Millwall 2 - 1 City

[The Kaiser]

Wrong end of the M4 on the coach now so I thought I'd put some thoughts from how I saw today's game.

After getting to the ground very early (by way of a trip through a Bermondsey housing estate - do our coach drivers ever know how to get to Millwall?!?) I had a lengthy chat with one of the stewards.

He told me he watches the games as a neutral (he's a Charlton fan) and said the loss of Wood is a blow and that Millwall will be a physical side for us and look to go route 1.

An upbeat coach of fans quickly changed and the bar under the away end settled with -

1) Why has he changed the set up again

2) Why is Mark Wilson playing

3) Why is Fontaine playing

4) Why does he hate playing two up front

Dismay was the best description but also a vein hope that he'd prove us wrong.

The game started and a decent City turnout for new year day was making all the noise (including a rendition of Forever blowing bubbles) but it was the blue men making all the noise on the pitch.

The set up became clear as day. Stead was playing the role of lone striker and he was going to be asked to win high long balls and feed coming strikers.

The problem became obvious. Shittu wasn't going to be letting Stead win many and when he did, City were so deep that it'd be picked up by 2 or 3 Wall players for the knockdown.

At the other end, it was nightmare stuff and was actually embarrassing.

Henderson was losing a shot-to-pieces Fontaine every time, be it corners or breaks.

Mark Wilson was getting pulled wide, Anderson wasn't sure which was his man and Millwall seemed to have wave after wave of attack from the flanks.

A couple of decent stops from Heaton, a shocking headed miss from Henderson after ghosting pass Fontaine and endless waves of attacks occurred.

Then the goal every man and his dog could see coming - again a city hoiked ball is cut out, fontaine is caught out of position and the ball bounces for N'guessan who unbelievably had two City defenders between him and the goal. He knocked it left, sold both of them and rifled it into the bottom left from just inside the box.

He had so much time as we again stood off him, he literally picked his spot.

The next period of play up to 43m was just embarrassing. How it stayed 1-0 I don't know.

A boisterous City crowd became quiet aside from some abuse towards Fontaine who really was awful. He didn't want the ball, he was out of position all the time and at corners he picked up the same guy as Danns while Henderson stood by the D on his own.

It was break after break as Millwall spurned plenty of chances shooting wide 2 times when they should have scored.

Drink up Thy Cider had been replaced by long and loud MILLLLLLLLLL.......

43 mins McInnes made a change that perked everyone up. Sam Baldock's intro received huge cheers around me, with the customary abuse from the Barry Kitchener stand reserved for ex Hammers players.

Fontaine's withdrawal received such cheers you wonder if he can play again any time soon. He honestly was that bad today.

Anderson couldn't get in the game but we were being overrun and McInnes changed us to 4-4-2.

Second half was exactly what we wanted.

I couldn't give a toss if we lose every game if we go down like our second half. All I ask is they have a go and don't sit back or lie down.

Immediately you saw the difference Millwall couldn't have 2 on Stead because Baldock was there and he was scampering around looking for the knockdowns.

Woolford offered options on the other side to Albert and we attacked and showed some fight.

Danns saw a decent effort tipped around for a corner by Forde, Baldock rifled one past the far post and Stead started to become a nuisance.

Amazing what a positive formation does.

Millwall started to lump in long and have noone to get it because we were pushing them back.

The goal was a classic case, we pushed everyone on an attack to the edge of their box, a bit of high ball tennis and a bouncing ball came into the box which Stead reacted to first and belted it past Forde and into the right corner.

The next ten mins was all us, we had Millwall rattled. Passes went astray, the Dockers stand started to forget about us and have a go at their players etc.

Frustrating of all Albert made his way down to the touchline, put it across and Baldock only needed a touch in the six yard box and it was 1-2. But he missed it, the Millwall bloke missed and whilst Woolford pulled it back for Skuse, we couldn't convert.

Millwall though to their credit regained a bit of shape and Shittu won everything the rest of the game.

Heaton pulled off some tremedous saves to keep it 1-1 until unfortunately again a high ball across into our box wasn't well cleared (despite not being short of bodies in the box) and Smith rifled it through the crowd.

Despite this we still had a glorious chance to level.

Albert again caused problems crossed it in and Danns didn't connect inside the six yard box with a bicycle kick.

Given his temperamental yellow and his frustrated punch of the ground, you could see he cares. I hope this bloke plays for us again.

The match ended and generally the consensus on this coach is same as mine.

We lost today because of the first half.

The tactics were wrong, the personnel was wrong and we were negative, unsure who was doing what and we lost tje momentum from Peterbro because it wasn't same team or formation.

We were lucky it wasn't 0-3 and over at half time.

You don't set out like that and play that badly vs Millwall away and expect a return.

