Millwall (a); The Preview

Andy – How do you feel your return to the Championship has started?

Ed – I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say we could easily be sitting top of the league with 12 points rather than second bottom.

We have created a hatful of chances in every game so far and have been unlucky not to get that first win.
From that point of view, it’s been a positive start and we haven’t looked out of place back in the second tier. Of course, you don’t get points for trying so we need to convert those nearly moments into wins sooner rather than later.

Is merely surviving this season a success?

Following your club, you go into every game hoping they win. But you also have to be realistic. Coming from League One, we are now a tiny fish in a vast ocean of wealth and Premier League experience. When I tell you that Millwall’s record signing still stands from 1989, you can understand the chasm between us and a lot of other clubs.

With that in mind, I think most Lions’ supporters accept we will probably lose more than we win this season. However, from what I’ve seen so far, I don’t see us being the Championship’s whipping boys and believe we can hold our own.

Pre-season, I said 16th place would be a good finish so I’ll stick with that for now.

Neil Harris is a Millwall legend obviously but if you were to go down would the fans and board stick with him?

Like most clubs, you tend to go through periods of stability and turmoil.

Kenny Jackett was at the club for 7 seasons and, for the most part, oversaw some of the most successful spells the club has had. His departure triggered a series of poor managerial choices – namely former Hammer Steve Lomas and the clown Ian Holloway.

I think the chairman had his fingers burnt by those experiences so I’d anticipate Harris sticking around for a while – whether we stay up or not.

Who should we be looking out for Saturday and where might we get some joy?

The obvious candidate would be Steve Morison. I know his first season at Carrow Road was relatively successful but after that he didn’t do a lot and was subsequently shipped out on loan.I’m sure he’d like to get one over his former side. He’s a big favourite at The Den, and although nearly 34, he can still produce a touch of class in front of goal.

Former Wolves duo Jed Wallace and George Saville have started the season well and possess genuine quality which should stand us in good stead for the season ahead.

In terms of you getting some joy, I guess that depends on which Millwall turn up on the day. Against Bolton and Bristol City, we looked solid at the back but failed to take our chances. Against your friends, Ipswich, we took our chances in front of goal but defended horrendously with individual errors costing us.

The stadium issue didn’t appear to affect you last season but how big a cloud does it cast over the football?

The CPO on land around The Den continues to rumble on in the background. After a lot of work done by the AMS (Association of Millwall Supporters) and the Guardian’s Barney Ronay bringing the issue to a national audience, we are now awaiting the verdict of an independent inquiry – although how ‘independent’ an inquiry can be when it has been organised by the very council who wish to enforce the CPO, I don’t know?

Without going into too much detail, I fully anticipate the saga to continue well into 2018. If any of your fellow Canaries are unfamiliar with this story, I’d recommend having a read of Barney Ronay’s work to see what all the fuss is about.

What, if anything, have you made of our season so far?

Norwich are always one of the clubs I predict to be in and around the play-off hunt. You have the experience and nous to mount a play-off campaign and, although you have had a slow-ish start I think the squad is probably still adapting to Daniel Farke. The conveyor belt of young German coaches is relentless at the moment, so it’ll be interesting to see how he fares in English football. If he gets it right, I fully expect you to be right up there.

As a real advocate of the pun, I also think his surname has a lot of potential.

How do you see Saturday going and score prediction?

Like I said earlier, predicting Millwall games is a lottery. Whether a 0-0 bore draw or a 4-4 goal fest – neither would surprise me. The optimist in me will plump for a 2-1 win for the Lions.
The realist? I’ll go 2-2.