Transfer deadline days don’t tend to be quiet affairs at Millwall. Not anymore.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but the most recent instalment did feel particularly chaotic with lots of plates spinning in the final hours.

Maybe it was better when deadline days at Millwall were known simply as (insert relevant day of the week here). Then again, scratch that. There is no frenzy quite like a transfer frenzy - give us all the signings.

On that front, Millwall certainly kept us well fed with 12 (!) new faces over the course of the transfer window. But where does it leave Alex Neil’s side - are they stronger than last season, which was the club’s finest in a generation? Or do we come out of the window in worse shape than we entered it?

I’ve already discussed some previous recruits and what they bring to the table, so I won’t go over too much old ground. Before we get into the day’s significant departure and an overall verdict for the window, we’ll get stuck into our latest additions.

A quad injury suffered by the unfortunate Lukas Jensen meant that a goalkeeper was added to Millwall’s deadline day shopping list. In moving for Filip Marschall, Millwall have signed one of - if not the - standout goalkeepers in League One from last season.

Third-tier raids have become a staple of the club’s recent recruitment strategy and this particular one bears striking similarities to that of Jensen’s arrival two years ago. It is also a transfer which all but heralds the end of the Dane’s status as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper.

On a human level, it’s hard not to feel for Jensen; he will be devastated by his latest injury setback, even more so given he had looked so strong in his string of competitive appearances following more than a year out. After joining the club in the most challenging of circumstances, Jensen has had absolutely no luck. Through no real fault of his own, we started the campaign still none the wiser as to whether or not he was the goalkeeping upgrade that Alex Neil has seemingly been craving. With Millwall now pushing the button on a permanent move for Marschall, there’s a high likelihood we will never get to discover the answer.

At 23, Marschall is clearly someone the club views as a long-term fixture in goal. Number-wise, he amassed the joint-most clean sheets in the third tier last season (19) and while his save percentage was lower than that of Millwall’s keepers last season (66.4%), only three keepers performed better than Marschall in the goals prevented metric (3.7). For reference, Max Crocombe scored 3.4, albeit playing at a higher level.

Millwall have lacked a dominant No 1 and Marschall’s early comments about commanding his box, plus positive reviews from Stevenage fans of his ability with the ball at his feet, are exactly what teams want from a modern day keeper. However, it’s all about how well that translates: the step up from League One to the Championship is a significant one and while Millwall’s strength in defence should make Marschall’s transition smoother, that doesn’t mean it will be seamless.

While an injury late in the window meant that strengthening the goalkeeper position became a matter of urgency, Millwall’s need for wide attacking reinforcements has been clear for some time. It felt like Millwall always needed at least two wingers to come in on deadline day, particularly with the uncertainty surrounding Femi Azeez. They appear to have done that in securing deals for Yanis Issoufou and Romain Esse, though the former is yet to be formally confirmed.

Issoufou is the latest ‘model’ capture from France and the early signs from our two previous acquisitions from Ligue 2 in Derek Mazou-Sacko and Tairyk Arconte have been extremely positive. Whether or not Issoufou can follow in that vein remains to be seen. He arrives as a bit of an unknown quantity, so it’s hard to quantify what exactly he will bring to the table. Or how much will be asked of him early doors. For obvious reasons, it’s hard to go into too much depth on this signing, but our French track record is magnifique.

Esse is a player we can analyse: we all know what he brings to the table after watching him flourish before being sold for big money to Crystal Palace. Unfortunately for him - and us given the sell-on clause inserted into said eight-figure deal - Esse’s development has stalled since moving across south London. He has looked a shell of the enigmatic, fleet-footed winger who danced past defenders for fun at The Den. In fact, it looks like the fun has been completely sapped from his game full stop.

