The Millwall pride travel to the Riverside Stadium this Saturday to face Middlesbrough, with each side looking to run away with a momentum-gaining three points after their 1-1 stalemates prior to the international break.
One aspect of this matchup that should have fans salivating is that victory for their club means bragging rights, ensuring they are above their opponents 18 games into the season. Sound familiar? Well, that’s because it is the exact same scenario as last year- hopefully without the same 3-0 thumping from the home side.
An away win for those representing The Den could see them soar up the table from ninth all the way into an illustrious playoff place, something that manager Gary Rowett has vowed to put his all in to achieve with this squad.
This really could be the most significant game of the season for Millwall. Lose and they leave the door open to be leapfrogged by numerous outfits, and with the intense competitive nature of the Championship a top-six finish will ever fade into a distant memory.
Holding serve at home for Boro would give them their first win in four games, after a dominant three-game winning streak where they kept clean sheets in all. Yet, this fixture could symbolise the difference between those in North Yorkshire pressing the relegation panic button or their supporters getting behind a late push into a respectable finish.
Warnock’s Departure-
Just a week after breaking the record for most games in charge by an English manager – an inconceivable amount that tallied 1,602 games, unlikely to ever be touched – Warnock and Boro came to ‘a mutual decision’ to part ways, along with assistants Kevin Blackwell and Ronnie Jepson.
Neil joined the club in June 2020, rallying the troops for the final eight games of the Championship season, where they secured safety in their final match.
Rowett shared his disappointment with the departure of his longtime adversary, revealing to the South London Press, ‘you’re always sad to see someone leave any club, but particularly someone who has done so well.’ He went on to mention, ‘Warnock is the type of person who is always there to offer a bit of advice. Sometimes you want it and sometimes you don’t – but he’ll offer it anyway.’
Chris Wilder, former Sheffield United coach, has been handed the reins from Warnock’s side, and fans’ first impressions Saturday will set the standard as to what to expect from this managerial and cultural shift in Teesside- so who is at his disposal?
Home Hitters
Patrick McNair, 26-year-old central defender, stands out from the pack as the reason behind some of Middlesbrough’s fantastic defensive displays. Sometimes moving into a midfield role where he can show off his footballing ability, earning a pair of goals and assists in limited time.
Former Paris-Saint Germain prospect Sol Bamba now finds himself in an intimidating partnership with McNair, with the 36-year-old winning just shy of four ariel duels per contest. Bamba’s vast experience shows on the field with his continued communication throughout games with his backline, however, due to the mileage on the Ivorians legs, Bamba has only been available for nine matches this season.
Andraz Sporar, Slovenian forward, tops the charts in terms of contributions for Boro, scoring three goals and assisting on two in just 10 games. Andraz is the spark behind most strong attacking performances from the side, with his recent injury bringing their forward fluidity seemingly to a standstill.
Both Bamba and Sporar are expected to return to the lineup Saturday, with the usually irritating international break coming at a much-needed time for Wilder’s first game in charge – ironically Warnock’s outspoken views on the break are now, most likely, even more set-in stone.
Millwall’s Main Man
Beyond doubt Jed Wallace, 27-year-old attacking midfielder, has been the most influential player throughout the season for the Lions, hammering home five goals and five assists for the campaign. Wallace, in comparison to last season, has taken on a significant role in the team’s build-up play, focusing on getting on the ball as opposed to getting in behind.
Jed’s play at times has had the home crowd on the edge of their seats — and in a recent article by footballleagueworld.co.uk he had the honor of being included in ‘the best combined Millwall XI from the last five years’–with roars of his name echoing around the Lion’s Den. Although, taking on this much of the attacking load could spell trouble for the South-East London side if any injury were to occur to their star.
Prediction-
Below is a chart consisting of every match played between the two clubs (59 to be exact) dating back to 1904, making it one of the more historic fixtures throughout the Football League. The chart is to show the expected winning percentage for each club based upon this fact.
Fans of Millwall will be happy to know that the percentage of a draw in this fixture is much lower than the seven out of 17 they already have this season, hoping that those dropped points don’t come to haunt them at the season’s end.
With the entire history of this fixture looking to slightly favour Boro, along with their home advantage for the 60th encounter between the two clubs, I’m going to predict a statement away win for Millwall.
No matter the history between the two, this season the London side are simply better, with their consistency both defensively and offensively outshining their opposition for Saturday, making me tip the side already as the dark horses for a playoff place. That said, the only number that will be on the players’ minds at 3pm will be three points.
