Rotherham 2 Millwall 1 Championship Game 34 att:10,329 (away 1300)

Yet another defeat and Ian Holloway's popularity within the travelling support and the rest of us is on the floor. After taking the lead in this game by a Martyn Woolford goal we conceded within the first two minutes in the second half and went on to lose the game and we are now are six points adrift of Rotherham and a non-relegation spot.
1300 Millwall went to this game and were roaring the Lions on from the very start and were rewarded with yet again a defeat. It did get a bit lively at Rotherham and looking at the pictures in the papers the Yorkshire police were really keen to wave their batons around. There was no arrests.

Last five.....Brighton 37 pts, Rotherham 37 pts, Millwall 31 pts, Wigan 28, Blackpool 33 pts

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Beware  it's not good reading

24/2/15 Millwall 1 Sheffield Wednesday 3 Championship Game 33, att:8,568 (1001)

LAST HOME WIN 25TH OCTOBER 2014, THIS IS NOT MILLWALL

The worst home record since we have been in the football league

One day it may be jolly to go down the Den again but as for now it's soul destroying. Dare I say it "I want my Millwall back"

Do I really need to go through the memories of this game and recall the pathetic way we gave up the game and gave it to the leagues lowest scorers Sheffield Wednesday on a plate. If  I am bothering to write a Millwall blog you have to take the rough with the smooth and at the moment its all rough so I will still have to, so here goes.

Last 10 league games L L L D W L W L D L

We try but just not good enough to win at home

We dominated much of the first half and could have been at 3-0 up as Lee Gregory had a decent effort and Gary Taylor-Fletcher our recent loan signing on another day could have scored a couple but in this game and for most of this season no one seems to be able to put the ball away. Sheffield Wednesday scored in the 53rd minute against the run of play and from that point disaster struck. Ian Holloway changed formation with three at the back and it all went down hill from there. Ian Holloway has done this three at the back bollocks before and it don't suit us,  it hardly worked then and it didn't work now.

Half time smoke. After a decent first half I was looking forward to going back in

Holloway apologises after the game for the failure of this tactic but apologises do not give us the three points. We were doing alright apart from conceded the first goal and could have pulled the game back playing as we had been in the first half,  but as I said earlier he made changes that he knew had failed in the past and yes it was dismal then and it was dismal now. The players looked flummoxed  in as much as they didn't know where they were playing on the pitch and the lowest goal scoring team in the Championship put three goals past us and that was that. A low Lions crowd had turned out for this game which was 7,567 if you knock a 1000 off the total for the good size mid-week away support. When the final whistle blew there was a lot less in the Den as most of the Wall had already gone home. Ian Holloway got of light with the abuse.

Deigo Fabbrini's late goal was well taken and one like that at Rotherham Saturday may help keep us in this division

Millwall: Forde, Abdou(Gueye 74), Harding, Dunne, Hooiveld, Williams, Tonge, Woolford(O'Brien 50), Fabbrini, Taylor-Fletcher, Gregory(Fuller 63),
subs not used, King, Upson, Beevers, Nelson

Goal: Fabbrini 90

Sheffield Wednesday: Kirkland, Palmer, Lees, Zayatte, Maghoma(Helan 90), Lee, Dielna, Semoda, McGuyan(Hutchinson 74), Keane(May 80), Nuhia

Goals: McGugan 52, Nuhiu 72, May 83

Millwall 0 Fulham 0 Championship Game 32 21/2/15 att:12,707

London Derby

I said after the Leeds game that I fancied us for this one. I would have been right if we had somebody who could stick the ball in the net. There's no other word for it "hopeless" because that's what we are, there must be a foggy haze around the oppositions goal and we can't penetrate it.  We are keeping clean sheets or losing to the odd goal so we have sorted out the defence but although we came very close and on two occasions Lee Gregory messed up a couple of chances to bury the ball with his feet and with head. Because of the way we play we do not get too many chances and when we do somebody's got a bury them or at the very least direct them towards goal.