He returns to The Den looking to rediscover his mojo and has the benefit of being able to attempt to do so in familiar surroundings. As others have already pointed out, we should benefit from the fact that Esse will be desperate to get his career back on track. The team has evolved significantly since he last pulled on a Millwall shirt; Esse was the main creative force before his mid-season transfer to Crystal Palace. And while he will benefit from working with a higher calibre of attacking players, he is unlikely to be the main man anymore.

Esse is also a very different profile of player to Azeez despite being the player most likely to fill the now Brighton winger’s role. How that turns out remains to be seen, but Millwall’s full-backs often get high up the pitch to provide width, so I’m not necessarily against having a player with a preference to drift inside operating off the right flank.

At the end of the day, we know Esse’s qualities. And there are many of them. Bringing him back on loan doesn’t feel particularly progressive, but that also doesn’t make him a bad addition to the squad. I think it’s absolutely fair enough to be enthused at the prospect of Esse being back with us, but at the same time underwhelmed with him coming in as Azeez’s ‘replacement’.

On Azeez, there is no getting away from the fact that a £12.5m fee potentially rising to £15m for an attacking player of his quality feels skinny. But the current window was the opportune moment to sell, even if events haven’t quite materialised as we may have envisaged. In some ways, this feels like a bit of a reality check in the newly embraced player trading model.

In Millwall’s defence, they were probably not expecting to be thrashing out a deal for Azeez in the final hours of deadline day. And they certainly cannot dictate the market. So while most supporters, and I’d include myself here, may feel Azeez was worth a more substantial guaranteed sum, Millwall did not benefit from the market frenzy we expected. What that all results in is a difficult decision. From a business sense - and taking our fan hats off for a second - the cold hard facts are that Millwall have still banked a significant profit on the £1million they invested to sign Azeez two years ago.

Millwall have plenty of credit in the bank on the recruitment front and I’ve already made a case for this being the hardest stage of the club’s ‘model’. Identifying and signing good players isn’t the difficult bit, keeping that conveyor belt going, particularly when you start dealing with larger transfer fees, is where things get really tricky. It’s just not realistic to expect wins every time. On the other side of the coin, and to Millwall’s immense credit, they have once again spent in excess of eight figures on incomings across the window.

Looking more widely at Millwall’s business in terms of wingers, Azeez, Thierno Ballo, Aidomo Emakhu and Tommy Watson were our main options on the flanks last season. We head into the new campaign with Esse, Issoufou, Kyrell Lisbie and Mark Sykes as our out and out wide-men. I wrote previously that it feels as though Camiel Neghli is also likely to be an option to fill the Azeez void operating off the right flank, which is coincidentally the position he started last season in. There are other players who could also play out wide, but I’d class those as our ‘proper’ senior options for the flanks.

The biggest thing that jumps out is the profile of those now in the building compared to Azeez and Ballo, who ended last season as our first-choice wingers. Only Lisbie really feels like an out and out direct outlet, though I could very well stand to be corrected when it comes to Issoufou. That’s not to say players like Esse and Neghli are incapable of getting us up the pitch in other ways, but as we’ve already seen with Lisbie, and from Azeez last season, direct running is such an effective weapon, particularly with how we set up. If Lisbie is unavailable, we lose that method of attack, which is far from ideal.

Replacing Azeez’s output will be difficult given the high volume of goals he was involved in. It may be that Azeez’s output will need to be spread amongst those players, rather than just one filling the void. On this point, it’s important to also factor in that Millwall have added more creative options in central midfield, plus a different profile of striker in Tairyk Arconte. So we do now have new weapons in our arsenal as we continue to evolve.

With that being said, it doesn’t feel like Millwall are particularly stronger than last season in terms of wide attackers. Especially with Azeez now out the door. That’s nothing to do with the quality of those who have come in, but more the quantity; Millwall look light in those attacking wide areas and are now likely to be asking a lot of Lisbie (first season at the level) and Esse (a dearth of game time over the last couple of seasons). Sykes and Neghli may be more experienced and know the level, but the former has not been particularly prolific in terms of goal contributions throughout his career, while Neghli has looked far more effective centrally. I think we’ve been left with more questions than answers when it comes to that area of the squad, which is a shame because Millwall have managed to add strength in depth elsewhere.

