; this tally becomes even more notable when second place in the golden boot race at The Den is a five-way tie, with each player only notching one singular goal.
Averaging close to 12 shots per encounter it appears that creating goal-scoring opportunities is not the obstacle for the players to overcome – more so the issue of being unable to put the ball in the net.
Fans of Millwall will have different levels of concern about the lack of goals being scored by their team.
For some, the chances that seem to regularly go astray may just be seen as a rough patch that the team needs to play through, for others the shear amount of chances not being tucked away will only amplify concerns that an out and out goal scorer is not in their ranks.
Luckily for those fans, an 18-year-old starlet is camping away in The Den waiting for his imminent Championship debut.
Parrot Party?
Troy Parrot, signed on loan from Tottenham Hotspur at the beginning of the season and had been brought into the side to iron out any doubts about Millwall’s attacking prowess, something that seems to have been exposed due to the youngster’s injury keeping him out up until this point.
Parrot seems perfectly suited to the way manager Rowett drills his side to play, emphasising width and driving crosses into the box for the striker to get on the end of.
Rowett told the South London Press: “It’s like anything, if you have got someone you feel can score goals and you feel you’re at a point where it isn’t a risk, then he’s going to start a game for us”, a very encouraging message.
Manager Shuffle
After the news that Rowett had contracted the Coronavirus it was up to captain of the side, Alex Pearce to step up and take managerial responsibilities while his boss completed the compulsory self-isolation period.
Temporary gaffer, Pearce would lead Millwall to a 2-0 away win against Preston North End before Huddersfield would return the favour for their Northern compatriots as they handed Millwall a 3-0 smashing at The Den.
Following this result, Millwall would go on to play two goalless draws against Norwich and Sheffield Wednesday, results that would really make you appreciate an international break, for once!
With Pearce and Rowett scheduled to return to their regular roles at the club, both fans and players alike can take confidence as some consistency and order returns to Millwall F.C, hoping for some momentum as the second quarter of the season gets under way.
Next Up
Championship action gets back underway on the 21st November when the Lions host Cardiff City, with their two meetings last season ending in feisty 2-2 and 1-1 draws.
This game has some added tension between the two as former Lions boss Neil Harris returns to The Den for the first time since he left his role at the club in October 2019.
When asked to assess 15th place Cardiff, Rowett would maintain, “Cardiff are good at what they do. They are trying to play a little bit more, but they also have an obvious physical threat that you’ve got to try and deal with”.
After all the inconsistencies, managerial changeups and lack of goals, sitting just five points shy of top spot Reading is a very impressive feat for Millwall, and Rowett knows that a few good results will see them comfortably in a playoff spot.
“We need to start delivering more wins at home and this is the first one of a group of games which are a tough run. We’ve got a tough-looking run of fixtures over the next period. But the Championship is like that anyway. You’ve got to do your best and try and win it.”
Just how Millwall manage to navigate around some tough upcoming fixtures is yet to be seen. However, the importance of the results is evident – with our first look coming Saturday at 3pm.
“Millwall FC” by Ungry Young Man is licensed under CC BY
