Can Millwall make the play-offs ? Millwall 1- Stoke City 0 'Split Personality

Are we on the beach or going to make a challenge ?

This was the main question doing the rounds, before, after and at some points during the game against Stoke at The Den on 15th March.

Any way on to the game : It was an interesting game but to be honest a bit of a tough watch. In the first half there were not a lot of chances created, despite the fact that Alex Neil decided to play two men up front Ivanovic and Coburn. For me it didn't work, not because I'm against the two men up front idea, but because they play a very similar game. They're a bigger guys who like to go through on goal directly and have an attempt. I think it was a kind of split personality, really. It was Millwall Schizophrenia. I didn't really know who was supposed to be doing what and at times I don’t think they knew what they were supposed to be doing. I think it was a lot better when Connolly came on in the second half to settle things down with a bit of ball retention. But looking at the first half, our main outlet seem to be Idamho Emakhu and I thought he met his match today in the Stoke full back.

Emakhu, in my opinion, can be a bit one dimensional his main way of attacking is to use his pace and push the ball past the full back and then run and get in front of him and the Stoke full back just wasn't having any of that. He was as quick , or quicker and our man soon got frustrated and gave away a yellow card by fouling him when the full back was running into the Millwall half after dispossessing him. So for my money, I think we learned there that his main use is as an impact sub where he comes on for the last 20 or 30 and he's there to use his pace against perhaps tired full backs. Its the second time I've seen him start and I'm not sure about using him in that way. As the game progressed I thought our midfield was pretty light again and I for one would think about playing Connolly as a 10 with Billy Mitchell and Casper De Norre playing the ball up to him. I was glad to see Wes Harding come on. I'm still not sure whether Tristan Crama works for me better than Wes Harding at right back. Crama made a defensive mistake that led to Stoke getting through and hitting the crossbar and I'm just not sure about him to be honest with you. He played really well on his first game, but since then he's been a little bit shaky for me. He's obviously a good player, but he's a Centre back playing as a right back. He can cross the ball well, but I feel that defensively he can find himself exposed. So the first half was pretty dreadful, pretty dire. Millwall weren't really passing it to feet. They weren't holding the ball up and showing calm and composure on the ball. For me Joe Bryan has been playing quite well lately, Tanganga and Cooper were competent Crama did just enough, but as mentioned previously has mistakes in him and the midfield engine was busy, but playing in a two they had their hands full at times. Rees Bangura-Williams, was quiet but showed a couple of good touches and has stopped giving the ball away which is a major improvement. But I do think he's got to start growing into the game a bit more.

The second half was better. I thought we were a bit more purposeful. The turning point however was when Aaron Connolly came on for Emakhu. When Connolly got played the ball in a very tight space, he kept the ball near his body, drew a foul for a free kick in a dangerous area and immediately caused a bit of aggravation and friction with his opposite number. There was a little bit of pushing and shoving and collar feeling and that got the crowd into the game. It raised the tempo, raised the atmosphere and I think we were a different side after that. It just raised the spirits. Aaron Connolly was dangerous every time he got on the ball. After a period of concerted pressure a cross into the Stoke penalty box saw Josh Coburn bundled over by a Stoke centre back and the referee blew up for a penalty. There had been a couple of previous loud appeals for a penalty and maybe this influenced the Ref but make no mistake it was definitely a penalty and the first one awarded to Millwall at home since Jed Wallace scored from the spot in the 2021/22 season. And didn’t Ivanovic take it well, a classic penalty technique. Goalkeepers like to dive to their right because if they are right handed, which the Stoke goalie was, that's the most natural way to dive Ivanovic exploited that by shaping up to put the ball to his left striking across the ball but opened up his body, and side footed it with power into the side netting with virtually the last kick of the game.

Can Millwall challenge for a play - off spot. The most valuable game in global football - the championship play off final for promotion to the premier league would financially float the club for years. Whether we would stay up if we got promoted is another question. Looking at the current table I think we are capable of challenging for 6th place but we are unlikely to get there.