Overall, our XI was a match for anyone in the division last season and the numbers back that up. No team other than Coventry won more games than Millwall. But go beyond that first-choice 11 and things were less clear cut. Raising the floor of the squad rather than the ceiling of the team was the task this summer and, when you look at things man for man in terms of who has come in and those who have gone out, the club have largely achieved that. Our new signings - bar Jordi Osei-Tutu (who we have not seen enough of to really judge) and our deadline day arrivals - have given a good account of themselves, be that in proper games or pre-season for those currently injured, though we’re obviously talking about small sample sizes.

The majority have a dearth of Championship experience and will therefore need time to find their feet. However, among the pool of players who have perhaps been brought in to compliment the first-choice XI, there is some proper second tier nous with the likes of Sykes, Lyndon Dykes, Massimo Luongo and Danny Batth. The signing of Dykes in particular really drives home our trajectory over the last two years: in the summer of 2024, he would have been coming in as our potential first-choice No 9. He’s now viewed as a squad option to supplement the likes of Coburn, Arconte and Mihailo Ivanovic. Last season, Macaulay Langstaff was our only other real 9 option.

Other additions such as Elkan Baggott and Jenson Metcalfe have clearly been made with one eye on the future, but staying ahead of the curve is no bad thing. The calibre of some of the players who would now realistically come in as third or in some cases even fourth choice in their respective positions feels like a significant step forward from last season, although we do have to countenance that with the loss of our attacking talisman in Azeez.

Also, a quick nod to one major piece of business that didn’t happen. Tristan Crama was almost certainly another mover had he not sustained two ankle injuries either side of the Hull play-off game. I’d argue he was as effective as anyone in an attacking capacity last season - even Azeez. Retaining him, albeit by default, is a real bonus.

In conclusion then? I think it’s easy for the current injury situation and the Azeez fee to skew views the window, but overall, Millwall’s squad does look stronger, albeit light on the wings. In terms of our actual first-choice XI, that is less clear cut. Given the high number of injuries, we’re yet to be able to properly gauge what it will actually be yet, let alone how it compares to last year. And replacing Azeez’s output will no doubt be a real challenge.

At the very least, it feels like Neil has a deeper pool to work with when everybody is available. Our current situation drives home how imperative that will be if we are to enjoy another successful campaign.

On an occasion which saw Millwall renew acquaintances with Den royalty in Neil Harris, it’s fitting this cup tie was settled by a goal from Jake Cooper.

Millwall’s captain marvel is now well into legend territory himself and surpassed Harris, perhaps the most iconic club figure of all if you combine his accomplishments as both player and manager, on the Lions’ all-time appearance list last season.

He will soon nudge ahead of Harry Cripps into third spot and his winning goal is the latest addition to the impressive portfolio of numbers and accolades that Millwall’s captain has racked up since being signed by Harris almost a decade ago.

It’s unlikely many will bring this game up when we are reminiscing over the feats of Millwall’s latest legend in the years to come, though. That’s largely because this was a rather forgettable game. Bar an impressive opening 15 minute salvo, the Lions played like a team who had made 10 changes. But it was enough to get the job done.

Keeping things in perspective, not only is four wins from four a superb start to the season, it’s very un-Millwall. But very welcome. Another big plus is that Millwall were able to win while giving the vast majority of their first-choice team the night off. It’s worth bearing in mind we’ve come unstuck with much changed XI’s in years gone by.

Perhaps the only real grumble is that it feels like very few fringe players really made the most of an opportunity to nail down a claim for a more regular role.

Lyndon Dykes, Dan Kelly and Luke Cundle have featured in both of Millwall’s league games from the bench with the latter already in and amongst the goals. They feel like locks in terms of Alex Neil’s plans, even they if not currently regular starters.

