Millwall

Millwall and Saudi boxing powerbroker Turki Alalshikh are understood to have held talks over a shock investment in the Championship side. (Mail, external)

Want more transfer news? Take a look at Friday's gossip column here.

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Millwall forward Zian Flemming has completed a permanent move to Burnley having spent the season on loan at Turf Moor.

The Dutchman scored 14 goals in all competitions as the Clarets won promotion from the Championship this season, finishing second behind Leeds United.

Flemming, 26, joined Burnley on a season-long loan in August and at the time of signing made his ambitions clear.

"I want to be a Premier League player in a Premier League team and with the aims and ambitions that we have here at the club, we can make that possible," he told the club website, external.

Details of the fee and the duration of Flemming's contract have not been disclosed.

Image source, Rex Features

Millwall goalkeeping coach Andy Marshall has announced he is leaving the club.

Marshall revealed the tragic loss of Lions keeper Matija Sarkic last summer had changed his perspective on life and he plans to spend more time with friends and family.

The 50-year-old had worked with Montenegro international Sarkic, whose former clubs include Aston Villa, Wolves and Birmingham, for more than nine years and described him as 'like a son to me.'

Marshall - the only Lions keeper to play in an FA Cup final (in 2004) - returned to The Den in July 2022 to oversee the first-team and under-21 goalkeepers.

The 50-year-old told the club website, external: "I have decided that now is the right time to step away from my role.

"I have loved every minute of my time here, both as a player and as a coach, and I truly feel now is the right time for me to take a break.

"Events over the last year have completely changed my perspective on life and now is the moment to focus and prioritise those closest to me and to enjoy my time with them.

"My family and I will continue to support Millwall from the sidelines."

A statement from Millwall read: "The club would like to extend its sincere thanks to Andy for his outstanding contributions over the past three seasons.

"It also wishes to express how immensely proud it is of his professionalism and character in the wake of the passing of the much-loved Matija Sarkic, who was a very dear friend and colleague to Marshy."

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Ra'ees Bangura-Williams has signed a new "long-term" contract with Millwall after making an impressive start to life in the Lions first team.

The 20-year-old forward made his debut in the 3-0 FA Cup third-round win over Dagenham & Redbridge in January and scored just 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute.

His performances earned him a call into the England Under-20 squad and he featured in a 2-2 draw with Switzerland in March.

Bangura-Williams made 13 appearances for Millwall this season before an injury curtailed his campaign.

The club have not disclosed the exact length of the new deal.

Nick Hart
Fan writer

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Millwall's quest to find a late-season play-off spot proved in the end to be a game too far at Turf Moor on Saturday.

In many ways this was a magnificent performance by the Lions, who gave everything to find the win they needed to make the top six.

But a second half of relentless Burnley pressure proved, in the end, to be too much for the injury-hit Londoners, who were left to rue sloppy defending almost from the kick-off following Mihailo Ivanovic's top-quality finish on 10 minutes, allowing the Clarets straight back into the game having put them on the back foot.

Follow that with Josh Coburn's howler in front of an open goal on 35 minutes and it was self-inflicted errors that probably sealed Millwall's fate, as chances like that simply can't be missed at this level.

Harsh, but true.

Overall, Burnley were worthy winners on the day, though the Lions will be looking forward in anticipation to the 2025-26 campaign already.

I know I am.

Since his arrival in January, gaffer Alex Neil has brought in new energy and attacking zeal, which teamed with the club's emphasis on youth development augurs well next season.

Roll on August!

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Millwall manager Alex Neil says that while Burnley were the better side in their 3-1 defeat at Turf Moor, his team should have taken more chances.

Josh Brownhill's brace and Jaidon Anthony's goal cancelled out Mihailo Ivanovic's opener.

Josh Coburn squandered a brilliant chance with the scores level, and Neil wanted his side to be more clinical as they narrowly missed out on the play-offs.

"Whenever you're playing the top teams in this division, it is tough," he told BBC Radio London.

