The Will Scott column: Ipswich stalemate is the latest proof that Millwall are where they belong

A strange theme has emerged in the past few games.

Millwall have started three out of their last four matches (Ipswich Town, Blackburn Rovers, Hull City) very slowly before looking transformed after the break.

They were no different on the weekend, being put under the cosh for 45 minutes by a very strong Ipswich side, who eventually broke through via the incredibly talented Jack Clarke (he ran the entire game, was probably the best individual performance I have seen this season).

Neil changed personnel, as he did against Blackburn and Hull, made a few important tactical alterations, and Millwall improved immediately, scoring within five minutes.

As the half went on and Neil drip-fed more fresh legs into the match, the advantage slowly but surely shifted in Millwall's favour, and they were the ones more likely to snatch it at the end, with Mihailo Ivanovic denied by the crossbar.

What took them so long to click into gear?

Neil did address the discrepancy with his usual openness in his post-match presser.

Part of it was nerves. Neil has spoken about how the whole team has sensed the increased expectancy on them this season, especially in the latter half as they won match after match, and despite the consistent line from the players that they took it game by game and each was important as each other, clearly, this particular game had more riding on it.

I billed it as a potentially season-defining clash in several articles I wrote in the lead-up to the clash, and I would be surprised if at least some of that thinking was not rattling around the back of their brains.

Win? They are firmly in the top-two race with the chance to then put distance between themselves and Boro after the international break. Lose, and their automatic promotion chances would be so severely dented (Ipswich would be three points clear with a game in hand), they would be looking over their shoulder at seventh rather than upwards.

Moreover, playing away at a packed-out stadium against a squad that cost circa £200 million and has top-quality talent across the starting eleven is always a nerve-inducing prospect.

I thought that manifested more on the ball than off. The few chances they did have were snatched at or ended with the wrong final pass, and there were a few times that they needlessly turned it over when they regained the ball or in transition (especially in the build-up to Clarke's goal, poor from both Tristan Crama and Femi Azeez).

Defensively, they were mostly solid - aside from Ivan Azon's snapshot that forced out a remarkable save from Anthony Patterson, Ipswich did not create a huge amount before Clarke's goal.

It was more like watching a boa constrictor slowly choke a goat than a Lion pouncing on a hapless gazelle.

That leads nicely into the second reason - Ipswich were just very good.

They dominated every area of the pitch other than Millwall's box. They consistently found the spare man while building up from the back, (often spotted the striker Azon dropping deep and the wingers splitting really wide, creating a huge amount of space in the middle), held onto it well, then strangled the Lions' attempts to get on the ball through aggressive pressing, winning aerial duels and second balls when Millwall were forced to go long.

Their midfield put in a clinic, especially Azor Matusiwa, who did not look particularly quick, but no one could get near him, while they had the quality of Clarke to get them up the pitch in transition and create those moments.

If Ipswich were so good, why did they look a bit more cagey in the second half?

Well, as Neil has always pointed out (he joked last week that football is like playing golf, but someone is trying to nick your club), football is not played in a vacuum.

Neil responded to what was going on.

Ever the risk-taker, he went ultra-aggressive out of possession: Bielsa-style man-to-man pressing, and brought on a second big striker to help the ball stick when it went forward.

It is a very physically intensive style of play, hence why Neil waited until half-time to switch to it (also, going a goal behind was a factor), and it is risky, potentially leaving acres of space to exploit if someone gets beaten.

But it worked. Ipswich found it harder to progress the ball, Millwall held onto it and started to get into good positions in the final third.

Neil had his reward within five minutes after a wonderful bit of individual play from Camiel Neghli and another well-timed run by Josh Coburn, who looks more and more confident by the day.

Ipswich looked a bit unsettled in that second half, often letting themselves down in transition with the wrong pass or a lack of quality.

Portman Road started to get unsettled, and in the final ten minutes, it was pretty much all Millwall. Had Ivanovic's effort crept under the crossbar, then we would be talking about this game very, very differently.

It is a very clear sign that standards have changed that a point away at a side that spent £50 million combined in the last two windows came via a back-and-forth battle rather than a smash-and-grab, and was not celebrated like a win.

Sure, Neil was pleased with the result, and most fans would have taken it had they been told at the start of the day, but it was not viewed as the result of the season. Just a hard-fought draw against another good team in the division.

That is where Millwall are these days. They are not just the scrappy, plucky underdog who can endeavour their way to the odd win, but will ultimately look out of their depth when the big boys come around.

They are rightfully a team that others have to be concerned about, a team with top-quality players who make opposition managers nervous.

I still maintain it is far too early to call anything, but they are and have been treated as a play-off side by the division, external media, and even the Premier League (Millwall have been in regular meetings with their officials about making the step up, logistics of it, etc, as have other top-six teams).

There are still seven more games to go, and with the likes of Wrexham and Derby County surging, nothing is a given, but the manner in which they have become part of the furniture at the top of the table has been impressive.

Ipswich was just the latest example of how Millwall have evolved for the better over the past couple of years (following several other signs: improved financial accounts, finally officially signing the 999-year lease).