The Championship

[Shawmi]

The way I see this league its split into 3 mini leagues,

Top 6, the likes of Fulham, Bournemouth, West Brom etc, the teams that have been in the Premier League and have money, Squad, Manager etc

7 down to 16, Teams that have been in the Premier League some years back or owners with money, bigger support, the likes of Notts Forest, Middlesbrough, Sheff Utd, Stoke etc and will push into the top 6

17 down to 24, Teams with minimal budget, come up from league 1 and will be lower in the league after the mid way point, due to lack of transfers, lack of money, smaller squads, fitness, injury’s etc

17 -24 is where we are and with the teams coming down from the Premier it’s going to be even tougher, this is where I see us next season. I just cannot see us competing, we may have a good first half to the season or second half with some good results but the league sorts itself out eventually and that’s what is happening now. We are not progressing and it annoys me as the managers we have had in the past, McGee, Harris, Jacket did well and to a level where it needed that extra with funding, manager, coaching but it never happens and just cannot see it happening for us.

Money really is beginning or has impacted this league as it has the Premier League. I never expect us to be top 3, but just want that hope we can get into the top six or at least challenge, but we have 14/15 games to play and we are playing for mid table at best.

Thoughts ?

 

[bazzwall]

Agreed but how do the likes of Coventry and Luton spring to a certain amount of success. Then again Blackburn we’re hasbeens and now pushing to be top 2. Still reckon it’s recruiting that we lag behind on.

 

[Shawmi]

Agree, with Blackburn sometimes and old style manager like they have just makes it work and you get the odd teams like the Luton’s and Coventry’s that have a good season, can see them slipping down the league though.

Your spot on with recruitment, we are miles behind on this, Peterborough seem to do well there, almost like the Brentford set up.

 

[Millwall Of Oz]

this is a load of shit. ther are enough clubs that go against this. bournemouth were fuck all when the went up. huddersfield, blackpool and hull a few years back nothing clubs with fuck all money to go up . barnsley last year making play offs. theres much more than money that gets you anywhere in this division. I agree it gives you a huge advantage but this division is about having decent players to call upon when injuries or changes are needed - half our side would struggle to get into a league 1 side and we have 10,000 midfielders and 1 striker at the moment.

 

[robbo555]

Like it or not, we are a bottom eight team in terms of budget, club size and history. I expect the world, only because I love Millwall and that is unrealistic. Deep down, I know this. We are one bad manager (Holloway, Lomas, Nicholl, Lee) from going down. We will not go down with Rowett as manager, I am almost certain about that. I worry about our long-term strategy in terms of recruitment, although this is hampered by our lack of money. We are hard to beat, we are dogged, we have spirit. We are also two or three top quality players away from being a very good Championship side. Where we get those from I'm not sure. It's a crowded market and we are left with the leftovers. Hence our loan signings of players who are either out of favour (Burke, Afobe, Freeman), or unwanted players who are good but have faults like Malone, Bennett and Evans.

Our plan has to be recruitment of young, hungry talent from the lower leagues. It's always worked for us in the past and it's the way forward for a club of our size, but it's not impossible. Brentford and Peterborough both do that well. That means having a good network of scouts, analysis and clear thought of the players we require. I'm not sure we have that right now.

We are a bit in limbo right now and need to fashion an identity of what sort of club we are.

 

[PurleyLion]

Agreed but how do the likes of Coventry and Luton spring to a certain amount of success. Then again Blackburn we’re hasbeens and now pushing to be top 2. Still reckon it’s recruiting that we lag behind on.

Didn’t Blackburn pickup something like £26m from Southampton last summer for Alan Armstrong?

If we picked up that sort money for one of our players it might make a considerable difference

 

[Millwall Of Oz]

Didn’t Blackburn pickup something like £26m from Southampton last summer for Alan Armstrong?

If we picked up that sort money for one of our players it might make a considerable difference

yes we would sign 5 more defenders and 10 more midfielders thats about it

 

[Peckham Lion]

Our plan has to be recruitment of young, hungry talent from the lower leagues. It's always worked for us in the past and it's the way forward for a club of our size, but it's not impossible. Brentford and Peterborough both do that well. That means having a good network of scouts, analysis and clear thought of the players we require. I'm not sure we have that right now.

The club now know what needs to be done and they are proactive in paving the way to implemenrt changes and new strategies to achieve that.

 

[Edward Alistair]

It isn't just our league, it is starting to shape up that way in the league below us as well.
With financial losses from last season yet to bite fully in squads, another year or two and I expect it will be the same in all 5 divisions and add to that the gap in quality between the divisions is getting bigger, all because of the greed of money.

