Millwall have experienced a horrendous week as they now prepare to face Newcastle United on Tuesday night in the Carabao Cup third round.
Saturday saw the Lions win 4-0 against Bolton Wanderers but that doesn’t tell the whole story.
It was a very even match at home against bottom four side Bolton and the visitors missing some great chances, the scoreline only 1-0 to Millwall until the game reached the 83rd minute and then three goals in five minutes very much overplaying the victory.
That eventual four goal win papering over a lot of cracks.
Millwall finished last season third in the Championship and only missed out on the Premier League in the play-offs.
The way this season started, it appeared they’d be set to be sure things as challengers once again, winning 2-0 at Bristol City then 3-0 victors at home to Norwich.
However, former Sunderland manager Alex Neil can scarcely believe the week he and his Millwall squad have just endured.
The Millwall boss speaking after the win over Bolton: “A week is a long time in football…A week ago we had just come off the back of Bristol and Norwich…then we lose a couple of games, we sell Femi Azeez at the end of the window, then we lose ten, twelve, thirteen, whatever players. It has been a testing week…”
Femi Azeez was Millwall’s best player and biggest attacking threat but Brighton eventually forced the transfer at the very end of the transfer window when raising their offer to £15m for the Nigerian international winger. Millwall losing 5-1 at Southampton and then 3-0 at home to Wrexham. To then have 13+ players ruled out in total AND yesterday Jenson Metcalfe added to that missing list as he was red carded against Bolton and is also now ruled out of the Newcastle United match.
It feels like the last thing Alex Neil and Millwall might need is an extra midweek match against a Premier League side, as they look to mount a serious promotion challenge in a packed schedule whilst losing so many players.
Reading comments from Millwall fans, many of them suggesting playing the kids against United and prioritising a huge league week that follows on from the NUFC match, as on Saturday 12th September the Lions are away to Blackburn, then away to Middlesbrough on Tuesday 15th, before their biggest match of the season at home to West Ham on Saturday 19th.
Nobody is thinking this is going to be easy for Newcastle United on Tuesday night but for sure it is looking far more difficult for Millwall to take on this cup clash in a full-on way, compared to how it looked just over a week ago.