Cundle was probably the Millwall standout and constantly kept the team moving, orchestrating play from a deeper role with plenty of one-touch passes. I’ve already wrote about Cundle and how he can be a real asset for Millwall this season; his knack for plundering goals means that keeping him around feels like a no-brainer, despite interest in his services from elsewhere. He showed there are more strings to his bow here, though you could argue this was a game against a team from a lower division which you would expect him to boss. But for all the talk of possible departures to ensure Millwall meet squad registration rules, Cundle has already shown enough in our first few games to underline why the club should be keeping him around.

In terms of the less established stars on the pitch, it felt like none of them really did enough to wrestle their way into the manager’s plans. Nor does it truly feel like any are currently at the level where they can contribute effectively to the cause.

I shared some thoughts a few weeks back around the level players now have to be at in order to be seen as genuine squad options and how that has changed during Neil’s tenure.

As noted previously, this is largely a natural consequence of the seismic progress the club have made on the pitch over the past couple of years, but also Millwall’s strategy in the transfer market. The club are now operating in a different stratosphere: multi-million pound transfer fees are now the norm (seriously, nobody has mentioned Paul Goddard in years) and the recruitment at first-team level has largely been very good over the last few windows.

Not every signing can be ultra sexy. But by adding seasoned Championship pros like Dykes, Mark Sykes and Danny Batth this summer, Millwall have raised the ceiling of their squad. In achieving that, the gulf between our squad players and our younger players now feels considerable. It’s hard to shake the feeling that Millwall have accelerated at such pace that even some of the more exciting young players are not currently at the level necessary to make a sustained positive impact at first-team level.

That was emphasised further here and it’s clear that some of the players who featured against Cambridge would be best served by continuing their development away from The Den to give them the best chance of bridging that gap in the future. With regular game time, that isn’t out of the question, particularly for somebody like Ra’ees Bangura-Williams. It was only last summer we were all expecting the talented midfielder to become our next breakout star. But Millwall are in a very different place now and one of the cons of such rapid progression is that not everybody will evolve at the same pace.

With a clean bill of health, Millwall’s squad feels stronger than last year, if a bit unbalanced. The wide attacking areas still feel particularly light with Kyrell Lisbie the only incoming on that front, despite Thierno Ballo and Tommy Watson both departing at the end of last season. There is also a strong likelihood that Femi Azeez attracts offers before the window shuts, so it would make sense that there is further activity to come in that area before the transfer deadline.

One interesting facet to that may be Camiel Neghli: with Millwall’s move to two centre forwards, perhaps there is a chance of him becoming more of a fixture on the right in an inverted role rather than centrally if we do not operate with a No 10. Obviously he is a very different profile to Azeez and that would represent a dynamic shift, but Neghli has grown into one of Millwall’s more influential and dependable players, so will almost certainly be accommodated. He was effective operating off the right flank at the weekend against Norwich and having a wide player who is comfortable drifting into central areas would mesh well with an aggressive, attacking right-back bombing on down the flank like Tristan Crama did last year. Whether that is actually the plan or not, only time will tell.

What will become clearer far more quickly is the make up of the squad with the transfer window now in its final throes.

For the club to keep evolving, it feels like getting some of our outgoing deals right could be just as important as nailing any further incomings.

It’s probably as unwise as it is difficult to draw too many conclusions just two games into a new season. But I’ll stick my neck out and saw we’ve already seen enough to put any fears of Millwall being plagued by a play-off hangover to bed.

Last week’s showing against Bristol City very much felt like Millwall picking up where they left off last term; the division’s best away team producing the goods again on the road. This, though, was the Lions laying down a real marker on their own manor. Too many away teams (seven to be exact) banked maximum points at The Den last season, including Norwich. That 2-1 reverse was particularly hard to digest considering it came just days after a memorable triumph away at Middlesbrough.

