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Lions denied a point as Watford grab late winner at The Den

Millwall’s Championship season began in dramatic fashion with a 3-2 defeat at home to Watford, decided by a late goal in a thrilling encounter at The Den.

The match was marked by an emotional tribute to former Millwall goalkeeper Matija Sarkic, who tragically passed away at the age of 26 over the summer. Both sets of players and fans came together to honor his memory before kick-off.

First Half

The Lions started brightly, with Joe Bryan delivering dangerous balls into the box and Tom Bradshaw drawing a foul from Francisco Sierralta, resulting in an early yellow card for the Watford defender. However, Millwall failed to capitalize on the subsequent free-kick, setting the tone for a frustrating afternoon.

Despite Millwall’s strong start, Watford began to assert themselves midway through the first half, with Moussa Sissoko dominating the midfield. The breakthrough came in the 22nd minute when Edo Kayembe’s looping corner found its way directly into the net, catching Millwall goalkeeper Lukas Jensen off guard and giving the visitors the lead.

Millwall nearly responded immediately, but Bradshaw’s header went wide and George Honeyman’s effort hit the post, with Ryan Porteous clearing the rebound off the line to preserve Watford’s advantage.

Second Half

Millwall’s misfortune continued after the break, as George Saville was denied by the woodwork from a Honeyman free-kick. Then, in the 55th minute, Watford doubled their lead through Giorgi Chakvetadze, who unleashed a stunning 30-yard free-kick that left Jensen with no chance.

Refusing to surrender, Millwall pushed forward, and substitute Aidomo Emakhu injected some energy into the side. Emakhu’s cross in the 74th minute found Duncan Watmore, who fired in off the crossbar to pull one back for the Lions.

The momentum was firmly with Millwall, and they completed their comeback two minutes from time when Watmore scored again, slotting home George Saville’s pass to level the match at 2-2.

However, the home side’s joy was short-lived. In the dying moments, Watford substitute Rajovic headed in a deflected cross to snatch a 3-2 victory for the visitors, leaving Millwall to rue their missed opportunities and defensive lapses.

 

 

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Lions host Watford LIVE!

Follow all the action from The Den as the EFL returns.

 

The Lins are at home to Watford today as the Championship season kicks off. Millwall will pay tribute to former goalkeeper Matija Sarkic who tragically passed away during the summer aged just 26.

You can follow all the action in our live blog.

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Kickoff at The Den: Millwall Hosts Watford in Championship Opener

Millwall will be looking to start their Championship campaign strongly as they face Watford at The Den tomorrow.

The day will be emotionally charged, with a special tribute planned for their late goalkeeper Matija Sarkic, who tragically passed away this summer at just 26 years old. Sarkic’s family will be in attendance, and a video tribute will precede a minute’s applause to honor his memory.

Team News

 

Millwall has several key players missing for the opener:

  • Murray Wallace is out after suffering an injury in a pre-season match against Nottingham Forest.
  • Zian Flemming will miss at least the first week due to a calf injury, but there’s hope he might return before the international break.
  • Billy Mitchell is sidelined with a quad issue.
  • Japhet Tanganga is suspended following a red card on the last day of the previous season against Swansea.

 

Watford also have their own absentees:

  • Wesley Hoedt is out with a knee injury.
  • Yaser Asprilla, who has been the subject of transfer speculation, has been given an extra week’s leave after his participation in the Copa America.

Form

Millwall had a solid if unspectacular pre-season, with wins against Charlton, Bromley, Reading, and Real Murcia but defeats to Nottingham Forest and Southampton. However, they ended last season in excellent form, winning eight of their last 13 games, including the final five in a row.

Watford, on the other hand, had a frustrating pre-season with just two wins. The squad appears unbalanced, and there’s still work to be done in the transfer market. Despite this, Tom Cleverley has provided some stability since taking over.

Predicted Millwall XI

 

  • Jensen: McNamara, Cooper, Hutchinson, Bryan: Saville, De Norre: Esse, Honeyman, Watmore, Bradshaw

 

 

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Report: Gillingham 0 Millwall 0

Millwall started their pre-season campaign with a 0-0 at Gillingham.

In a debut match for new Lions goalkeeper Lukas Jensen, both Japhet Tanganga and Macauley Langstaff were absent from the squad, alongside Zian Flemming.