 

[Phlion54]

The future is in the scouting & finding ,developing players and selling them on like Brentford ...our system as been crap for years but when you get the likes of Mac ,Mitchell ,lovelace there seems some hope that
We have to get any potential good young player tied down to a contract as soon as it is possible , it could be a gamble either way but it only takes 1 gem to make it worthwhile & the manager whoever it is as to take a punt in blooding this p!ayers in the first team as soon as it is feasible

 

[Life with the Lions]

We will not go down with Rowett as manager, I am almost certain about that.

I think we will have a better idea of where we will be in the table, at the end of this month. We have some tough games coming up: home games against Cardiff and QPR, followed by two away games at Blackburn and Derby, and then finishing the month at home to Sheffield United! Think if we don’t get 7 points from our 3 home games, it could be squeaky bum time, especially if Cardiff beat Peterbrough tonight and us on Saturday, that will put the Taffs only 2 points behind us!

I worry about our long-term strategy in terms of recruitment, although this is hampered by our lack of money.

I worry too about our recruitment - but the worry is more short-term at the moment. At the end of the season (and as far as I am aware), Jed, Pearce, Romeo, Mahoney and Kiefenbeld are all out of contract. Afobe, Ballard, Burke, Freeman and Ojo will go back to their parent clubs, and Lovelace will be sold to whoever (if you believe this is going to happen).

Even if we wanted to sign one or two of our loanees on permanent deals, where is the money coming from to sign them and pay them a salary that they’ve been getting at their parent clubs? Personally, I would give a new, three year contract to Mahoney (but we know Rowett won’t do that), and maybe give an additional year to Kiefenbeld, but Pearce and Romeo can go, and Jed won’t stay unless no other club comes in for him (which will be highly unlikely).

Of the loanees, Ballard I would love to sign permanently for us, but the Gooners know what they have in their player now, so they’ll probably slap a £5M fee on him, which of course we can’t afford, and Liverpool will likewise want the same sort of fee for Ojo. Afobe will be on good money, which again we probably can’t afford to pay, so that leaves us with Burke and Freeman, and we don’t know yet as to how the two of them will pan out till the end of the season. If they turn out to be anywhere like half decent players, their clubs will want good money for them, and once again their weekly/monthly salaries could be an issue!

We are hard to beat, we are dogged, we have spirit. We are also two or three top quality players away from being a very good Championship side.

I think we have a couple more quality players on top of those two or three, but Rowett, in his formations and tactics, isn’t getting the best out of any of them!

Our plan has to be recruitment of young, hungry talent from the lower leagues. It's always worked for us in the past and it's the way forward for a club of our size, but it's not impossible. Brentford and Peterborough both do that well. That means having a good network of scouts, analysis and clear thought of the players we require. I'm not sure we have that right now.

I used to think that way, but it’s like supporters on here have already said, there’s no guarantee that players in the lower leagues can make the step up to the Championship, and if they can’t then that’s precious money wasted! Also, since Covid has hit clubs hard financially, any lower league club that has a half decent midfielder or forward, will probably be wanting at least a million plus for them! If Rowett (or whoever takes over from him), wants to rebuild the team, then you could be looking at £5M + just to bring in another 3 - 4 new players! Is JB willing to spend that amount of money to do this?

The cheapest and most economical way to find the players we need, is to recruit from our U18’s and U23’s teams. Billy and Danny have successfully made the step up, and now Burey looks like he might do the same. Once we’re safe from relegation (and I don’t think we are safe just yet), then those current squad players who Rowett knows are definitely leaving us this summer (and that includes the loanees as well), need to be replaced by these Academy youngsters, and play them for the rest of the season in the positions where the current players play. That way, Rowett will know who is going to make the cut for next season, and those that don’t, can be replaced with hopefully just a couple of new signings or loanees that won’t cost the club a king’s ransom!

We are a bit in limbo right now and need to fashion an identity of what sort of club we are.

Agreed. Problem is, we’ve always been a bit like that - rudderless and directionless. What’s needed is a strategy of sorts, and it’s time that JB and the board start coming up with one!

The $64,000 question is - will they do that or continue on as they have been?

 

[Peckham Lion]

Think if we don’t get 7 points from our 3 home games, it could be squeaky bum time,

I think you're worrying over nothing and not giving the team much credit. We're 17 points clear of the team third from bottom. Reading are in free fall, Derby's wins are all home games bar 2 away from home. With Swansea , Barnsley, Hull and Peterboro to come to the den we'll be fine.

I would give a new, three year contract to Mahoney (but we know Rowett won’t do that),

Perhaps the club won't, do you think he's played or done enough to earn a new deal?

