Millwall

What a task new Derby boss John Eustace has on his hands. The new Rams boss saw his side thrashed 4-0 at QPR in his first game in charge and consequently saw his side drop into the Championship relegation zone.

Eustace said after the game that he "learned a lot about the group" after that game and it will be interesting to see how his team reacts after spending a week with them on the training pitch.

They go into this game on a run of no wins in their past 11 games in all competitions.

It's no win in three for Millwall who missed the chance to close the gap on the play-off places in their last outing after their 1-1 draw at Preston.

That was their second consecutive draw with the Lions 14th and six points adrift of the play-off positions.

• Derby County have failed to win any of their last four league games against Millwall (D2 L2), last enduring a longer winless run against the Lions between 1992 and 1994 (six games).

• Millwall have won each of their last four away league games against Derby County since 2019, winning by a one-goal margin in each of those matches.

• Derby County have gone 10 Championship games without a win (D2 L8) since beating West Brom on Boxing Day. The Rams last had a longer winless league run between October and December 2020 (11 games).

• Millwall boss Alex Neil has lost six of his 10 Championship meetings with Derby, though this will be his first since a 1-0 win on Boxing Day in 2020 as Preston manager.

• Derby haven't scored a single goal in any of their last five home league games. The Rams have never previously gone six in a row without a goal on home soil, with this their 2,559th home game in the Football League.

Image source, Rex Features

Millwall manager Alex Neil spoke to BBC Radio London following their 1-1 draw at Preston.

"It was a tough match, they have a really strong record at home and have lost one in 15, but it was a strange game in that we looked more dangerous when they had their best spells," he said.

"We hit the bar with a header and then had a great free kick that ends up in the back of the net.

"It was relatively even in terms of opportunities but they dominated the ball and were the team that controlled the game in that sense.

"Their goal was an opportune moment where Riis has smashed it from 25 yards, a great finish and it ends in the back of the net.

"We can play better but a point is not to be sniffed at coming here."

Nick Hart
Fan writer

Image source, PA Media

Sloppy defending allowed West Bromwich Albion back into Saturday's match, after Jake Cooper's excellent downward header on 19 minutes had put the Lions deservedly ahead.

Spare a thought for poor Joe Bryan - two own goals in a week surely merits some kind of scoring bonus? Ok, maybe not...

After the half-time break however, Millwall really turned the heat up on the Baggies - unfortunately without ever quite boiling over into a goal.

With the number of chances created, head coach Alex Neil must have expected one to have gone into the Albion net.

But some heroic goalkeeping by Joe Wildsmith kept the scoreline even, he was surely West Brom's player of the match.

Still a point is a point and this game was underpinned with a strong sense of relief that the shambles of that 5-1 loss at Plymouth wasn't repeated.

"Be grateful for small mercies" has always been my motto following the Lions, alongside "manage your expectation" and "don't sit beneath where the pigeons perch".

Saturday saw the home debut of club record signing Camiel Neghli - and I have to say that he looks to be some player. Alongside Femi Azeez, our attack from the wings looks to be a real threat.

I wondered how we might replace the departed Romaine Esse, but these talents certainly each look the part...

Find more from Nick Hart at Achtung! Millwall, external.

In-form Preston, in 15th, welcome 14th-placed Millwall on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) with the Lilywhites hoping to extend their unbeaten home league run to 11 games.

Paul Heckingbottom's side picked up a point against Lancashire rivals Burnley in a stalemate at Deepdale last time out on Saturday.

The Lions also go into the game on the back of a draw after being forced to settle for 1-1 at home to West Brom on the same day.

With both sides on 41 points, victory for either side would move them to within four points of the play-off places.

• Preston North End are winless in their last 11 league encounters with Millwall (D4 L7), including a 3-1 defeat in the reverse fixture in September.

• Millwall haven't lost an away league game at Preston since a 3-2 defeat in December 2018, winning on three of their five trips since (D2)

• Preston have only won one of their last 12 Championship games against London clubs (D3 L8), a 2-0 win at QPR in April 2023.

• Millwall have won two of their last three away league games, although lost their last 5-1 at Plymouth – the first time they had shipped 5+ goals in an away game in the Championship since May 2021 at Coventry (1-6).

• Millwall manager Alex Neil has lost three of his four previous league meetings against former side Preston as a manager, though did win his only such trip to Deepdale with Stoke City in October 2022 (2-0).

Two sides seeking to get back on track meet at The Den on Saturday (15:00 GMT) as Millwall entertain West Bromwich Albion.

The Lions' three-match winning run came to a shuddering halt with a 5-1 thumping at Plymouth on Wednesday night.