Millwall faced an early contest with Josh Andrews and Jake Cooper as the hosts started stronger. Set up in Neil Harris’ preferred 4-4-2 formation, Millwall’s strikers had little action in the first 20 minutes. However, young player Tom Leahy impressed by constantly pressuring the home defenders.

The first significant chance came in the 11th minute when Remeao Hutton outmaneuvered Joe Bryan on the left and crossed to Jayden Clark, who, pressured by Kamarl Grant, headed over. In the 22nd minute, a corner from George Honeyman saw Cooper head wide. Shortly after, Bryan’s skillful touch from George Saville’s pass set up Romain Esse, but he couldn’t finish Bryan’s cross.

Gillingham had a break in the 36th minute resulting in a free-kick after Grant fouled Andrews, but Jack Nolan’s shot went wide. The second half brought many changes for both teams, with only Esse, Honeyman, and Kevin Nisbet remaining from Millwall’s first-half lineup.

The introduction of Aidomo Emakhu added pace to Millwall’s attack. The Ireland under-21 international combined well with Esse and struck the crossbar. Shortly after, he missed another shot wide following a pass from Nisbet.

Millwall’s trialist goalkeeper in the second half made a crucial save, stopping a deflected strike from Elliott Nevitt.

Tom Bradshaw, introduced midway through the second half had two chances but headed both opportunities wide, moments later Emakhu was denied again by Gillingham veteran Glenn Morris.

Image: Millwall FC

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Former Millwall boss back in management at former club

Former Millwall boss Gary Rowett is back in football management at one of former clubs.

 

Rowett, who left Millwall in October last year, just shy of his four year anniversary in charge has taken over Birmingham City until the end of the season.

Current boss Tony Mowbray has been absent from the Blues since mid February after taking a break for treatment on an unnamed illness. His deputy Mark Venus has been in charge since. Mowbray will take a formal medical absence with Venus also stepping aside until the start of next season.

Rowett is no stranger to Birmingham having played for the club and also managed them between 2014 and 2016 before being sacked with the club outside the play-off places on goal difference.

The former Stoke boss will be the fifth different person to lead the side this season after John Eustace, Wayne Rooney, Mowbray and Venus.

The Blues have collapsed since the departure of Eustace. They were in the play-offs when he was sacked and replaced by Rooney. They have not won since a 2-1 victory over Sunderland in what proved to be Mowbray’s final game before he took time away for his health.

Rowett has eight games to keep the Midlands side in the Championship, they currently sit in 21st and are outside the relegation places on goal difference alone.

 

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Report: Millwall 1 Watford 0

Millwall recorded back-to-back wins for the first time this year as they overcame Watford 1-0 at The Den.

 

Zian Flemming’s eighth goal of the season gave the Lions the lead inside three minutes to kick off Neil Harris’s return in the best possible fashion.

The Lions were forced to battle but defended their lives to secure a vital win in their battle against relegation.

Millwall got themselves in front inside three minutes. Flemming’s 25-yard free-kick took a big deflection and beat former Charlton goalkeeper Ben Hamer.

Watford’s first attempt came in the 7th minute. Vakoun Bayo broke through but fired his effort into the side netting.

In the 25th minute, a quick break from Millwall allowed Flemming to slip in Michael Obafemi; the on-loan Burnley man spotted Hamer off his line and tried his luck, but his effort from around 35 yards was well wide of the target.

Hamer was giving his defence nightmares as he came out of his area to deal with a long ball forward, missed the ball, and Duncan Watmore was away, but his shot hit the base of the post; there was a defender on the line who may have got contact.

As the half wore on, the visitors had more and more of the ball, and Millwall needed to be better in possession. However, out of possession, we were dealing with the Watford threats.

Yaser Asprilla curled an effort towards a goal at the half-hour mark, but Lions stopper Matija Sarkic saved his shot well. Three minutes later, Wesley Hodet curled a free-kick over the bar.

Watford started the second half on top, keeping the ball but doing little with it. Jamal Lewis was finding some joy; he found Bayo, but he skewed his effort wide of the far post. Ken Sema also missed an excellent opportunity as the hour mark was reached.

Ismael Kone and Jake Livermore had efforts; the latter was straight at Sarkic.

The Lions held on for a win that keeps them a point above the bottom three after wins for QPR, Sheffield Wednesday and Stoke.