As I said, we were lacking quality up front to get something from this game, Gregory missed when he should have scored and a cracking shot from Michael Tonge whistled past the post after it was somewhat deflected by a Fulham defender. It was so close it took the paint off the post.
Fulham did not produce much their-selves and for a ex Premiership club with Premiership players and Premiership money we restricted them to very little and I cannot remember Forde having to do much apart from a save that looked a bit flappy from behind the goal but seeing it on the telly hi-lights it was a good save.

Ricardo Fuller done something I have never seen before at the Den he managed to get the ball over the roof of the Cold Blow Lane Stand while attempting a shot or something. He managed this when the ball come to him from such a height it had snow on it. If you study the picture below you can see Fuller who is on the  left as you look at the picture and the ball is way up high before he whacked it over the roof

SPOT THE BALL

With the ball coming back from Mars Ricardo Fuller sets himself  up for a moon shot

That's 31 points and we are still third from bottom and a three point gap between us and Brighton who won their game 4-3

Leeds 1 Millwall 0, Championship Game 31, 14/2/15, att: 24,000, (voucher restricted away 180)

The West Yorkshire Police discriminate against us once again and only 180 Wall supporters can be bothered with the hag of going to this game 

A lucky deflection secures a 1-0 win for Leeds and I presume they went home happy 

We finished strong in this game and we was unlucky not to come away with a point as our second half performance should have got us something. We had little to offer in the first half and really didn't produce much and I suppose if Leeds were a good side they would have scored more. At least we could improve and take it up a gear but Leeds may be lacking on that front.

Martyn Woolford who was going to join Leeds but the move was blocked by the clubs owner because he had never heard of him played the full 90 minutes and is back in the team putting in good performances. He would have scored in this game but a divot came to Leeds rescue as Woolford's shot cleared the bar after some good work from Lee Gregory. With a couple of minutes to go Ricardo Fuller crafted a opening that just went by the outside of the post after some good work dribbling around three challenges in the penalty box, on another day he may well have scored. That's still 30 points and not much damage done to our place within the bottom three.

Millwall: Forde, Cummings, Dunne, Hooiveld, Harding, Angel, Williams, Woolford, Fabbrini (Fuller 60), Martinez (Upson 60), Maierhofer (Gregory 45), 

subs not used, Archer, Beevers, Abdou, O'Brien

Leeds: Silvestri, Wootten, Bamba, Bellusci, C.Taylor. Bryam, Austin (Antenucci 70), Murphy, Cook, Mowatt, Morison.

subs not used, Taylor, Berardi, Sloth, Adryan, Sharp, Cani

Goal: Mowatt 39

Our next game is at home to Fulham and another chance to stop this dismal run of not winning at home. This is our home record since we beat Cardiff at home on the 25th of October,
D 2-2,  L 2-3,  L 1-5,  L 0-1,  L 0-2,  L 1-3,  D 0-0,  L 1-3 that's dismal, we must improve.

Birmingham 0 Millwall 1 10/2/15 Tuesday night att: 14,186

Oh' The Wonder Of Following Millwall FC

The player that some supporters love to hate scored the winning goal, Alan Dunne

There was such disappointment after losing at home to Huddersfield considering we had won away at Nottingham Forest the game before but this fine win goes some way to bring back the joy of supporting the Wall and especially to win away at a place where we have not won since 1968, a time when Hey Jude by the Beatles was number one on Top Of The Pops and I was pulling birds working on the fairgrounds, happy days.

Happy days then and happy days now and I will live off this win for at least to next Saturday. when it's Leeds away. It would be mind blowing joy if we pulled off a win there as well. I must not get carried away, must I. Excuse me, I'm just blowing the froth of a few.

***

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Millwall 1 Huddersfield 3, 7/2/15, Championship Game 29, att:10,281 (AWAY 586)

   They lift you up(occasionally) and drop you down with a massive thump (frequently)

A decent ten man display against Reading secured us a point and then the win against Forest set us up nicely for this game. I fancied us for this one and I was sure that the team would perform today and give us a home win which is something that we have not had since the 25th of October last year. This sad home record is not Millwall and it looks like the players or some of the players are not free in their play. Perhaps it's us, perhaps they can sense the pressure. I would like to be able to say it's not us but the way we succumb to Huddersfield's mediocre attacking display at times was a comedy of errors and it was like the players were "flapping" especially when Huddersfield scored their second.