"We had opportunities and didn't make the most of them. In a game of this magnitude when Burnley are chasing the league and we're chasing play-offs, you need to take the key moments and we only converted one. That isn't enough.

Neil added that his side's approach was to play on the counter attacj, which brought them some joy.

"You need to have a game plan; you have to understand you're not going to dominate the ball.

"That wasn't our intention; we tried to get them to risk the ball so we could nick it and try to counter.

"Burnley were the better side, I have no problem saying that.

But I've been involved in those moments where if you take your chances you can take the points. Unfortunately today wasn't our day."

Burnley and Millwall are both on the hunt - but will either side be able to find what they are looking for when they meet at Turf Moor on Saturday (12:30 BST)?

For the Clarets, it's the Championship title they have their eye on but they'll need to better Leeds' result to obtain it.

Whereas the Lions are looking for a spot in the play-offs but are one of five contenders, currently sitting the middle of the pack just one place outside the top six.

So long as they win and Coventry City or Bristol City do not, it's theirs, but they will also need to be the first visiting side to claim victory at Turf Moor all season. A big ask.

• Burnley have lost just one of their last seven league games against Millwall (W3 D3), though that sole defeat did come in the reverse meeting in November last year (1-0).

• Millwall will be looking to record their first league double over Burnley since the 1997-98 campaign during which they won at Turf Moor 2-1.

• Burnley are unbeaten across their last seven Championship matches on the final day of the season (W4 D3), since a 5-0 defeat to Crystal Palace in May 2008.

• Since December 2020, Millwall have won just two of their last 12 away league games against sides from Lancashire (D5 L5), 4-2 and 3-2 wins against Preston and Blackpool respectively during the 2022-23 campaign.

• Burnley are currently unbeaten across their last 32 league games, with only Reading in 2005-06 (33) and Huddersfield Town between January and November 2011 (43) ever having a longer run in the English Football League outside of the top tier.

Nick Hart
Fan writer

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To call Saturday's home win over a very decent Swansea side tense would be an understatement.

At times, the Lions were clinging on desperately in a second half that seemed never-ending.

The hero of the match was 19-year-old third-choice goalkeeper George Evans, who made a series of magnificent stops and blocks to protect a slender one-goal lead, thanks to George Saville's 38th-minute finish in front of a volcanic Den crowd.

Are the football gods smiling on Millwall's unlikely play-off run this season?

We'll find out next Saturday when we travel to league title-chasing Burnley.

They have just two losses all season [one of those against Millwall] and we'll need to continue to ride our luck with other results featuring Coventry and Bristol City needing to go our way.

The Clarets will present a very strong challenge and as we saw against Swansea, scoring goals has been a problem for the 'Wall across the season.

But what an exciting finish and what a tribute to Alex Neil's squad to be in this position.

Anything seems possible for this Millwall side right now and we'll be travelling to Lancashire both in hope but also with some confidence, too.

Come on you Lions!

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If Millwall reach the Championship play-offs they will have done it the hard way, according to head coach Alex Neil.

The Lions beat Swansea 1-0 at the weekend which means only goal difference is keeping them out of the top six heading into their final game of the campaign at already-promoted Burnley on Saturday (12:30 BST).

A Millwall win at Turf Moor on Saturday would be enough to claim a play-off spot if Coventry fail to beat Middlesbrough.

"With the run of fixtures we've had we've done it the hard way getting to this point," Neil told BBC Radio London.

"I don't think anyone would rule us out but we know it's going to be a tough task but one we're looking forward to."

Millwall have won five of their past six games, including victories against fellow promotion hopefuls Sheffield United and Middlesbrough and Neil is encouraged with how his players have been handling the run-in.

"You meet the fans in the week and they say 'this is where we normally fall short' but we certainly didn't (against Swansea) so that's a nice a feeling and we've got a big one where we'll need as much backing as we can get and we'll do our best," he added.