 

[Edward Alistair]

I worry too about our recruitment - but the worry is more short-term at the moment. At the end of the season (and as far as I am aware), Jed, Pearce, Romeo, Mahoney and Kiefenbeld are all out of contract. Afobe, Ballard, Burke, Freeman and Ojo will go back to their parent clubs, and Lovelace will be sold to whoever (if you believe this is going to happen).

With all those players leaving it will mean around 5m off the wage bill, which means rebuilding the squad, just the right situation for a new manager if Rowett goes.

 

[Life with the Lions]

I think you're worrying over nothing and not giving the team much credit. We're 17 points clear of the team third from bottom. Reading are in free fall, Derby's wins are all home games bar 2 away from home. With Swansea , Barnsley, Hull and Peterboro to come to the den we'll be fine.

Perhaps the club won't, do you think he's played or done enough to earn a new deal?

Hope you’re right, and we played well last night, and even better against West Brom, but it’s failure to kick on after that win, and not being able to break defences down against teams like Preston (who came to the Den to just park the bus), that does have me a bit worried, especially with the good form of most of the clubs we’re going to be playing this month!

If Rowett is our manager next season, I think he will be happy to off load Mahoney for a fee, which I think is a shame. Yes, Mahoney has been injured a lot, but if Rowett could keep him in the side for as long as he can (before another injury befalls him), then a good run of games might show him what he’d be missing if he was to let Mahoney go. Perhaps a 3 year deal is too long, but if Rowett gave him, say, a 1 year extension to his contract, then Mahoney might be able to repay Rowett’s faith in him!

 

[Life with the Lions]

With all those players leaving it will mean around 5m off the wage bill, which means rebuilding the squad, just the right situation for a new manager if Rowett goes.

If Rowett goes (or stays), would JB give him or the new manager all of that £5M? I’d like to think he would, but perhaps the club might need to spend some of that money, to offset some of the money lost during Covid?

 

[Edward Alistair]

If Rowett goes (or stays), would JB give him or the new manager all of that £5M? I’d like to think he would, but perhaps the club might need to spend some of that money, to offset some of the money lost during Covid?

I would of thought he would have reduced the wage bill this season if he was going to save money.
I think JB knows his long term spending and what is needed to maintain us as a Div. 2 club, ever since holloway left he has been consistent in subsidising us every season.

 

[Peckham Lion]

we played well last night, and even better against West Brom, but it’s failure to kick on after that win,

It;s what average teams do, if we had the fire power plus consistency we'd be in a promotion spot.

not being able to break defences down against teams like Preston (who came to the Den to just park the bus),

They did the same away at West Brom and Hull and won both games, they also won away at Stoke and Bournemouth whilst we gained a point so it's not just us is it!

If Rowett is our manager next season, I think he will be happy to off load Mahoney for a fee, which I think is a shame.

The shame is the player showing no desire to play when given the chance. You can blame anyone you want but ultimately it's down to the player to earn a place, Mahoney hasn't done nothing to warrant a starting place.

Perhaps a 3 year deal is too long, but if Rowett gave him, say, a 1 year extension to his contract, then Mahoney might be able to repay Rowett’s faith in him!

As i said up thread, a manager has to convince the board that the player is worth a new deal before they sanction it, that ain't going to happen and rightly so. We are paying him handsomely whilst we lose money on a weekly basis, on top of that it's a waste of a squad place. What youngster will sit in the reserves whilst Mahoney keeps him off the bench? Whats the point in having a youth system when we have wasters and passengers blocking there pathway to the first team?

You use the words if and might quite often when talking about the squad, to me that sounds like straw clutching and no way to run or manage a football club. It makes more sense to me that the club want to offload the deadwood and get the wage bill down, we can no longer be a charity or benevolent fund for wastes and strays.

 

[Gaeilge Millwall]

i used to love walking up Rye Lane, through the long post office, through Jones and Higgings and then in to the Arcade. watching the teddy boys in the café and going in the pet shop

just saying.

 

[33lion]

If Rowett goes (or stays), would JB give him or the new manager all of that £5M? I’d like to think he would, but perhaps the club might need to spend some of that money, to offset some of the money lost during Covid?

Answer is no, he won’t. Rowett’s laid out about £1m in transfer fees in 4 transfer windows and had to rely on loan deals to patch up the squad. Something somewhere isn’t right, I think JB is sleepwalking in to a false sense of security. It’s great right now, long spell in this league and not having to spend anything on transfers. Before you know it we could be in trouble thanks to a few years of negligence and a lack of any sort of structure, plan or philosophy with our recruitment.

 

[E5atCBL]

Ojo and Freeman are out of contract in the summer. Burke will have a year left but is not wanted so may be buyable. Ballard won’t be playing for Arsenal first team next year so maybe another loan is available. So maybe we are planning at this time.