Going in, I felt as I was walking in around the Den that it just wasn't me that thought that this could well be the win that we had been waiting for.

Anyway how wrong we were, we lost this game due to errors but not just errors. We all make mistakes but playing against ten men for the last 40 minutes and not really threatening Huddersfield's goal was way off what is required of a Millwall side especially when playing at home. Pitiful really.

The Hof scored and played his normal game, occasionally winning a header and making his presence known in and around the oppositions box. Huddersfield finished us off scoring from the spot with ten minutes to go and the Den emptied, as I was the last one out I turned off the lights and kicked the clubs feral cat on the way out.

A brief moment of joy as Stefan Maierhofer scores from close in

It's Birmingham away Tuesday night and I'm saying nothing apart from "you never know, less pressure away"

Millwall: Forde, Cummings, Dunne, Hooiveld, Beevers, Abdou, Williams, Upson(Gregory), Fabbrini, Gueye(Woolford), Maierhofer(Fuller),
subs not used, Archer, Tonge, Webster, Harding,

Goal: Maierhofer 28

Huddersfield: Smithies, Edgar, Hudson, Wallace, Robinson, Scannell, Coady, Butterfield, Bunn(Cobern), Wells, Vaughan(Miller)
subs not used, Lolley, Allinson, Wilkinson, Majewski, Wright

Goals: Scannell 17, Butterfield 74 Vaughan 86(pen)

The January Sales

The January Window

Ian Holloway,  we need more options and we need these options quickly

Millwall sign Paris Hall-Cowan from Wycombe Wanderers on a two and a half year deal. He's quick and can score regular.

Paul Robinson who is on loan at Portsmouth has his contract terminated and is free to negotiate a deal elsewhere. I am sorry to see him go, a proper Millwall player that always gave all in is quiet and controlled manner. He also scored a few goals and some were "big" goals, promotion etc.  I think that I would have liked to see him stay. I know he lost a bit after is long term injury but I don't think he was any worse than we have.

>Scott Malone looks like he will be leaving and signing for Cardiff. Perhaps he will do well there.
Scott Malone signs for Cardiff  8/1/15

>Josh Wright goes to Leyton Orient on a free

<31 year old Dan Harding who plays as a defender signs on loan from Nottingham Forest to the end of the season.

<Stefan Maierhofer returns to the end of the season and comes on a sub in the 1-0 defeat at Blackpool

>Jermaine Easter goes to Bristol Rovers

<12/1/15 Shaun Cummings joins from reading and signs a two and a half year deal

>Stephen Bywater is let go

<Right back Shaun Cummings joins the Lions from reading on a two-and-a-half contract

<We secure Watford's forward player Diego Fabbrini on loan to the end of the season

On loan Wilkinson goes back to Stoke

24/1/15 Scott McDonald has his contract terminated

26/1/15 We sign on loan Southampton central defender Jos Hooiveld. If he's decent hopefully he can  be our king-pin and hold this back four together

We sign Leeds Midfielder Michael Tonge on loan to the end of the season. I am trying to think why we would need another midfielder

Goalkeeper Jordan Archer joins on loan from Spurs to the end of the season. That's our lot for the January Window. No Tim Cahill but some good prospects for us to finish the season safe.


This list may not be exactly in date order

On paper we have signed a few "proper footballers" so far.

