Millwall embraced risk to evolve from ‘smash-and-grabs’ to playing teams off the park

By Tom Appleby

ON 30 December 2024, Millwall appointed Alex Neil as their new manager.

The decision followed a dire patch of form in the run-up to the New Year. The Lions had won just one in their last nine, scoring five goals in the process.

Neil inherited a squad in a transitional phase. Older players like Shaun Hutchinson and Murray Wallace were approaching the end of their careers, while young talent signed the previous summer, like Mihailo Ivanovic and Femi Azeez, were still finding their feet.

To complicate matters, two and a half weeks after Neil’s appointment, the club sold their most dynamic forward, Romain Esse, to Crystal Palace.

The problems that preceded the Scot persisted at the beginning of his tenure. The Lions struggled to find results, losing 1-0 in consecutive home games to Oxford United and Hull City, and conceding a last-minute equaliser to relinquish a two-goal lead at home against Cardiff City.

The second half of January saw an uptick in form. The Lions recorded three consecutive wins against Luton, Portsmouth and QPR. But instead of impressing with style, the team succeeded in grinding out narrow wins.

Looking back on this period, Neil told NewsAtDen : “You need the short-term fix to get you there. People talk a lot about philosophies and implementing styles of play. The simple fact is, when you take a job as a young coach, you need to win…If you get longevity, you can start to introduce how you want the club, and how you want the team, in particular, to look.”

As the season continued, Neil oversaw a gradual improvement in form, with goals from Ivanovic and Josh Coburn helping the team pick up points. Nevertheless, the complete blueprint of The Lions’ 2025-26 team was not yet visible.

The preference for results over performances was perhaps best encapsulated by their win at Bramall Lane on 8 April. Sheffield United, chasing Leeds and Burnley in their bid for automatic promotion, were clear favourites before the game.

However, the Lions left Yorkshire with a 1-0 win, which would not unfairly be referred to as a 'smash-and-grab'.

The home side had 25 shots to the visitors’ seven, more than twice as many touches in the opposition box and 66 per cent possession. Michael Cooper only had to make one save, compared to Lukas Jensen’s six.

Though, as the adage goes, the only important statistic is the scoreline.

Nevertheless, the limitations of this style, combined with a lack of strength in depth, meant that Millwall ultimately fell short. The 3-1 loss to Burnley on the final day confirmed the club’s second-tier status for another year. Though it cemented a respectable eighth-place finish, the heartbreak was palpable.

Flash forward to January 2026. Millwall travelled to Hertfordshire to face Watford. While the result was similar, a 2-0 win, the manner of the performance highlighted the transformative impact that Neil had had on his team in his second season in charge.

The visitors outperformed the home side on xG by 1.48 to 0.54. They had more shots (thirteen to nine), almost twice as many touches in the opposition box, while the possession was relatively even (Millwall had 44 per cent). More than that, the Lions bullied Watford off the park, with aggression, physicality, organisation and that final bit of quality in the final third.

The match exemplified the contrast in approach under Neil’s maiden and second season. While in the 2024-25 campaign, the team preferred to churn out results against teams, this season, the Lions have been much more forward-thinking and aggressive in their style of play.

The departure of Esse, while initially appearing to hinder the team, opened up funding for significant investment. The club signed eight players that January, including the record addition of Camiel Neghli and the excellent Tristan Crama. They followed that up with more key signings in the summer, signing Zak Sturge and Josh Coburn permanently and adding Alfie Doughty and Caleb Taylor.

Part of Neil’s tactical success has been his direct approach and his preference for quick transitions. Millwall have played the most forward balls and have the third-highest number of fast breaks in the league.

Safe, slow build-up is sacrificed for high-risk attacking play, meaning that the team is 21st for total passes and 22nd for successful passes. While attacks often break down, when they get through, they are effective at creating dangerous opportunities.

“My element to risk is probably the highest [on the coaching staff]. Risk is pretty much where I live,” said Neil.

“I want to be adventurous and go and try to win the game, and sometimes it has cost us games. It's got us a few really bad results. But I do believe that all the successes we've had to this point have been based on that way of thinking.”

The team has shunned playing out from the back, preferring to launch attacks directly. Patterson frequently plays the ball high to Coburn or Ivanovic, who knock it down for Casper De Norre and Billy Mitchell. The two central midfielders are adept at winning second balls and ensuring that the team retains possession high up the pitch.

Another aspect of Millwall’s playing style is their aggressive pressing. PPDA (Passes Per Defensive Action) measures pressing intensity by counting how many passes a team allows the opponent to make in the final/middle thirds before attempting a defensive action (a tackle, interception, or foul).

Only Sheffield United have a lower PPDA than Millwall, whose score of 11.1 indicates the intensity of their press out of possession. Similarly, the Lions have recorded 259 turnovers of play, the highest in the Championship.

The manager is clearly satisfied with the club’s current direction. “The lads have got a great understanding now of how we play, whether it's with the ball or without the ball,” he said.

For Neil, the performances last campaign were necessary to achieve the short-term success which, in turn, would enable the team to develop tactically in the current season.