AFTER 46 Championship games, it is fair to say that Millwall’s season is hard to judge.
The Lions set out to achieve a top-six finish and pushed the boat out over the summer in their recruitment. The departure of talisman Jed Wallace, while inevitable, was a blow, especially when he joined Championship rivals West Bromwich Albion instead of stepping up to the Premier League.
Millwall broke their transfer record to replace Wallace when they paid £1.7million for Zian Flemming from Fortuna Sittard. Benik Afobe and George Honeyman were brought through the door three days later, and it was clear that the club’s summer transfer business had truly begun.
All in all, Millwall signed eight players before the transfer window shut on September 1. Leeds United loanees Charlie Cresswell and Jamie Shackleton added some youth to an experienced squad, while Andreas Voglsammer arrived with extensive experience of the German Bundesliga and a burning desire to try a new challenge. Callum Styles joined on deadline day after the Lions had beaten numerous Championship rivals to his signature.
The club’s start to the Championship campaign was poor. An impressive 2-0 win at home to Stoke City on the opening day of the season did whet the appetite – especially with centre-back Cresswell scoring two goals on his debut – but the Lions ended up losing four of their next six league games and were eliminated from the League Cup by League One outfit Cambridge United in the first round.
Wins against Cardiff City and Blackpool came either side of a nightmarish defeat at home to London rivals Queens Park Rangers in September. But it was a 2-1 defeat at Blackburn Rovers on October 1 that finally prompted boss Gary Rowett to change formation, from a back five to 4-2-3-1.
The improvement was clear from the very first game, as Flemming’s long-range strike helped Millwall earn a point on the road against Rotherham United, the first of five games unbeaten including wins over expected promotion contenders Middlesbrough, Watford and West Brom.
The 4-2 win away at Preston North End was the highlight of their pre-World Cup run, with Flemming’s hat-trick signalling his arrival in the Championship, guiding the Lions into the play-off places ahead of the break and setting them up to return before the rest of the division in their postponed clash against Sunderland. Things did not go to plan, however, and they were handed a 3-0 defeat at the Stadium of Light.
The festive period was hit and miss, with a 2-0 win against Watford on Boxing Day arguably the highlight as seventeen-year-old Romain Esse got his first minutes in a Millwall shirt. They started the new year with a bang by beating Rotherham United 3-0 at The Den, but Sheffield United arrived in SE16 less than a week later and knocked them out of the FA Cup.
Millwall were expected to be busy in the January transfer window, with numerous names linked throughout the month. After Afobe’s departure the Lions agreed a deal for Hibernian centre-forward Kevin Nisbet, but the move fell through. The Lions did bring Oliver Burke back to South London on loan from Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, while Duncan Watmore was signed from Championship rivals Middlesbrough.
Results remained inconsistent until February, when a sensational run of form saw Rowett’s men move up to fifth after earning four points against the top two, with a win against Sheffield United and draw at home to Burnley. Striker Tom Bradshaw was named Championship payer of the month, but the positive mood took a hit before the March international break after a 1-0 home defeat against relegation-threatened Huddersfield Town.
It was their form in April that ultimately derailed their season. Draws against Luton Town and West Brom were far from disastrous, but defeats against Hull City, Birmingham City and Wigan Athletic meant Millwall were holding on to their place in the play-offs by the skin of their teeth. A 3-2 win away at Blackpool on the penultimate match-day weekend saw the play-off race swing back in their favour. At half-time against Blackburn Rovers on Monday, Rowett’s side were fifth. Few could have foreseen then they would finish eighth after a disastrous second half7.
There was something different about Millwall this season, perhaps an expectation for them to be in the top six after three consecutive campaigns when they were close to it. However, when it mattered, they were unable to deliver.
On paper, the Lions had arguably the easiest run-in in the division, making them one of the firm favourites to finally bridge the gap to the play-offs. However, the pressure intensified and perhaps impacted performances, while injuries to the likes of Cresswell, Honeyman and Murray Wallace left them light on numbers.
Deeming their season to be a failure would be harsh, though, especially as they missed out on their goal so narrowly. Their annual improvement certainly continued into this season, but they simply did not have enough to get over the line.
Questions will be asked as to what went wrong, and Rowett has admitted that the next few weeks will be used to analyse the campaign and learn how to improve next season. Millwall didn’t get that out-and-out striker they wanted in January, and injuries late in the campaign didn’t help.
Fans will likely look back on the season with fond memories, be that Millwall’s incredible comeback against Swansea City last August, when they scored twice in injury-time to earn a 2-2 draw, their two wins against Watford or the fact that they had two players hitting double-digit goal tallies in the league in Flemming and Bradshaw. There is no denying that, while the campaign had its ups and downs, it was a lot of fun to be involved in.
Ultimately, it all needs to be backed up by results, and the Lions will undoubtedly be expected to improve and go one further next season.
Photo: Millwall FC