That's the transfer window closed and no last minute signing of a striker. Overall 'we got some decent players but a good few of them are on loan. Paris Cowan-Hall seems to be a *star buy* but it looks like he is out for the rest of the season due to a ligament injury he picked up in the Reading game.
Jos Hooiveld looks well useful and looked a good educating partner for young Sid Nelson, it's a shame that Sid got sent off. The 6'8'' Stefan Maierhofer is back and what can I say? He gets slaughtered on the Message boards and a lot of supporters think putting it kindly "that he has no skill" I think the same but he does add a factor to the team that can be used for our advantage. I am not sure what this factor is apart from, it must be he's presence. I will put money on it that he will score but not sure when.
I have not my mind up yet regarding Shaun Cummings but as he is on loan. I will not get to attached anyway.
Diego Fabbrini who is also on loan and I doubt if we could afford him sets the place alight. With five minutes of him on the pitch he was a Wall favourite, yes it was that quick.
These new players have already helped us secure four points, so lets carry on. I have not seen Michael Tonge play yet so 'no comment. I read in the Southwark News that West Ham are not on his Christmas list. Something to do with the Carlos Tevez and regulations.


Home to Huddersfield Saturday and it must be a win, lets keep that memento going 

Nottingham Forest 0 Millwall 1, Championship Game 28, att: 23,018 (we take 682)

That's our first win in nine games and our 6th win of the season

After months of football misery, misery that ruined my weekends my football mood barometer has started to swing the other way. With the improvement against Ipswich and the 10 man performance that won us a point against Reading we came into this game with the whereabouts and desire to improve on the improvement and perhaps come away with a win.

• I had that feeling before the game and after viewing the Millwall message boards and forums the night before there was others apart from me that thought that it was possible. Up the Wall.
• 
  
• The last eight
• 17th Huddersfield 34 points
• 18th Charlton 33 pointS
• 19th Leeds 32 points
• 20th Rotherham 30 points
• 21st Brighton 29 points
• 22nd Millwall 27 points
• 23rd Wigan 22 points
• 24th Blackpool 20 points

Ricardo fuller come come on as a 83rd minute sub pounced on some poor defending and "bang" we took the three points. With out doubt we are much a better side since our recent signings and I don't think that Stuart Pearce had done his homework. He's "after game ramble" included "Millwall were a team waiting to be beaten" If this is true it appears that he thought we were going to be as crap as we were against Bradford City and was going to be a easy three points. I wonder if he sent a scout to out Tuesday night game against Reading? I guess he did not.
Once again glowing reports regarding Diego Fabbrini. This was the 3rd game where he has played for us and straight away you could see that he is a quality midfielder who grafts hard and his wizardry with the ball is something that we haven't seen in a Millwall shirt for a long, long time. Hopefully after he's loan period is up we will not be disappointed but I guess a footballer of this quality is got to be on a higher pay grade that we could offer. It could be another "Chris Wood" moment.

There was a sloppy back pass by Shaun Cummings that could have done us but it didn't and hopefully he will learn and won't do it again. Mark Beever's who seemed to be a different player and a cracking header from him was going in but the Forest keeper DeVries pulled off a top drawer save.

Feeling chirpy myself and I may even do the washing up

We are a improved side and I said after the Reading game that new signing Jos Hooiveld is the "king pin" and in such a short time the performance level and commitment has rose two fold and the old and new players are putting in a shift, even David Forde is saving well and Beevers in this game done well. The Hof needs to raise his game if possible which would be my only criticism after this game. All in all a cracking win and well worth the three points, it's been a long wait and considering what we have had to put up with Ian Holloway is still here while others around him fall. Stuart Pearce as just been sacked and another manager bites the dust after we beat him. The next game can't come quick enough.

Nottingham Forest: DeVries, Kane, Hobbs, Wilson, McLaughlin, C Burke(Fryatt), Lansbury, Osborn, Antonio, Teche(Peterson), Assombalonga
subs not used, Darlow, Lichal, Fox, Veldwijk, Lascelles,

Millwall: Forde, Cummings, Hooiveld, Beevers, Dunne, Williams, Abdou, Gueye(Fuller) Fabbrini, Martin(Upson), Maierhofer(Gregory),
subs not used, Webster, O'Brien, Powell, King

Goal: Fuller 83

NEWS FLASH.....Stuart Pearce sacked the next day. Another manager bites the dust after we beat his team. It seems to be a habit of ours.