Millwall fell out of the play-off places, but can take heart from a tense draw against third-placed Ipswich at the Den, which was a superb response to straight defeats.
The one major issue it raised was the meager goal return and the continued imbalance in the goal differential.
The Lions have already scored only 25 goals after the first half of the league season (23 games), and their goal differential of minus six places them as one of only two teams in the top 13 who are not in credit.
Is there a substantial cause for concern? Boss Alex Neil is determined not to view it negatively.
“You could say it’s a concern [the lack of goals] But Femi [Azeez] is our top scorer and he wasn’t on the pitch today and I think Josh Coburn has been a big miss for us this season as well,” Millwall’s manager told reporters following the game.
“I believe they will judge us better and more fairly when they are all available, and that is basically all I would say.
“I believe that 36 points at the midway stage is a very excellent return, especially given the guys we’ve been without. In the last two or three years, 72 points has typically qualified you for the playoffs.
“I believe that there is always room for progress. We have a nice, strong roster, but many of the players are playing at this level for the first time, so this is a true test for them in terms of proving they can do it on a consistent basis.”
Neil commented on the 0-0 tie, saying, “I think [considering] the quality Ipswich have and how stretched we are at the moment, having to take Billy [Mitchell] off after 70 minutes to protect him, I thought the lads did extremely well.” I didn’t think they deserved to lose by such a large margin, and I assumed if anyone was going to grab it, it would be us.
“I felt we were a decent value. A clean slate was crucial. The last several outcomes have not been good, and we needed to avoid losing today. That is important for the team’s confidence.”
Neil now has the weekend to prepare for what looks to be a lively return match against Bristol City on Monday, after the sides’ previous meeting at Ashton Gate ended in bad blood and a major melee.
Will it provide an added edge? “Not for me, no.” What it will do is give the fans an advantage, I know,” he said, adding: “We now have four games coming up, and we’re going to have to freshen up the group each time, so I don’t think we’ll have the same team starting any of them. I don’t believe that’s conceivable.
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