Millwall Analysis: How Lions are up against more than just rivals in battle to reach Premier League

MILLWALL’S four-game winning run came to a controversial end against Blackburn Rovers at The Den on Saturday.

The Lions took the led through Luke Cundle’s brilliant goal and that should have been the main thing Lions supporters were talking about in the pubs and on the way home afterwards.

As well as their side being in the top two with eight games left.

Instead, head coach, players and fans were left with a sense of bewilderment after the turning point in the game in the 59th minute when Lions left-back Zak Sturge was sent off.

Michael O’Neill’s side equalised in the 80th minute and scored their winner five minutes from time.

Alex Neil’s Millwall dropped from second to fourth as they couldn’t take advantage of Middlesbrough’s 1-1 draw against Bristol City at the Riverside.

The game reminded everyone connected to the club that the Lions have to beat more than their rivals on the pitch to reach the Premier League.

Millwall struggle in first half

Millwall started brightly with Barry Bannan finding Camiel Neghli in space on the left and Femi Azeez on the right.

Neghli then slipped Tristan Crama into the inside-right channel for a low cross that was cleared.

Blackburn improved after those opening five minutes. They set up in a mid-block and did well to put pressure on the Millwall player in possession.

The Lions didn’t help themselves in possession. There were groans from the crowd when Neghli played the ball inside for Macaulay Langstaff but instead of completing the one-two Langstaff went backwards to Sturge.

Shortly after the above sequence the ball ended up back at the feet of goalkeeper Anthony Patterson and when he kicked the ball straight out of play it elicited an angry response from Neil.

There were other signs that Millwall weren’t fully ‘on’ it. When Langstaff was fouled in front of the technical areas Jake Cooper and Crama were on their way forward only for Millwall to take a short free-kick. The ball, again, ended up back at the feet of Patterson.

Rovers boss O’Neill is also in charge of Northern Ireland. They are an inferior side to most of the teams they face. O’Neill has experience in setting up a side to frustrate opponents who are favourites in a game. His sides can make things scrappy and awkward. “They’re just starting to come into the game,” Millwall TV co-commentator Brian Horne said just past the ten-minute mark. Horne added: “I just want us to be positive, play the free-flowing football we have seen and get the first goal.”

Blackburn’s wide players worked exceptionally hard. They didn’t want full-backs Sturge and Danny McNamara time to play the ball into the channels for Neghli, Azeez, or for Josh Coburn to gain possession high up the pitch. Here, Ryoya Morishita sprints to close down Sturge and block the attempted ball forward:

Despite being on a four-game winning run, the Lions, for whatever reason, just didn’t have the positivity Horne wanted to see. There is another example of that here. Sturge can play the ball inside to Barry Bannan in space. Bannan is calling for it. Neghli, who had sprinted ahead of Sturge and received the left-back’s pass before playing it back to him, is telling Sturge to play it to Bannan. Neghli is ready to make another run forward to provide a passing option in that instance for Bannan. Instead, Sturge passes the ball back to Billy Mitchell and the momentum is gone from the move.

“It’s important Millwall don’t become frustrated,” Millwall TV commentator Karl Bates said. “As long as they keep possession, take their time, wait for the opening…”

Neil makes tactical changes

Neil had seen enough at half-time. Millwall hadn’t registered an attempt let alone a shot on goal. They had zero successful crosses from five efforts.

Rovers won 71 per cent of the aerial duels. Coburn needed help against the visitors’ back three.

McNamara was replaced with Mihailo Ivanovic and Cundle came on for Langstaff.

Neil changed formation, with Neghli and Azeez (highlighted) the wing-backs and a back three of Crama, Cooper and Sturge:

Neil wanted Azeez in particular to go one-on-one with Yuri Ribeiro. It initially made a difference when early in the second half Azeez crossed and Bannan had Millwall’s first shot on target, forcing Balazs Toth a save.

Millwall’s goal also came from the right, when Azeez crossed and Cundle finished with an overhead-kick.

Neil wanted more energy from his side after a flat first half and moments after the goal Coburn and Ivanovic were pressuring opponents. Coburn played a pass across to Neghli with the pitch open in front of him. He fired his shot narrowly wide of the right-hand post but this was much more like it from Millwall.

Controversial decision changes outcome

Neil said the changes were “justified” but we weren’t allowed to know if they would help yield three points.

That’s because referee Andrew Kitchen intervened.

We’ve all heard a commentator say a player “has given the referee a decision to make” when they have made a rash challenge. One that could go either way and a reasonable argument could be made to back the referee’s decision whichever way he has gone.

This wasn’t even anywhere near that threshold. There is so much mitigation for the referee not to give the red card. Cooper is right there as the last man, not Sturge. Cooper is not easy to miss. Yuki Ohashi’s first touch had taken him away from goal towards the covering Neghli. It isn’t as if he is just about the shoot inside the penalty area. How Kitchen thought it was a red card is baffling.

“I’m stunned,” Bates said. His initial reaction was one shared by everyone and replays showed it was the only logical reaction.

Neil sent on Joe Bryan to play as the left-sided centre-back and the move meant the Lions lost the creative presence, experience and calmness of Bannan. All qualities that would have been called for in the circumstances but Neil’s hand was forced and the 36-year-old had to make way as younger legs were required.

Azeez and Neghli as wing-backs in an eleven-man team was already an attacking risk but now against ten men Blackburn could go and take the initiative. They had already looked dangerous with balls into the box in the first half and their threat grew as the second half went on and the home side tired.

Rovers substitute Mathias Jorgensen finally got the rewards for the visitors with two goals and O’Neill said his side were deserved winners. He was probably right based on the chances Rovers created - they had 20 attempts - but he also acknowledged his side had got their slice of luck with the sending-off.

There was more fortune when Azeez was blatantly fouled on the edge of the box or just inside it and nothing was given.

https://twitter.com/Becksabelle/status/2032875877667643410?s=20

After a week when Millwall were charged over chants and the threat of ground closure hung over them, this kind of decision from Kitchen only fed the feeling of the establishment taking a harsher view when it comes to Millwall. If all chants were punished all over the country the football headlines would contain nothing but threats of ground closures and fines daily.

Millwall weren't at their best but Neil proactively changed it at half-time. His side were denied the chance to press home their superiority early in the second half.

It looks like Millwall will have to overcome more than just their promotion rivals to reach the Premier League as officialdom seems determined to make it all the more difficult.