BFTG Millwall

[floyd__streete]

I remember the 'battle' for 7th very clearly. We were in a titanic struggle with Brighton not to come 6th.
We had so many opportunities to get a playoff spot, but didn't take any of them. I cant remember such a weak 6th place in the Championship. Sometimes a manager just has to work with what he's got and, in this particular instance, NA blew it. Nothing to do with finances.

^ This.

[Zana Badawi]

You could have made your point without some of the spin.

Indeed.

[Big Foot]

The Thai regime has enabled NA to start building what he wanted to start 12 months ago but couldn't due to there being no money. Seems, therefore, that his tenure has really only just started...

ALOL - the single biggest piece of bollocks, I've ever read on here

[Silver Fox]

I thought it looked like we had some pretty skillful players last night, imagine what they could do with a competent manager* at the helm**

*ie not Ian Holloway
**

[SCIAG]

Bad resource. Injury hit squad. Oh look, Adkins gets a window without his elbow jogged and it looks much better.
Tell me Floyd.
Did we or did we not finish 7th by a goal?
Did we or did we not fail to add players in a transfer window for the first time ever?
Did we or did we not have financial problems?

We finished 7th by a goal - what do you want for that, a souvenir Wembley t-shirt We failed.

To suggest that last season was anything other than a huge failure would be nonsense. To suggest that financial issues were the primary cause of that failure is excuse-making of the highest order.

Do you think we would have qualified for the playoffs if we'd have been able to use Chris Baird in midfield rather than Hope Akpan, Michael Hector, Jordan Obita or injured players? Billy Sharp as another striking option?

[Muskrat]

Two honest but limited teams going at it. A draw would have been a fair result. First twenty minutes went better than we could have expected then Holloway made his change and the whole complexion of the game changed as well. They dominated from that point onwards and when Norwoods water carrier was subbed his effectiveness was greatly diminished. Our defending was poor for both their goals and they'd probably say the same about ours. Poor old Murray got battered throughout with little or no support but Cox was strong in the no 10 role and took his goals well. Get McCleary, Williams and Karacan back and we'll be looking strong. Still need a more experienced CB to add to the squad though.

Overall a good three points.

[SCIAG]

Bit worrying we do not have anyone to come in for Gunter, who again in my opinion looked poor throughout.

Cox MOTM by a mile, not just his 2 goals but moreso his work rate throughout.

Cummings and Kelly being injured doesn't help, next closest is probably Sean Long, I think it would take a few more dodgy performances for Gunter to be dropped though.

Niall Keown made the bench for the U21s, so he's probably closer to a return than Kelly. If Gunter's form doesn't improve then Keown should be hitting fitness at just the right time.

Otherwise my preference would be for Cooper to come in and Hector to switch to right back.

[teignmouth hoops]

Two honest but limited teams going at it. A draw would have been a fair result. First twenty minutes went better than we could have expected then Holloway made his change and the whole complexion of the game changed as well. They dominated from that point onwards and when Norwoods water carrier was subbed his effectiveness was greatly diminished. Our defending was poor for both their goals and they'd probably say the same about ours. Poor old Murray got battered throughout with little or no support but Cox was strong in the no 10 role and took his goals well. Get McCleary, Williams and Karacan back and we'll be looking strong. Still need a more experienced CB to add to the squad though.

Overall a good three points.

Totally agree with post, Hector is still learning his trade and playing against Fuller is hard work even for an experienced pro, we could do with an old hand on loan, which is probably why they signed Ferdinand, but not sure he will be the answer

[gazzer, loyal royal]

A good game, and probably one we should be winning if we want to get anything out of the league. I thought the first 20 minutes we were excellent, really worrying their defenders and we could have had 4 or 5 at this point. Murray should have got at least one if not two after it was 2-0

We didn't really have an answer for their sub, and their first goal game as we tried to change to 3 up top and no one had a clue where they were playing.

Federici made a couple of decent saves, the double save being as good as you will see all season. Unfortunately he followed this up with getting no where near the ball after coming for a free kick. I always sense he has a howler in him.
Gunter was awful defensively. He was jogging back to his full back and got caught time and time again too far forward. He needs to remember his main job is defending, which is shameful at best at the moment

Thought Cox and Norwood were excellent. Norwood constantly looking for the ball and changing play quickly, and Cox putting a shift in and scoring goals. Akpan looked ok, and complimented Norwood well, he just has awful moments at important times, that puts us under pressure. When Williams is fit i'd like to see Norwood and Williams in the middle

other than that an ok performance, 3 points and we move onto Saturday

[Maguire]

They equalised because Feds blundered. That's luck, isn't it?

That's is not "luck", that's a direct result of the ability of the opposition players.

Pardon? So if Feds rolls out a ball to an opposition player who taps it into an open net, that's the opposition's skill?

The "oppositon players" in the above scenario are the Reading players [Federici]. Simply put, if Reading's goalkeeper isn't good enough to claim a cross that Millwall put in and the Millwall player is good enough to stick it in the net then where's the "luck" in that? That's just football.

Luck might be a free-kick hitting a passing pigeon and dropping in the net but not the goal last night.

[Maguire]

We finished 7th by a goal last season despite having the financial rug pulled out from under us you plank

In the sense that we carried on playing extremely expensive players extremely large salaries?

[melonhead]

manchester united are lucky theyve had all of their success as it means they have more fans than anyone else, and therefore loads of money to buy better players

[Zana Badawi]

I thought it looked like we had some pretty skillful players last night, imagine what they could do with a competent manager* at the helm**

*ie not Ian Holloway
**

*Not Ian Holloway
**Ian Holloway

[Ian Royal]

Bad resource. Injury hit squad. Oh look, Adkins gets a window without his elbow jogged and it looks much better.
Tell me Floyd.
Did we or did we not finish 7th by a goal?
Did we or did we not fail to add players in a transfer window for the first time ever?
Did we or did we not have financial problems?

