Leicester v Millwall Preview

At the start of the season nobody would have quite believed that Millwall would be higher in the table than Leicester, yet the Lions enter this game in 9th position while their opponents are several places lower in 13th. However, following heavy investment, Leicester are slowly on the rise although this will certainly prove a tricky test for them considering Millwall’s superb form over the past couple of months.

2011 was always going to be a big year for Leicester following their takeover and Sven-Goran Eriksson’s men have set their stall out in style as they currently boast the stat of being unbeaten in the league this year. Their position is still nothing spectacular, but they now find themselves six points off the top six and considering some of the players that Eriksson has brought in, don’t be surprised to see that gap narrow in the upcoming weeks. They approach this game having lost 4-2 to Manchester City in the Cup, but they gave an exceptional account of themselves against the big spenders and even drew praise from Roberto Mancini.

Millwall on the other hand have surprised everybody and despite only just entering the division, Kenny Jackett’s men now find themselves on the brink of the playoffs. Just three points separate the Lions from the top six and if they can continue their recent good form, they will soon find themselves right in the playoff mix. The New Den outfit have some of the best form in the league having put together a run that’s not seen them beaten in their last nine Championship fixtures. They approach this encounter having won three of their last four although with most of their points coming against sides in the lower reaches of the table, this could prove a stern test for Kenny Jackett’s side.

On the team news front, it’s mixed for the home side as Sven-Goran Eriksson prepares to be without Paul Gallagher again as he struggles with a knee issue. However, on the flip side, Eriksson looks set to have Darius Vassell available again after he recovered from a hamstring injury. It’s a similar story for the visitors who have both good news and bad news to report on. Kenny Jackett managed to bolster his squad during the week after signing Jens Berthel Askou and Darren Purse. Both are tipped for debuts, but Jackett won’t be able to select the likes of Danny Shittu, Paul Robinson, Darren Ward and Tony Craig who are all struggling with injuries.

While Millwall have put together an excellent run of late, we think Leicester will just be too strong for them here. The Foxes are constantly improving and with several of their signings settling in, we’ll predict a 2-1 victory for the Walkers Stadium outfit here.

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Millwall v Ipswich Preview

At the start of the season Milwall were seen as the potential strugglers, while Ipswich were viewed as potential promotion contenders. However, those predictions have been completely turned on their head as Millwall enter this game in 9th spot, while Ipswich, set to play their first game under Paul Jewell, are struggling down in 19th position.

Like nearly every club in the division, Millwall’s season has been one big rollercoaster and the Lions must just not know what to expect next. Kenny Jackett’s men have been up and down the league on good runs and bad, but fortunately they are now experiencing one of their better periods. The Lions enter this clash unbeaten in eight outings and having won two out of three of their recent league games, they’ll certainly possess at least some confidence. One thing that the New Den outfit have been renowned for has been a sturdy defence and having kept three consecutive league clean sheets, they’ll certainly prove difficult to break down. However, they approach this game on the back of a 4-1 drubbing to Birmingham in the Cup and it’ll be interesting to see how Jackett’s man respond to that blip.

Ipswich on the other hand are in a real mess, although their supporters will be hoping that they’re about to turn a corner now Paul Jewell has taken over. This will be the former Wigan manager’s first game in charge and having overseen a superb 1-0 victory against Arsenal midweek, Jewell will at least inherit a squad on a high. In the league they are anything but high though and are actually looking over their shoulder, with just three points separating the Tractor Boys from the bottom three places. Before their victory against Arsenal their form was hardly inspiring either, with a 7-0 defeat to Chelsea and a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest occurring prior to that.

There’s plenty of team news to report for this one and Millwall could be without several players. After injuring his ankle, Josh McQuoid has been ruled out while Tamika Mkandawire, Paul Robinson and Liam Trotter also won’t be featuring. One positive for Kenny Jackett is that following suspension, Alan Dunne is now available again. It’s a little quieter for Ipswich who will be without striker Jason Scotland who is struggling with a calf problem. Elsewhere, Troy Brown will also miss out as he is hindered by a hamstring complaint.

Ipswich may approach this game following a superb result midweek and with the boost of a new manager taking charge. However, Millwall’s record over recent weeks has been superb and with the New Den being such a tough place to go to, we expect a narrow victory for the Lions

Millwall v Barnsley Preview

Both of these sides were tipped to struggle this campaign although as it stands that is completely not the case. The two clubs sit right next to each other in the table, with Millwall positioned in 12th while Barnsley are one place higher in 11th. Just one point separates the two and victory for either will propel them even closer to the top six.

Despite only entering the division, Millwall have adapted to life in the Championship superbly and judging by performances so far, it looks highly unlikely that Kenny Jackett’s men will be embroiled in a relegation scrap this term. Many of their squad have made the step up in divisions look easy and a return of twenty eight points from their opening few months of the campaign is a fantastic accumulation. Recent form has been highly encouraging as well and so far the Lions have put together an unbeaten run of four games.