Millwall extracted revenge in some style here as they dismantled one of the sides heavily fancied for promotion this time around. And in doing so, they have hopefully set the tone for a return to the imperious home form that has been synonymous with successful Millwall teams from eras past.

In many ways, this was a complete contrast to the two teams’ last meeting; Millwall may have hit the front against Norwich back in April but they never really felt in control. Here, Alex Neil’s side were in control from minute one to minute 90. It really was, as the Scot described post-game, the complete performance.

Comparing both league games to the QPR outing in the cup, Millwall look a completely different beast with Tairyk Arconte supporting Josh Coburn in attack - and the fact that both are already on two goals apiece feels particularly encouraging.

Even in games we performed well in last season, there were periods where Coburn felt totally isolated. But Neil’s decision to play with an extra attacker on the pitch has already given Millwall far more bite in the final third. Kyrell Lisbie, too, almost transitions into a third striker with some of the positions he takes up when tucking in from the left, which is an interesting dynamic. He and Arconte are constantly lurking in and around the penalty area whenever Millwall attack; both were poised to pounce just a yard apart when the latter tucked home his first goal of the afternoon.

Arconte getting off the mark so early is massive. He responded excellently after spurning such a golden opportunity to open his account last week and it was more fine work from the Guadeloupean forward which culminated in Jose Cordoba being sent off just after the hour mark to really kill Norwich off.

In truth, the Canaries resembled a colourful but defeated ensemble long before Arconte had plundered his second goal of the game with a fine volley from a well-worked short free-kick early in the second half.

Philippe Clement claimed his side were ‘bullied’ by Millwall but the truth is they were second best on all fronts: physically, mentally and tactically. On and off the ball, Millwall were totally superior and hurt Norwich in all sorts of ways. On the occasions they did hit the channels, Coburn tormented Cordoba and was ultra effective. But Millwall also carved Norwich open time and time again with intelligent combinations and slick passing. The final scoreline very much flattered the visitors.

Femi Azeez is our most effective attacking influence and there is a pretty strong case for Tristan Crama to take second spot in that particular list. To be without both and still be as dynamic and dangerous in both of our league games so far is seriously impressive.

It feels like the former is probably unlikely to re-enter the fray now, but the thought of Crama coming back into this team is quite something. Then add in Mathis Servais, who looked a level above in pre-season. The likes of Derek Mazou-Sacko, Mihailo Ivanovic and Alfie Doughty would probably all consider themselves to be starters if fit, too. With everybody available, Millwall have some serious strength in depth bar the wide attacking areas (with the caveat that there is the possibility of more business to come on that front).

Servais was the player I was really looking forward to seeing in competitive action after pre-season, but the midfield shirt next to Casper de Norre is now very much Jenson Metcalfe’s to lose.

Arconte may have been given the accolade of Man of the Match, but Metcalfe was the one who really caught the eye on Saturday. Again, it’s important to keep things in some sort of perspective just because we’re talking about a really small sample size for a player still adjusting to the demands of Championship football. Remember, nobody is exempt from the Conor Mahoney tax. But Metcalfe looks absolutely mega on and off the ball.

It felt like he was everywhere, particularly during the first half, and seems to mesh well with De Norre, who has grown into a real leader. We already know Metcalfe loves a tackle but there is plenty of silk to complement the steel and his range of passing was just as impressive as his infectious tenacity. The way he punched the ball across to Mark Sykes (who also excelled on his Den debut at right-back) in the build-up to Millwall’s opener was superb, giving the yellow shirts in between absolutely no chance of snuffing out the danger.

There has been plenty of debate about Millwall’s midfielders and their roles over the past few months but Metcalfe has already shown enough to suggest that he is capable of having an effect in both phases of play, which is welcome. The 21-year-old - like Azeez, Crama and Caleb Taylor before him - is further evidence, if any were needed, of why Millwall consider League One to be such a fruitful hunting ground.

