MILLWALL are back at The Den this afternoon against Middlesbrough looking for their first home win since January 18.
The Lions haven’t won on their own patch in the league since beating Reading, but picked up their first victory of the restart against Charlton on Friday night.
Alex Grace spoke to Middlesbroough fan Rob Fletcher this week.
Twitter: @rob_fletcher_
Why do you support Middlesbrough?
I’m from Middlesbrough and almost everyone there supports Boro.
My dad started taking me to matches when we were in the Premier League in 1992-93 but I probably became a fan more seriously in 1994 when Bryan Robson arrived.
As someone who comes from the area, I can’t imagine supporting anyone else because the club is such a core part of being in the town. As a fan for about 25 years I’ve been to four domestic cup finals, a UEFA Cup final, relegations and promotions, so it’s been pretty eventful.
What has been your favourite season following Boro?
I think the favourite season for most Boro fans in the Riverside era, is 1996-97 when Fabrizio Ravanelli and Emerson arrived.
It was my first as a season-ticket holder so holds a great memory for me. We also got to two cup finals, with some replays thrown in too, so I got to travel all around the country as an 11-year-old to watch the team.
Then there was the three-point deduction and relegation, so it was certainly eventful.
And the worst?
The worst…probably the 2016-17 season in the Premier League under Aitor Karanka.
There was so much hope that we could re-establish ourselves as a solid team in the top division, but it wasn’t to be.
The tactics were negative, the signings too speculative and the general football on offer was drab. It was a real shame, because it doesn’t look like we’ll get back there any time soon.
It’s been a tough season this time around – where has it gone wrong?
To be honest, the recruitment was poor and it was a risk taking on Jonathan Woodgate as a rookie manager.
The team is made to play with wing-backs but we haven’t done it often enough. Our game plan is difficult to work out and we have not seen much quality football from players who can play much better.
Was the decision to sack Jonathan Woodgate the right one and are you happy with the appointment of Neil Warnock?
I think sacking Woodgate was the right decision and appointing Warnock gives us a fighting chance of staying up. Let’s hope he can work his magic, keep us up and maybe even push into the top half of the table next season.
George Saville joined you for £8 million in the summer of 2018 – what have Boro fans made of him since his arrival?
He has flattered to deceive, really.
Tony Pulis signed him saying he would be a captain for the club, but we haven’t really seen any leadership qualities on the pitch.
It is difficult to work out what his actual role in the team is because he does not seem to do anything at a high level.
Saying that, there is probably a solid Championship midfielder in there somewhere, but have paid way over the odds to find out.
Do you think you have enough to avoid the drop?
We might just have enough, and the situation at Wigan has certainly helped us out. It’s very tight down there and we will have to pick up some wins in the next two/three games or we will be staring into the void.
What have you made of Millwall’s season?
To be honest, I’ve been quite impressed by the team from afar.
Moving on from Neil Harris was always going to be difficult, but it seems to have worked out well for both parties.
What are your thoughts on Lions boss Gary Rowett?
Rowett took over with Millwall at the wrong end of the table and the current position and points total speaks for itself.
Rowett is a pretty standard manager in the Championship and seems to be able to organise a side to be functional and collect points. I think he will continue to bounce around the league as a manager, but maybe he has a chance to push on with Millwall.
If you could sign two Millwall players, who would they be and why?
We’ve been linked to Jed Wallace on many occasions (including in a double deal when we signed George Saville) and for his productivity alone he would massively enhance our side. I don’t think he will be moving in the other direction any time soon though.
The other player I would take is Jake Cooper who would really strengthen Boro’s back-line. We are really short in defence and Cooper has proved himself to be a solid central defender and contributed to a pretty good defensive record.
Can Millwall nick a top-six spot?
Unfortunately, I don’t think Millwall will have quite enough to get into the top six, but I can see you pushing until the end of the season.
What is your predicted Boro line-up and formation?
After the last two performances, I’m not sure what Warnock will try next. I do think wing-backs suit us but Djed Spence may well not be fit enough for the game so a back four will be what he uses. For me, a solid midfield three is what we need, with pace across a front three.
My predicted line up would be: 4-3-3: Stojanovic; Howson, Friend, Fry, Coulson; McNair, Saville, Wing; Fletcher, Assombalonga, Roberts.
Will you be following the game from home?
Yeah, I will be watching the game on the club streaming service, which has provided excellent quality. Shame about the football!
Finally, a score prediction?
1-1 – I think Warnock will want to stop the rot and we shut up shop for a point.
Graphic: @jay_taylor18