JED Wallace is pleased with Millwall’s start to the season – particularly as the Lions usually take their time to get going in the league.
The Lions are ninth in the table as the squad get some rest during the second international break, but that’s just five points off first-place Reading in a wide-open looking Championship this season.
In their three previous seasons in the second tier after the same number of games Millwall were 15th (eight points off top); 22nd (fifteen points off top); and 13th (eleven points from first place).
Gary Rowett’s side have lost just two games, the fewest at this point in their four seasons in the Championship since their return from League One.
“I think if you offered us this start we probably would have taken it,” Wallace said. “Typically we don’t normally get going until Christmas, certainly in the time I’ve been here.
“So if we can maintain what we have been doing, stay in and around that chasing pack in the next block of games after the international break then we can challenge near the top part of the table.
“With the manager we’ve got and the squad we’ve got that’s what we should be doing.”
Wallace has scored four goals in this campaign, the same as after 11 games last season. He ended the campaign with 10, but the last of them was on January 28 in the 3-2 defeat at Leeds.
He had a conversation with Rowett in the summer about how he can improve his goal threat and maintain it over a full season.
Wallace is relatively pleased with his haul so far.
“It’s been decent,” he said. “Four goals is good. I’ve missed a couple of chances, which is actually a good thing for me because I want to make sure I’m getting into those positions. But I should have done better with them.
“I’m getting more shots after getting into more goal-scoring areas. I’ve got the lads behind me, and lads with unique abilities to create chances.”
Rowett missed three games after testing positive with Covid-19, before he returned as the side ground out two 0-0 draws in tricky fixtures at Norwich and Sheffield Wednesday.
Wallace enjoyed playing for Alex Pearce and Shaun Williams as his team-mates oversaw games against Preston and Huddersfield.
But the attacker was pleased to see the manager back, with assistant Adam Barrett – who also had to self-isolate for ten days – joining the boss at Hillsborough.
“It was a boost, just having [Rowett’s] presence there and clear instructions, knowing what to do.
“In modern football you can do things on Zoom, but it’s not the same as having the manager there. He can get the information to us so quickly, he understands exactly what we need to do, what we don’t need to do.
“Having him back, mentally and physically it gave me a bit of a boost. You realise more how important these people are when they’re not there, as well as Pearcey and Willo did.
“Pearcey said to me as soon as we got in the car [to go to training], ‘it’s good to have the gaffer back’. It meant also we got Pearcey and Willo back in the match-day squad. They’re still two very big players for us. But the gaffer is the most important person at the football club.
“The squad looks really good, you need strength in depth and competition for places and at the moment that’s what we’ve got.”
That depth is set to be increased with the return of Billy Mitchell after the international break. Troy Parrott is currently on international duty with Ireland and if he comes through training and competitive action then the Lions should have more firepower this month.
Kenneth Zohore, who made such a big impact in his only start, scoring in the 2-0 win at Preston, is sidelined for longer but is on course to return in December.
“Everyone knows what Ken’s all about, a big, powerful man and he has scored goals at this level,” Wallace said. “With Troy it’s important we don’t put too much pressure on him. He hasn’t played much this season so we can’t expect him to be a world beater, it’s going to be a learning curve for him.
“But he looks like he has very good movement, he’s an excellent finisher, and he’s very good at linking the play, so I’m looking forward to playing with him.”
Image: Millwall FC