YOU could forgive the Millwall players for choosing their words a little carefully ahead of the meeting with Coventry City at The Den this Saturday.
The Lions faced Coventry at St Andrew’s in the last game of last season after beating Bristol City 4-1 at home.
Bartosz Bialkowski, not unfairly, suggested the Robins had been metaphorically on the beach as they had little to play for with their Championship status secured.
But those words came back like a slap in the face with a wet fish for the Millwall goalkeeper as Gary Rowett’s visitors were tonked 6-1, Coventry completing the league double over their rivals last season.
The result meant Millwall missed out on consecutive top-10 finishes in the top flight for the first time since 2005, as Mark Robins’ Sky Blues finished 16h in their first season back in the second tier.
The Lions have conceded the first goal in four of their five home games this season but won’t want to give Coventry a head-start at the weekend given how confident their opponents have looked.
They are back at their home ground – these days the dully-named Coventry Building Society Arena – after two years ground sharing with Birmingham City.
Coventry continued their brilliant to the season on Wednesday as their 1-0 win over Cardiff City moved them up to fourth.
Robins targeted Championship experience in the summer transfer window, bringing in forward Martyn Waghorn from Derby, goalkeeper Simon Moore from Sheffield United, and defenders Todd Kane from QPR and Jake Clarke-Salter – who has scored against Millwall for Birmingham – on loan from Chelsea.
Sweden international striker Viktor Gyökeres, a permanent signing from Brighton in the summer after a successful loan spell with Coventry last season, has scored three goals in seven league games.
Jed Wallace said in a recent podcast that he would prefer Millwall to go for it in games when they are drawing and lose rather than play it safe. Coventry are an example. Robins’ side tend to play with all-or-nothing abandon.
They have drawn just one of their last 17 contests in all competitions. They have five wins and two defeats in seven this season. The Waghorn-Gyökeres combination up front is beginning to click and Millwall’s back three will need to be sharp.
But Millwall have improved recently and have lost just once in five games at home this season, to a Fulham side that look too powerful and skilful to spend more than one campaign in their current stint in the Championship.
Rowett wants his side to build a good run of form.
Speaking before the game against Swansea, he said: “Good results breed confidence. I’d be lying if I said the players weren’t in a better frame of mind than maybe they were three weeks ago after the Cardiff game.
“At the same time, we’re six games into a 46-game season and as we’ve seen previously you can have poor runs and good runs, indifferent runs.
“It’s about trying to minimise those difficult runs and make the good runs last a lot longer.
“Of course we’re trying to maintain the little bit of momentum that we’ve created.”
Rowett’s selection options are again limited, with Benik Afobe, George Evans and Danny McNamara out. Daniel Ballard suffered a cut around his eye against the Swans and is a doubt, after Sheyi Ojo missed the game through illness.
Shaun Hutchinson returned to training this week but may not be risked.
Possible Millwall starting XI: 5-2-3: Bialkowski; Mitchell, Leonard, M Wallace, Cooper, Malone; Kieftenbeld, Saville; J Wallace, Smith, Bennett.
Match odds: Millwall Evs Draw 3/1 Coventry 7/4
Last meeting: Championship (May 8, 2021): Coventry 6-1 Millwall (Shipley 16, McFadzean 45, Hyam 59, O’Hare 62, James 67, Walker 84; McFadzean 54 og).
Image: Millwall FC