Image: Millwall FC

 

 

 

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Millwall set to be without key figure for another “few weeks”

Millwall are set to be without Shaun Hutchinson for another few weeks.

 

The Lions club captain has not featured since he scored the winner in the 1-0 win at Bristol City on New Year’s Day.

Speaking to the South London Press Millwall head coach Joe Edwards confirmed that the former Fulham defender was still a ‘few weeks away.’

“Hutch is still a few weeks away, I think he is aiming to rejoin training properly in the next couple of weeks and see how that goes.

“Then it is a case when we get him back out on the training pitch, of building him back up. We have to be quite conservative in how we build him back up, given what has happened to him.

Hutchinson has been a huge miss for Millwall, having made just nine league appearances all season. The Lions have won eight games in the Championship this season – Hutchinson started in four of those underlining his importance to the side.

“Hutch is club captain and very experienced – he knows what it takes to play for Millwall. And even in this recent period, which has been difficult for us as a group, Hutchy has shared his experience with a lot of the younger and newer players – that this club has been in tougher times before, that you kind of have to step up and face it.

“My most successful period here as the coach was that Christmas period where Hutch played well against Norwich and then again against Bristol City. He was a big part of what that backline was doing – he is a big miss, for sure.”

Image: Millwall FC

 

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Report: Millwall 0 Sheffield Wed 2 – Lions plunged further into the relegation mire

Millwall were plunged deeper into relegation trouble after Sheffield Wednesday ran out comfortable 2-0 winners at The Den.

 

Goals from Ike Ugbo and Anthony Musaba sealed a vital win for Danny Rohl’s side, who closed the gap on the Lions to just four points.

After QPR’s win at Bristol City, the Lions are now one point outside the bottom three.

Wednesday took the lead in the 31st minute with the game’s first effort on target. Ryan Leonard was nutmegged by Musaba, who crossed for Ike Ugbo, who beat Murray Wallace to the ball at the back post and finished past Matija Sarkic.

Ugbo went close to a second in the 39th minute, slicing a shot wide of the far post.

The Owls doubled their lead before the break—another soft goal. Barry Bannan was allowed to play a simple ball into Musaba, and he shot across Sarkic and into the bottom corner.

Zian Flemming’s shot in the 54th minute forced a save from Wednesday stopper James Beadle as Millwall tried to force their way back into the game. Three minutes later, the Dutchman was denied again by Beadle.

Substitute Duncan Watmore came close to pulling one back as he beat two defenders before being denied by Beadle, as the visitors were happy to sit in and wait for Millwall to break them down.

That failed to happen, and despite trying to create chances, Millwall could not find a way past Beadle.

The result intensifies the pressure on head coach Joe Edwards, as it’s now one point taken from the last 21 available.

 

Image: Millwall FC

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Millwall, where does the blame lie? The Board, Players or is Joe Edwards and his team?

 

Where does the blame lie?

 

In the latest episode of ‘Chat with Chapz’ rather than the usual deep dive into the latest game, ‘Chapz’ looks at the problems both on and off the pitch which have resulted in the lions being 21st in the league with only 4 points keeping us out of the relegation zone.

The debate has rolled on since the damaging defeat on Wednesday night, whether the board, Joe Edwards, the players or a combination of all 3 are the main cause of issues surrounding the club. Chapz points out and goes into detail on;

– The boards lack of nous in the transfer market which has seen us struggling to recoup any transfer funds over recent times and lack of investment in the playing squad

– Joe Edwards and his struggles to implement the style of football he wants to with the group of players at his disposal (and seemingly unable or unwilling to change from that style)

– The worrying statistics that have led to the lions slipping further down the table including one that has gone on over 16 months!

– The worrying form and ability of the playing squad, specifically Jake Cooper, Matija Sarkic and the curious case of Alan Campbell

– The lack of experience in key areas across the club’s management and recruitment teams

Plus, much much more!

The underlying message and tone from Chapz, is one of deep concern and worry that this will be our last season in The Championship, Joe Edwards is perhaps the right manger at the wrong time and there’s substantial evidence and reasoning as to why we are in trouble both on and off the pitch.

Do you agree with Chapz? Is there any one area/individual that deserves take more of the blame right now? Is there any hope left for the lions?

Let us know in the comments below!