Image source, PA Media

Millwall boss Alex Neil says his side have to "play better" in their final game next week after they beat Swansea 1-0 to remain right in the hunt for a play-off spot.

The Lions' fifth victory in their past six games lifts them to to seventh, level on points with sixth-placed Coventry City.

"You could see there were a lot of nerves around the game. I don't think it helps that the other game plays before us, although in this instance it worked in our favour because we knew the [Coventry] result," Neil said.

"It's certainly not the best we have played. We know we can play better and we will need to play better next week if we want to try to give ourselves an opportunity.

"But what we do have is, we are always in every game, we give it everything we have got.

"I am really proud of the players for their efforts this season, but we have still got one to go."

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Millwall's players should feel no fear going into their last two games of the Championship season, says head coach Alex Neil.

The Lions host Swansea City on Saturday before travelling to already-promoted Burnley on the final day of the season.

With four wins in their past five matches, Millwall sit three points off the play-off spots and Neil said his focus was on the things he and his players could control.

"There's nothing we can do about the other fixtures; if we don't win our game the chances become more remote, so from our perspective it's purely 'can we win the match?', he told BBC Radio London.

"Other teams have got it in their hands. Our job is to make sure that if there is any slip-ups, if there are any opportunities, that we try and seize upon it.

"There should be no apprehension, no fear, we can only gain from this point onwards."

Millwall can move level with sixth-placed Coventry City if the Sky Blues lose at Luton Town and the Lions beat the Swans, but Coventry currently have a superior goal difference.

Millwall will look to keep their dreams of the play-offs alive when they host Swansea City on Saturday (15:00 BST).

The Lions are three points outside the top six but with their -1 goal difference working against them.

Boss Alex Neil is still holding onto hope that they can squeeze into a spot but to do so, they may need to do the league double over the Welsh side - something they haven't done in four decades.

• Millwall have won three of their last four league games against Swansea (L1) and are looking to complete their first double over the Swans since 1984-85.

• Swansea have won five of their last seven away league games against Millwall, with the exceptions being a 1-1 draw in June 2020 and a 2-1 loss in March 2023.

• Millwall have won their last four home league games, last winning five in a row in the same campaign in March/April 2016 (6).

• Swansea have won their last five league games, last winning six in a row in November/December 2007 while in League One.

• Mihailo Ivanovic has scored 11 Championship goals this season, more than twice as many as any other Millwall player. The Serbian has scored six goals in his last seven appearances.

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Nothing has changed for Millwall in terms of their hopes of reaching the Championship play-offs, says boss Alex Neil.

The Londoners are three points short of the top six with two games remaining, starting at home to Swansea on Saturday (15:00 BST).

"I'm aware of the league table but the simple fact is nothing changes, we need to win our next game," Neil told BBC Radio London.

"We're still chasing, we're still trying to get as close to the teams above us as we can - if we win the next game we give ourselves an opportunity and if we don't, we don't."

Millwall have won their past four games at The Den and they finish the regular season with a trip to already-promoted Burnley on 3 May.

"We're in a really good place but Swansea are the form team in the league at the moment so that's going to be a really tough test for us and a game we have to go and win," added Neil.

Image source, Rex Features

Millwall manager Alex Neil says his side's 3-1 win over Norwich City is "one of the best" since his appointment at The Den.

Two goals from Mihailo Ivanovic, either side of Femi Azeez's header, were enough for the Londoners to steer past the Canaries as they push to get into the play-off places.

"I think regardless of the other results it was a brilliant performance," Neil told BBC Radio London after the match.

"I'd probably say it's up there as one of the best performances I've had since I've been here.

"I thought we were really aggressive, we created so many chances in the game. We scored three but we probably could've scored more.

"I thought defensively we were sound throughout the match. We've got a debutant at left back, we've got a young goalkeeper and I thought both of them were excellent as well.

"All in all, a great day at The Den if you take into consideration the results. I don't think we could've hoped for much more."