Barnsley meanwhile are enjoying a successful season as well although just like Millwall, their success wasn’t predicted either. The Tykes may always be seen as relegation contenders by the bookies, but an interesting fact is that should they win this game they will have become the first team to have won 1,000 games at this level. That perhaps hints that they more than deserve their place in this league and having accumulated twenty nine points so far, they look like playoff chasers if anything. The club are currently five points behind the top six but having played one game less than many sides, Mark Robins knows that everything is possible as the festive period approaches. Recent form has been absolutely brilliant and having collected thirteen points from a possible fifteen in the last few weeks, they are definitely the team to beat as they arrive at the New Den.

As for team news, Paul Robinson is a definite absentee for the home side after the defender injured his hamstring in the Lions’ last outing. However, Kenny Jackett will be able to rely on the services of Liam Trotter who looks to have fully recovered from his hamstring complaint. Barnsley meanwhile will not be able to include influential striker Garry O’Connor who despite agreeing a permanent move to Oakwell in January, cannot feature due to his initial loan deal expiring. Iain Hume has returned from a loan spell at Preston but Mark Robins has indicated that he will not be selected and will be moved on in the January transfer window. Elsewhere, defender Matt Hill could be included in the squad following an ankle injury.

This is certainly going to be an interesting fixture with both teams in good form. Barnsley in particular have recorded some superb results over the past few weeks although through the last twelve months, their away form has been very poor. With that, we think they’ll be just about be able to get a draw here

Swansea v Millwall Preview

Posted on December 10th, 2010 in English Championship

Both of these sides are by far exceeding their pre-season expectations with Swansea right up there in 3rd while Millwall are sat in 11th. With that, there’s no doubt that both sides need points for different reasons with the home side looking to bridge the gap with the automatic positions while Millwall may even be thinking of a promotion bid of their own.

If there was a way to revive a managerial reputation, Brendan Rodgers looks to be doing it in emphatic fashion with the former Reading boss enjoying a superb time at Swansea. There were plenty of raised eyebrows after he got the job following a poor stint at the Madejski Stadium but Rodgers is certainly proving his doubters wrong, with the club sat in 3rd with an excellent chance of promotion. A return of thirty six points from their opening twenty games puts them within just one point of 2nd place Cardiff and with the Bluebirds playing tomorrow, victory will guarantee the Swans 2nd place if only for a few hours. They haven’t been in mind-blowing form in recent weeks, but having beaten Ipswich in their last outing they’ll certainly have at least some confidence as they aim to build on their promotion push.

Millwall are another side exceeding their expectations and while many thought the Lions would struggle after only just entering the division through the League One playoffs last term, Kenny Jackett’s men are performing superbly and they’ll be delighted with their current position of 11th. It puts them on twenty seven points, five away from the top six, although there’s no doubting that their supporters would grab the chance to finish anywhere in the top half. Just like Swansea, they also come into this game on the back of a win and after brushing aside Scunthorpe 3-0 in their last outing, this promises to be an interesting Friday night fixture.

As for team news, Swansea have a couple of problems heading into this one with Jermaine Easter and Tom Butler both set to miss out through injury. However, Garry Monk should pull through following a calf injury and slot into the middle of Brendan Rodgers’ defence. The visitors meanwhile could be without Liam Trotter who is still struggling with a thigh problem. However, Kenny Jackett is hopeful of having Kevin Lisbie available again with the striker recovering well from a knee strain.

Despite their lofty position, Swansea don’t have great form at the Liberty Stadium and for that reason we don’t think they’ll net all the points here. Millwall will provide tough opposition and with that, we don’t think there’ll be anything to separate these two here

Millwall v Scunthorpe Preview

The Championship’s late kickoff sees two sides face each other who were both tipped for the drop at the start of the campaign. Both started the campaign well, but poor form over the past few weeks mean that both are now sliding down the table at an alarming rate. With Millwall in 16th while Scunthorpe are in 22nd, there’s no doubt that this will be a must-win encounter for both managers.

Millwall started the campaign in blitzing fashion and at one stage even found themselves top of the league. However, their form has tailed off significantly in recent weeks and with just one win from their last six, they now find themselves in 16th spot having collected twenty four points from their opening nineteen games. It still leaves them with a comfortable four point cushion from the bottom three, but there’s no doubt that their supporters will still be alarmed at the slide their side is on. However, having drawn their last game to Preston and winning against Middlesbrough the week before that, there is hope that the Lions might be slowly crawling out of this slump.