Wednesday's home defeat to Blackburn means the Baggies have taken just 12 points from 10 matches since the departure of Carlos Corberan on Christmas Eve, though have managed to cling on to the final play-off place for now.

Though Albion are eight places ahead of the Lions, a home win would take Alex Neil's men within four points of Tony Mowbray's side.

• Millwall are unbeaten in each of their past seven league games against West Bromwich Albion (W2 D5), with each of their last four meetings ending level.

• West Brom have only won on one of their past 12 visits to Millwall in the Football League (D3 L8), with that coming in February 2020 (2-0).

• Millwall are looking to win successive home league games for only the second time this season after a run of three victories between October and November.

• West Brom are winless on the road in the Championship in their past eight games (D4 L4) and could lose three successive games for the first time since January 2024.

• West Brom's Adam Armstrong has been involved in seven goals in his 10 previous league games against Millwall (4 goals, 3 assists), four of which have come at The Den (3 goals, 1 assist).

Image source, Rex Features

Millwall head coach Alex Neil says his side's heavy 5-1 loss at Plymouth Argyle was down to his tactics.

The Lions were 2-0 down at half time and were 4-0 behind before Joe Bryan scored with 10 minutes to go.

But the hosts - who beat Liverpool on the FA Cup on Sunday - got a fifth soon after for their biggest win since September 2023.

"I'm bitterly disappointed, it couldn't have gone much worse for us if we're being honest," he told BBC Sport.

"I think the goals that we did concede, I didn't think Plymouth needed to do much to score them.

"It's just been a catalogue of errors throughout the match.

"We didn't penetrate, we struggled to get in behind them, and that was largely due to how I set us up, so from that perspective that's my responsibility.

"If you look back over the last decade in the Championship it's very rare that my teams would ever lose five goals, so from that perspective that is as bitterly disappointing for me as it is for the players.

"But whether we lose 1-0 or 5-1 - I know it's very different - but it's three points gone, we need to focus on what the next game looks like."

Nick Hart
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

'Focusing on the league' must be one of the most depressing football phrases in the game.

Alongside 'football is a business', it normalises a drab world of second string teams and half-hearted early FA Cup exits by superstars who haven't quite made it yet.

Well table-topping Leeds United certainly were 'focusing on the league' by making wholesale changes to their starting XI in their 2-0 loss at home to Millwall on Saturday.

Millwall's team selection was based more on the impact of injuries and cup-tied new signings, as much any league ambitions.

Despite all this, did Leeds give this cup-tie their fullest attention and effort?

It certainly looked like it as the match unfolded.

A very open game, it was stand-in Lions goalkeeper Liam Roberts who rightly earned the 'man of the match' plaudits with a string of decent saves, as well as a game-saving penalty block on 58 minutes.

Millwall will regard this excellent away performance as a real season booster - yes, whisper it, but we're only five points shy of the top six spots, dear reader.

With a terrific showing of fine counter-attacking football and strong performances by two-goal forward Femi Azeez, as well as midfielder Casper De Norre, it may well be the Lions who also get to use this cup-tie win to 'focus on the league', too.

Find more from Nick Hart at Achtung! Millwall., external

The draw for the FA Cup fifth round has been made. Here is a list of all the ties involving Championship teams left in the competition.

Games will be played over the first weekend of March.

• Aston Villa v Cardiff City

• Crystal Palace v Millwall

• Manchester City v Plymouth

• Preston North End v Burnley

You can find the full draw here.

Plymouth Argyle will turn their attentions back to the battle for Championship survival following their memorable shock FA Cup win over Liverpool on Sunday.

The Pilgrims are bottom and four points from safety ahead of the visit of play-off chasing Millwall, but Miron Muslic's side did end a 15-game winless run in the league by beating West Bromwich Albion last time out.

The Lions beat Leeds 2-0 in the FA Cup at the weekend and have won three on the bounce in the league to reignite their quest for a top-six finish.

• Plymouth Argyle have failed to win any of their past eight league games against Millwall (D4 L4), since a 3-0 home victory in December 1997.

• Millwall have won each of their past three league games against Plymouth Argyle, already the Lions' longest ever run against the Pilgrims in the EFL.

• Plymouth ended a 15-game winless Championship run with a 2-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion last time out. Argyle haven't won consecutive league games since February 2024, the only time they've achieved that in the Championship over the last two seasons.

• Millwall have won their past three league games, having won none of their first four under Alex Neil (D2 L2). Each of their past eight league wins have all come via a one-goal margin.

• Ryan Hardie scored both of Plymouth's goals in their 2-1 win over West Brom, having only netted once in his previous 35 Championship games. The Scotsman last scored in consecutive games in January 2024.

Leeds United welcome Millwall to Elland Road for an all-Championship FA Cup fourth round tie on Saturday lunchtime (12:15 GMT).

