VETERAN manager Neil Warnock explained that he put extra precautions in place to nullify Zian Flemming’s threat in Millwall’s 1-0 defeat to Huddersfield Town.
The Dutchman has already scored 13 goals in his maiden season in English football, having arrived from Eredivisie club Fortuna Sittard last summer. It has made him the top scorer in the team alongside Tom Bradshaw, but Flemming’s all-round performances have arguably made him the star of the team this campaign.
Many teams have struggled to silence him so far, but relegation-threatened Huddersfield were able to keep him quiet throughout the 90 minutes despite their poor form. He took five shots in total but just one tested Tomas Vaclik in the visitors’ goal, while one was blocked and three were off target. He created just one chance and generally struggled to find space to exploit in the final third.
After the game, Warnock said that the key to silencing Flemming was to man-mark him, something that he has rarely done in his career. He tasked Rarmani Edmonds-Green with keeping the 24-year-old at bay, something which he successfully managed to achieve.
“I just look at each team we’re playing against and if I feel like that, I do it,” the manager said after Saturday’s game.
“I don’t think I’ve done it before, really, but I just think he’s a good player. He’s so influential and I didn’t want him to be influential today.
“I think he got a little bit frustrated in that respect. You can see how good he is.
“I didn’t want Hoggy [Jonathan Hogg] to go on him because he had a bit of an injury and I thought he [Flemming] would be a little bit too mobile for him.
“REG [Edmonds-Green] has come on and has been doing well in training as well, so it was nice. I didn’t feel like we needed that extra physical presence with Matty Pearson today, even though I didn’t forgive him for his penalty against West Brom.
“I’m glad he made up for that today with blood everywhere and his nose bunged up. That’s more like it, I love seeing a bit of blood!”
Photo: Millwall FC