We finished 7th by a goal - what do you want for that, a souvenir Wembley t-shirt We failed.

To suggest that last season was anything other than a huge failure would be nonsense. To suggest that financial issues were the primary cause of that failure is excuse-making of the highest order.

Lol @ huge failure. Disappointing mild failure under difficult circumstances certainly.

All I'm looking for is recognition that there are degrees of failure. Getting relegated would have been a disastrous failure. Finsihing bottom half would have been a huge failure. Being out ofmthe play off hunt before the season finished would have been a big failure.
And no finances weren't the sole reason for failure. Adkins didn't get the best out of what he had. But he also had big injury problems we're still dealing with to cope with and on top ofmthat an inability to bring in players he needed and wanted to cope with the flaws in the squad that were quite large and he clearly (in hindsight) wasn't at fault for.

But if you want to join the Woodcote bitter and crazy bandwagon go ahead.

[EarleyRoyal16]

Draw would have probably been a fair result, but good teams win when they don't play well. Despite the fact he didn't score still very impressed with Murray, gets into very good areas and causes defenders trouble, can tell he will score bucket loads. Norwood continues to impress me, his vision and accuracy is almost too good for us. Mackie looked a bit weak on the right, no real end product. Need McCleary back as soon as possible. Cox looks better and better with every game, gives 100%, good passer and also good hold up play, 2 good goals for him. Shows a lot of passion as well, can tell he's a local lad, loves the club. Obita was impressive for me again. Him and Blackman (who was also excellent) had a very good understanding down the left, always overlapping one another, hope that partnership continues. Blackman looks a changed player from last season, flowing with confidence, got pace, not scared to take on a man and regularly beats them. Drew the foul for the penalty very nicely. Took it well also. Hector looked a bit weak in the air but still solid, him and Pearce look a very tidy partnership. Have to praise Akpan for Saturday and this game, compliments Norwood really well, still a little error prone but improving, he'll do fine until Williams or Karacan are back. Can't see Guthrie getting a place over Norwood now. At Half time I'd of said Feds for MOTM, made some good saves and the kick for Cox's first was sublime, but not as confident in the second, shown by the error for their second goal, still an outstanding keeper though. Cox MOTM. Obviously.

[RoyallyFcuked]

By no means the finished article but definately, rapidly heading in the right direction. I don't see what the Adkins h8ers and season ticket refuseniks still have to moan about.

Please allow me to enlighten you

A thoroughly piss poor first season and a bit in charge of a Premiership squad he inherited (one that had earned his predecessor MOTM just a month before) and has only just begun to produce performances a level below that I could face watching.

Am I mightily relieved about this? Yes

Am I mightily relieved that FINALLY we are able to compete with the likes of "Parachute Free" Millwall at the right end of the table? Of course

Would I urge our new owners to slap £2m on the Millwall boardroom table by way of compensation in order to swap managers? Like a shot.

You are cLOLueless.

[St. Brynjar]

Just watched the highlights, their second was so, so poor from Federici. Flapping like that could easily cost us this year.

[RoyallyFcuked]

I remember the 'battle' for 7th very clearly. We were in a titanic struggle with Brighton not to come 6th.
We had so many opportunities to get a playoff spot, but didn't take any of them. I cant remember such a weak 6th place in the Championship. Sometimes a manager just has to work with what he's got and, in this particular instance, NA blew it. Nothing to do with finances.

^ This.

LOL @ you two as well. Does it really matter now? Are we not far better equipped to make the play offs (or higher) and possibly go up this season?

I suppose you think McDermott would have done a better job in the situation last season?

[RoyallyFcuked]

Bad resource. Injury hit squad. Oh look, Adkins gets a window without his elbow jogged and it looks much better.
Tell me Floyd.
Did we or did we not finish 7th by a goal?
Did we or did we not fail to add players in a transfer window for the first time ever?
Did we or did we not have financial problems?

We finished 7th by a goal - what do you want for that, a souvenir Wembley t-shirt We failed.

To suggest that last season was anything other than a huge failure would be nonsense. To suggest that financial issues were the primary cause of that failure is excuse-making of the highest order.

Lol @ huge failure. Disappointing mild failure under difficult circumstances certainly.

All I'm looking for is recognition that there are degrees of failure. Getting relegated would have been a disastrous failure. Finsihing bottom half would have been a huge failure. Being out ofmthe play off hunt before the season finished would have been a big failure.
And no finances weren't the sole reason for failure. Adkins didn't get the best out of what he had. But he also had big injury problems we're still dealing with to cope with and on top ofmthat an inability to bring in players he needed and wanted to cope with the flaws in the squad that were quite large and he clearly (in hindsight) wasn't at fault for.

But if you want to join the Woodcote bitter and crazy bandwagon go ahead.

+1

Sometimes you talk sense.

We could even say Adkins did get the best out of what he had, with all the injuries etc. Yes, we could/should have come 6th and didn't, but I'd say that's as much the players fault (if not more) than it is Adkins.

There's a few on here that need to get over themselves and give Adkins a chance, especially now that he has had a half a chance to do what he wants in a transfer window.

[marlowuk]

Sorry - I'm not usually a pedant but I can't stand it anymore!!

Akpan may have complemented Norwood well but none of us know if he complimented (ie made complimentary remarks about) his fellow mid-fielder!!! Pedant mode now off!