MILLWALL go into this Saturday’s clash against Nottingham Forest with mixed emotions.
There is the frustration that they will not have the backing of 2,000 supporters at The Den after London was moved to Tier 3 of Covid-19 restrictions Wednesday morning.
But at least Gary Rowett’s side won’t have the psychological baggage of not having won in so long. If they hadn’t defeated Bristol City on Tuesday night it would have been the first time since 1997 they had gone 11 games in a single season without a league win. Then they slumped from third to a 14th-place finish under John Docherty.
The Lions’ 2-0 win at Ashton Gate moved them from 17th to 14th, though they dropped a place after Wednesday’s games. But at least they have halted that downward momentum.
There is also the weight that was lifted off Mason Bennett’s shoulders and the confidence he should take into the game against Chris Hughton’s side.
Attackers can play as well as they like and be appreciated by their team-mates, but as Matt Smith said recently they are very well aware they are ultimately judged by what they chalk down in the goal column. Bennett certainly deserved to get off the mark and he should be aiming to contribute much more in that respect this season.
The same is true of Tom Bradshaw, who hit his second goal of the campaign this week. No one ever doubts Bradshaw’s work-rate or committment, and his team-mates certainly value what he gives the team. But Millwall need to be a more free-scoring side and Bradshaw, given his experience and his obvious finishing ability, should be getting into double figures at this level. Only the bottom four including Forest have scored fewer than Millwall’s 16 goals in 19 games.
Jon Dadi Bodvarsson didn’t score in Bristol, but he was picked out for praise by Rowett after the game, and was rated man of the match on NewsAtDen. The Iceland international led the line superbly and, again, his team-mates know how important he is to the side.
He has never been a prolific goal-scorer but when a team down on their luck need to go more direct and press opponents back then Bodvarsson has the work ethic required in spades. Rowett went back to a more traditional 4-4-2 on Tuesday and with Bodvarsson and Bradshaw defending from the front they didn’t need that extra player at the back.
Rowett said the win was a “massive relief”, and over in Nottingham at the same time on Tuesday Hughton was expressing a similar feeling.
Forest won for the first time in eight games as they defeated bottom side Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 to go three points above Derby in the last relegation place. It was only Forest’s fourth league win this season.
“It’s a big relief,” Hughton said. “It’s been tough, I must admit, and it’s been tough on the players as well.
“With regard to endeavour and effort in certain games I can’t fault them for that.
“I think we’ve just struggled at both ends and put ourselves under pressure. Getting the first goal early tonight certainly settled us and I think we played a really good game.”
Forest have won only once away from home this season – 1-0 at Blackburn back in mid-October – while the Lions have won just once at home, against Luton. Both sides will be desperate to improve those records.
Possible Millwall starting XI: 4-4-1-1: Bialkowski; Romeo, Hutchinson, Cooper, M Wallace; J Wallace, Leonard, Williams, Bennett; Bradshaw; Bodvarsson.
Match odds: Millwall 4/7 Draw 2/1 Forest 5/2
Last meeting: Championship (March 6, 2020): Forest 0-3 Millwall (Smith 20′, 26′, 33′).
Image: Millwall FC