Mid season summary

[Nobby86]

In my very humble opinion...I think we will bounce between 20th and 12th. There will be some good and poor performances...also some good and poor results.

Then Mr Edwards will have a summer to put his whole touch on things...

By all means...shoot me down in flames if you think I'm talking

 

[wonderwall]

I know you got to do it, but 3 wins on the bounce and everyone looks up instead of down.

We did win three on the bounce, problem is only picked up one point since so still looking down

 

[norwichmark]

We did win three on the bounce, problem is only picked up one point since so still looking down

Maybe another 3 around the corner. Some people get over high when we have a nice run, then over low when we have a bad run. I think that’s how the rest of the season will be, until JE has had time to make a team and teach em.

 

[Peckham Lion]

I think it showed just how much Rowett didn’t trust his players to play and perform.

Many of which were his own signings.

Makes you wonder how we spent so long in the top six doesn't it. Rowett knew what the team was and wasn't capable of and played to there strengths. He had to adapt when our talisman- twinklebollox fucked off. That left us with little or no creativity but we still competed in a very tough league. Bolton, Burnley and Stoke all got promoted and had good spells in the premier playing there way. It wasn't pretty but it worked, so did Rowett ball but you're the expert and everyone else is wrong so they can't win. It will be hilarious when you have your usual meltdown and turn on the manager, and you will.

 

[Peckham Lion]

Home form under Edwards has picked up and i think that'll be enough to see us finish comfortably. Whether we ever see what Edwards wants to us to do is another question because that costs money and means big changes to the squad. Can't be easy for him to find a balance and accept that some of our players are just not up to what he's trying to implement.

 

[new cross wall]

one fear i have with playing out from the back
we have been built on our defence from our return to the championship
but we are now asking limited players to play a type of football not sure they are capable of .
with this type of football we need players like billy who get on the ball and keep possession and all i can hear round me are people C*%ting him off
i just don't get some of our lot anymore

 

[Lion-in-exile]

Style of play has improved significantly under JE.

Unfortunately we’ve suffered from injuries and Saville’s suspension.

My concern is JE persisting with a single striker upfront. Makes defending too easy for opponents. Saturday’s goal came when, to the best of my knowledge, we had 3 players attacking the six yard line and another on the edge of the box, but we don’t do it often enough eg when BNC reached the byline in the 2nd half I think we only had Nisbet (who received stick for being in the wrong place ) in the box .

When everyone is fit and if JE gets it right in the opponents last third, I think the future could be bright

Three difficult games coming up, fingers crossed for at least 3 points

We don't have the players or player to play one striker, play Nesbit and Obafemi together until Bradshaw is back!

 

[Budgies' Boy]

For all the wrong reasons it was painfull to see how well Preston's Potts took his opportunity cutting In from the right and stroking the shot across Shark. The self same opportunities wasted by Watmore, Nisbet, Longman, Emakhu and probably others this season. Only one who pulled it off was Cuffy. Unless JE can do something about this we wiil continue to struggle this season.

 

[hardleyse16]

For all the wrong reasons it was painfull to see how well Preston's Potts took his opportunity cutting In from the right and stroking the shot across Shark. The self same opportunities wasted by Watmore, Nisbet, Longman, Emakhu and probably others this season. Only one who pulled it off was Cuffy. Unless JE can do something about this we wiil continue to struggle this season.

This is part of the issue, poor finishing when playing well and no creativity when playing poorly. Setting up with one striker means you need others to pitch in with goals and we’ve only had that from Fleming , who shouldn’t be starting*.

Hopefully, Obes (not the old sea salt) can make an impact on the goal scoring front. Certainly his pace will help.

 

[robbo555]

Another 15 points should be enough to guarantee another season in the Championship.

Personally, the jury is still out regarding Edwards. Has he improved us? Not really. He has aesthetically but the results are basically the same. We have more possession but we are continually conceding stupid goals and we don't convert the chances we create. Under Rowett we were much better defensively but still struggled to score.

The three good performances we've had under Edwards were the three wins against QPR, Norwich and Bristol City. The QPR game was ground out and the Norwich game was a traditional and atypical Millwall performance. Backs to the wall, fighting, against the odds and the crowd at times carrying the team to victory. Bristol City away was Rowett-esque with a sprinkling of slightly better football. It was a smash and grab and there is nothing wrong with that.

Any progress we have made since the managerial change has been incremental. I will likely get shit for saying it but I honestly think we'd be higher in the table if Rowett was still in charge. My opinion is that he is a far better manager than Edwards.

 

[Lionsteele]

Another 15 points should be enough to guarantee another season in the Championship.

Personally, the jury is still out regarding Edwards. Has he improved us? Not really. He has aesthetically but the results are basically the same. We have more possession but we are continually conceding stupid goals and we don't convert the chances we create. Under Rowett we were much better defensively but still struggled to score.

The three good performances we've had under Edwards were the three wins against QPR, Norwich and Bristol City. The QPR game was ground out and the Norwich game was a traditional and atypical Millwall performance. Backs to the wall, fighting, against the odds and the crowd at times carrying the team to victory. Bristol City away was Rowett-esque with a sprinkling of slightly better football. It was a smash and grab and there is nothing wrong with that.