• Leeds have won eight of their past nine home games against Millwall in all competitions, with the exception being a 4-3 loss in January 2018.

• This will be the first ever FA Cup meeting between Leeds and Millwall. Indeed, the only previous cup competition in which they've faced was the short-lived Full Members Cup, with the Lions winning both meetings 2-0 (December 1987 and November 1988).

• Leeds could reach the FA Cup fifth round for the third consecutive campaign, which would be as many times as they'd reached this stage of the competition in the previous 22 seasons.

• Millwall are looking to reach the FA Cup fifth round for the first time since 2018-19. However, they've lost each of their past six ties against sides from the same division or higher than themselves.

• Leeds are set to play consecutive home games within the same FA Cup campaign for the first time since 2001, when they beat Barnsley 1-0 in the third round before losing to eventual winners Liverpool in round four.

Image source, Getty Images

On Wednesday we asked what you made of Millwall's business in the transfer window.

The Lions made three deadline day signings and a total of eight came through the door at The Den during the window, while homegrown favourite Romain Esse left his boyhood club for Premier League Crystal Palace.

Signings Tristan Crama, Aaron Connolly and Luke Cundle have settled quickly in south-east London - with the latter scoring on his debut against Queens Park Rangers a day after joining the club - while the club broke their transfer record to sign Camiel Neghli.

Here are some of your responses:

Billy: Excellent business, forward thinking and risk taking, but shows a big step in the right direction!

Alan D: Great window for Millwall but we need to be patient because we signed a lot of younger players. We are on 40 points already after 30 games, so we can now afford to go for it and take risks the rest of the season to win games. What's great is we can now make five subs of the same quality which is great for the manager. Over to you now Alex...

Paul: When Neil Harris decided to step down there seemed to be a fight going on behind the scenes. Thought it was going to leave us in a bad place but give credit where credit is due, the club looks like it's in a stronger position than ever before after the transfer window.

Dean: In 55 years as a Millwall fan I've never known a transfer window like it. Positive intent for the first time in years by signing so many youngsters rather than old has-beens on the way down. Exciting times ahead, hopefully.

S Lock: Millwall never sign significantly in the transfer windows but this month seems a lot different. The signings look good for future Lions teams. We have one of the oldest squads in the Championship, so these new players have definitely addressed that. The jury is out on whether it will be positive.

Terence: Brave new direction where ownership and management are openly demonstrating to younger players: "Come and develop your skills at Millwall and we won't stand in your way should a Premier League team make a fair bid for your services." Accepting their role as a feeder club just may end up bringing in such talent that they may get themselves promoted.

Neil: Really impressive. The strategy is clear to see and a change in direction was desperately needed. A lot is made of the 'Millwall way' which I think belittles us in many ways. Hopefully, this marks the new dawn, and we can watch footballers who have some technical ability.

Alan E: It is good to strengthen the squad but eight signings in this window seems excessive. There now seems an overload of wide players. I am concerned that they will not all get enough game time.

Andrew S: I think most Millwall fans will agree with this statement - I thought I was dreaming. The amount of young, promising talent we have signed is mind blowing. This sort of thing never happens at Millwall.

Full marks to chairman James Berylson, director of football Steve Gallen and new manager Alex Neil. I'm sure they won't all be successful [signings] but it's such a positive move by the club. Almost unprecedented. The only window I can liken it to is when John Docherty signed Tony Cascarino et al in 1987. And what happened then? We got promoted to the promised land.

Ian: Unbelievable. Through my 35 years of supporting this wonderful club we have always sold our talent and have seen them replaced with free agent journeymen. Now our recruitment policy is to invest in youth that can not only impact the team but also increase in value.

This window could arguably be our greatest ever, as all seven permanent signings have the potential to impact the first team but more importantly bring attacking flair into the side.

It's the start of exciting journey, which is unfamiliar to Millwall fans. Sure there will be bumps along the way but good times seem to upon us all at the Den.

Andrew M: We must be dark horses for a play-off position now?

Image source, Getty Images

Now the dust has settled, it's time to reflect on Millwall's very busy end to the transfer window.

The Lions made three deadline day signings before the window closed on Monday night, which included a return for the club's second youngest ever player.

A total of eight signings came through the door at The Den during the window, while homegrown favourite Romain Esse left his boyhood club for Premier League Crystal Palace.

Signings Tristan Crama, Aaron Connolly and Luke Cundle have settled quickly to life in south-east London - with the latter scoring on his debut against Queens Park Rangers just one day after joining the club.

And then there's club record signing Camiel Neghli, who was unveiled at The Den before Saturday's London derby victory over the Hoops - Millwall's third win in a row.

Lots to discuss, what are your thoughts? Send them in here.