Scunthorpe meanwhile are in terrible form. Through the time they’ve been in the division, the Iron have never really gone on long losing streaks although it’s safe to say that they’re now experiencing one

Preston v Millwall Preview

Nine points separate these two sides in the table although that certainly won’t be the main talking point here. Preston head into this game with a dismal points return of just fourteen from their opening eighteen games and you just have to wonder how many more defeats the Lilywhites board will tolerate. Millwall meanwhile are having a relatively good season and their supporters will be fairly satisfied with their comfortable position of 15th.

Disaster is the only work suitable to describe Preston’s season and the pressure on Darren Ferguson’s shoulders at the moment must be immense. Since taking over, the former Peterborough manager has actually seen the club go backwards and the vast majority of supporters want a change. Already, the Lilywhites find themselves six points adrift from safety and judging by their recent form, that margin is only going to increase. They are without a win in five and having lost their last three, it would be fair to say that confidence at Deepdale is at an all time low. More worryingly, other than their recent defeat to QPR, all of their recent opponents have also been struggling down at the bottom so it’s not as if the Lilywhites’ fixture schedule is going to get any easier. They have the worst defensive record in the division and with just twenty three goals scored as well, it’s clear to see that they need improvement all over the pitch.

Millwall on the other hand will probably be very happy with their season so far and if the Lions can stay in this position they will have had a very good campaign. Having collected twenty three points from the opening eighteen games, Kenny Jackett’s men are in 15th spot and actually find themselves closer to the playoffs than the bottom three. Their form in recent weeks has been a little inconsistent although having grinded out an impressive 1-0 victory over Middlesbrough in their last outing, they should have plenty of confidence heading into this game.

There’s plenty to report on the team news front for Preston who look set to include new loan signing on Leon Cort, who joined the club from Burnley earlier in the week. Josh King will also feature after having his loan extended, while Keith Treacy has returned from suspension and is almost certain to regain his place in the starting eleven. There is some bad news though and Darren Ferguson probably won’t be able to count on Callum Davidson and Paul Coutts who are both struggling with injuries. It’s a similar story for Millwall who also have lots to report on. New loan signing Josh McQuoid looks set to start, while Kenny Jackett will also have Scott Barron available after he completed a ban. Jackett will be without Kevin Lisbie, Chris Hackett and Danny Schofield as the trio struggle with injuries though.

Millwall may be having the better season between these two teams, but for some reason we think Preston could notch a rare victory here. The Lilywhites are in awful form but with the pressure at breaking point, we think Ferguson Jr could pull it out of the bag

QPR v Millwall Preview

Posted on September 28th, 2010 in English Championship

Every season there seems to be a side who runs away with the title and by the looks of things so far, QPR could well be that team this year. The R’s are already six points clear at the top of the table and just can’t stop scoring

Nottingham Forest v Millwall Preview

At the start of the season you would have gambled good money on Nottingham Forest being clear favourites in this fixture, although now we’re not too sure. Despite finishing in 3rd position in the last campaign and only narrowly missing out on promotion, Forest are without a win to their name and the vibes coming out of the City Ground suggest there is trouble within. Millwall on the other hand are surprising everyone. Having gained promotion to this division through the play offs, Kenny Jackett’s men are continuing to impress and currently sit in 4th position.

He’s only been in the management game a short time compared to some, but Billy Davies is renowned as being someone who likes to vent his frustrations in public. His latest outburst came on the back of a fruitless transfer window and the Forest boss has now claimed his side have no chance of promotion or even the play offs. It’s an obvious shot at the club’s board and having also claimed that last season was an overachievement and his current group of players aren’t good enough, it’s clear there are huge problems at the City Ground. The club currently sit in 19th position and after drawing their last three games, it’s clear that they need points on the board sooner rather than later.

Millwall on the other hand have defied all expectations and are challenging at the top end of the table. Having only gained promotion through the back door there were worries that the Lions would struggle to make the step up, but three victories from their opening four games has put them into 4th position in the table. To add to that, all of these victories have been comprehensive and a highly impressive ten goals have been scored on their route to collecting the nine points. Of course, there is still a long time to go, but any free scoring team is always going to have a great chance of success in this division and there’s no reason why this should stop for Millwall.

As for team news, Nottingham Forest have quite a few concerns heading into this one and could be without a host of key players. Chris Gunter will be kept out through suspension while David McGoldrick and Garath McCleary are both out through knee and shoulder problems respectively. What’s more, Paul Anderson is doubtful although the winger will be given a late chance to prove his fitness. The visitors also have their problems and Kenny Jackett could be without John Marquis, Shaun Batt and James Henry who are all struggling with injuries. However, Theo Robinson could be involved having recently transferred from Huddersfield.

Nottingham Forest have drawn their last three games and we think that could be the case here. Millwall have proved they will be a force to be reckoned with this season and we expect them to come away with a point