The players deserve credit for the fight in the second half and I also think McInnes for changing it with the double substitution but really he was atoning for his own error.

What I would ask, based on this Derek is we play 2 strikers, we play Baldock and we start with that side that you started on 45 mins.

All in all I went from embarrassment to cheering a side having a go.

We could have got a point today but in fairness over the 90 mins, I can't begrudge Millwall deserved all 3.

[NVMal]

Good post! Agree we need to play 2 up top to give the opposition something to think about and to give us a chance of scoring more than we concede.

[Barrs Court Red]

Thanks for that. Very enjoyable to read.

[old_eastender]

Good objective post... I was not there but the team selection just handed Millwall the initiative to come on to us, just like the team we put out home to Wolves... Why Del changed it after the great performance .v. Posh, only he knows...

[cider-manc]

Interesting read and a good post. Thanks Kaiser.

[Bowie]

Good read

Cheers

[The Chaplain]

I'm just back too and agree with all the OP said, clearly the original team selection didn't work but I'm not going to use it as a stick to beat Del with. He changed it and we could/should have got something out of the game in the end. Also, whatever the shape, the players on the pitch should have done better in the first half, we were out muscled and out fought. It's also true that when Baldock starts I've rarely seen him put in that sort of scampering effort from the off.

That said I think the 2nd half line-up should be the basis of our team going forward,, 2 forwards, Woolford, Anderson or Davies with Cunningham supporting behind. I am concerned if we lose Danns though, him and Skuse have made a difference in the middle that wouldn't be equalled imho by Pearson, Elliot or anyone else currently on our books.

If it came to it I'd even be prepared to let Adomah go in the window, given our back-up of wide-men, if it meant securing Danns or an equivalent central midfielder.

[Nogbad the Bad]

Cheers Kaiser.

That was a hell of a roar by you (and the rest) for the City goal, I thought it was Millwall scoring.

Why the hell did Baldock and Danns 'fail to connect' with chances in the 6 yard box - does this happen to other teams, or do they just smash - at least one of them - into the net?

[Corleone]

Interesting view and one I share with on the whole.

I thought McManus was superb, really battled and lead the line well (2nd half onwards I am completely dismissing our first half showing)!

After the break, Skuse and Danns I thought were superb and the link up play with Baldock stead and Woolford looked dangerous.....a shame Albert wasn't At his best.

But for me I was disappointed with cunningham his positioning was awful and the tackle from McManus which lead to the 2nd goal would have been avoided if Cunningham wasn't yards out of position.

But there are positives, especially Skuse I thought he played well 2nd half.

Woolford and Baldock added real balance to the aide

[Esmond Million's Bung]

I'm just back too and agree with all the OP said, clearly the original team selection didn't work but I'm not going to use it as a stick to beat Del with. He changed it and we could/should have got something out of the game in the end. Also, whatever the shape, the players on the pitch should have done better in the first half, we were out muscled and out fought. It's also true that when Baldock starts I've rarely seen him put in that sort of scampering effort from the off.

That said I think the 2nd half line-up should be the basis of our team going forward,, 2 forwards, Woolford, Anderson or Davies with Cunningham supporting behind. I am concerned if we lose Danns though, him and Skuse have made a difference in the middle that wouldn't be equalled imho by Pearson, Elliot or anyone else currently on our books.

If it came to it I'd even be prepared to let Adomah go in the window, given our back-up of wide-men, if it meant securing Danns or an equivalent central midfielder.

I understand what you say, but surely even after making his changes had we gained an unlikely point, he would not stop his tinkering next week or the week after, the tinkering is not working and that's the virtual 'stick'.

[redmatt1968]

Great kick off post and one of the most intelligent streams I've read on here ...... Agree 100% .... Would add that Heaton deserves an honerable mention .... If you play 5 at the back you have to push the wing backs on and 1 of 3 in he centre needs to push up .... We were so deep and you could see it was a disaster in 5 minutes ... No leadership on the pitch ... Im a huge skuse fan but he's not a leader other than by example ..... I enjoyed the second half and would be chuffed if we payed that well for a majority of the remaining games .. happy New Year all ..

[The Kaiser]

Thanks for the comments fellas. I started off on the coach writing away on me phone and it just sort of ran and ran.

[Red-Robbo]

I'm working nights and asleep during the day, I woke up just in time to read what our line-up was and knew that it was going to be an utter disaster (as did pretty much any BCFC fan, I suspect) and buried my head under the pillow hoping it was all a nightmare. [can you have daymares?]

Thanks to the OP here for his comprehensive post. The game pretty much mapped out how I expected.

Interested to read the comments about Cunningham. We all know how good he can be, but am I the only person who thought he was below par against Peterborough too? Lost the pace to get back into defensive positions, it seemds to me. Has he been brought back too soon?