Any progress we have made since the managerial change has been incremental. I will likely get shit for saying it but I honestly think we'd be higher in the table if Rowett was still in charge. My opinion is that he is a far better manager than Edwards.

Like the point says. You can’t except him to completely change style with the exact same players & immediately get results.

I would be more worried if you couldn’t see changes to how we play but it’s clear to see.

Rowett is a solid championship manager who can produce results on a budget.

As for the results under Edwards. Huddersfield was another one where they nicked a point very fortunately & against Sunderland I feel we deserved more.

Fine margins but it’s encouraging.

Rowett was good for us, would I swap him back in hindsight? No I wouldn’t.

Patience is needed.

 

[partisan_lion]

I honestly don't why people think GR would have the team further up the table because as it stands GR amassed 17 points before he left and JE is a point behind (maths was never my strongest suit, so might be proved wrong!) the team might have conceded less under GR, but as others have said, we might not have scored many too, but its all hypothetical really.

Some quarers having been saying we need to use the Brentford/Bournemouth model if the board/club want progress and for that to happen, the football and how it's played needs to change before the club can get attract players from youth to players already plying their trade and the board have to have faith in what they are trying to achieve and have the back, patience and support from the fans...Gonna take time, especially with the current squad, the NH/GR way has been ingrained, so again it will take time for the players to be reprogrammed to play a new way...Fitness is key to play the JE way, so perhaps we will see more younger players in the future...Who knows and as I say occasionally, what the fuck do I know.

 

[new cross wall]

I honestly don't why people think GR would have the team further up the table because as it stands GR amassed 17 points before he left and JE is a point behind (maths was never my strongest suit, so might be proved wrong!) the team might have conceded less under GR, but as others have said, we might not have scored many too, but its all hypothetical really.

Some quarers having been saying we need to use the Brentford/Bournemouth model if the board/club want progress and for that to happen, the football and how it's played needs to change before the club can get attract players from youth to players already plying their trade and the board have to have faith in what they are trying to achieve and have the back, patience and support from the fans...Gonna take time, especially with the current squad, the NH/GR way has been ingrained, so again it will take time for the players to be reprogrammed to play a new way...Fitness is key to play the JE way, so perhaps we will see more younger players in the future...Who knows and as I say occasionally, what the fuck do I know.

i do agree this is the only way forward for us
but patience and support from the fans this is never going to happen

 

[BigPaul]

The three good performances we've had under Edwards were the three wins against QPR, Norwich and Bristol City

Sheffield Wed wasn't too shabby.

 

[CrawLion]

Rowett is history and we move on with JE. There is a good interview with Flemming on MillwallTV. It's supposed to be a preview for the Preston game but I think he sums up the teams position right now really well.

Zian Flemming speaks to Millwall TV+

A catch-up with the Dutchman...

www.millwallfc.co.uk

 

[Edward Alistair]

A C+ on the report card for Edwards from me.
Whilst the good bits look good they don't end in good chances that should be taken, often enough.
I'm not keen on 3 cb's and 2 defensive cm's either, that is half the team in too small a part of the pitch and doesn't give us the attacking options when we break but does leave us with the easy option of going backwards after we have broke.
Despite this formation we are yet to score a goal whilst playing through the middle, the opposition want us to play out wide (that is where Rowett would concede space) and we seem to fall into that trap too often, which leads to running into a dead end or going back to the halfway line.
I'm still happy we appointed him but I don't see him as the new messiah, I'm not going to worry too much about him, I don't think he will be a long term manager, do well and he will be wanted at a bigger club and if we are still playing the same way as now in 12 months time, the 'it takes time' excuse will no longer be able to be used.

 

[Lionsteele]

if we are still playing the same way as now in 12 months time, the 'it takes time' excuse will no longer be able to be used.

Hurts my brain this.

Just don’t understand how this can even used a potential comparison. He was appointed in November

It does indeed take time but let’s not start using that as a potential flaw already, Christ.

Not sure people understand. If we were to change managers this whole scenario would happen again should you pick a manager that wants to play football.

 

[onlyagame]

Only need 12 - 17 points going on likely totals to stay up.

& would that be seen as success?
It’s a pretty low bar

 

[Life with the Lions]

We have seen since Joe‘s arrival that the passing has got way better. Players who we weren’t sure about (Cooper, Hutch etc.) can now actually pass out from the back with reasonable ease. There is a lot less route 1 and head tennis football. Our link up play is better. Tactics? Not sure if we have any, but we are certainly creating more chances on goal than we did previously.

Our biggest problem is we’re not converting those chances, and to compound on that we have had a lot of bad luck, injuries and shit referees, which hasn’t helped. I also think the players are less scared playing at The Den now, and our heads don’t always drop as soon as we go a goal behind. So, for all of the above, I would give Joe a B+

 

[Peckham Lion]

I honestly don't why people think GR would have the team further up the table

Because he had us in the top six for weeks on end when he was here?