It was always going to be a big summer for Millwall in the central midfield area with a first-choice player like Billy Mitchell departing. There early signs, and that’s all they are right now, after an overhaul of sorts are encouraging. With Massimo Luongo, Dan Kelly and Luke Cundle, both of whom impressed off the bench here, also waiting in the wings alongside the names listed above, Millwall’s engine room looks really strong. Perhaps more so than any other area when all personnel are fit and firing.

Cundle got on the scoresheet again by netting a classy third goal in the dying embers. Both he and Kelly were involved in a sweeping move which saw Millwall turn defence into attack in the blink of an eye with Camiel Neghli providing a slick assist via the outside of his boot after watching Millwall’s No 25 peel away from two defenders with all the awareness and intelligence of an elite No 9.

That’s now two goals in three games for Cundle and, as outlined after the QPR win, it really feels like Millwall would be shooting themselves in the foot if they are unable to find an adequate role for him this season. Cundle has the knack of sniffing out goals which makes him extremely valuable, even if he hasn’t always had the desired impact when starting games. If Millwall do find themselves in the position where they have to lose players for squad registration purposes late in the window, I don’t think it makes sense for Cundle to be one of them.

That goal made the scoreline a more accurate reflection of the game. Like last week, it could and should have been more. But not only is five goals scored after two games not to be sniffed at, it’s the joint-best output in the division. Heady heights indeed.

You have to go back more than a decade for the last time Millwall won both their opening league games, a feat they achieved back in the 2014-15 campaign. That season culminated in relegation to League One.

It’s still very early days but this already feels like it could be another memorable campaign for all the right reasons.

If anybody required further evidence of the progress Millwall have made in the last 18 months, the manner in which they professionally put a depleted Bristol City side to the sword should suffice.

Because if there is one scenario where Millwall have traditionally come unstuck, it’s games in which they’ve had a man advantage.

That scenario presented itself again in their Championship opener when Adam Randell received his marching orders late in the first half for a foolish second yellow card, brandished after he had attempted to stifle matchwinner Josh Coburn’s attempts to launch a counter-attack.

But there was to be no such trauma here. In fact, Millwall took full advantage of the situation with two goals across a nine minute period either side of half-time to kill off any sniff of a Bristol City comeback, even if they could and should have headed back down the M4 with more goals to their name.

Coburn has come on leaps and bounds since a fine debut two years ago and really came of age in the shirt towards the end of last season, even though it was another campaign disrupted by injury. He featured in just over half (26) of Millwall’s 46 regulation league games - if Coburn and the club can improve his availability ratio, then there is no reason why he cannot reach another level. As noted previously, the signing of Lyndon Dykes gives Millwall a viable target man alternative to ease the load on Coburn, which is exactly what they did late on at Ashton Gate.

During his 83 minutes on the pitch, Coburn underlined why, despite added competition, he remains Millwall’s first-choice No 9 by some distance. This was very much the complete display punctuated with two proper centre forward’s goals: the first converted from a low cross at the near post and the second a pinpoint header from the centre of the penalty area.

His overall performance far transcended his goals, though. Rob Atkinson and Rob Dickie are commanding, seasoned Championship centre-halves. But they were dominated by Coburn, who used his body smartly to outfox his opponents in individual battles, as well as showing all the poise and power needed to run the channels effectively to ensure Millwall would retain an outlet down the right-hand side even without the dynamic combination of Tristan Crama and Femi Azeez, the latter of whom may now join the defender in the treatment room.

Much has been made of Azeez’s future, while Crama’s stellar form has also fuelled suspicions that he, too, would be targeted by clubs this summer before suffering a fresh injury. Losing the entire right hand side of last year’s team would be a seismic blow. Theoretically, it could still happen, be that down to injuries or transfers. But if this was a first glimpse of what a potential ‘Millwall 2.0’ could look like, it was positive.

There were shades of the 2017-18 Millwall team that came so close to cracking the play-offs in their first season back at this level under Neil Harris on show: a dynamic 4-4-2 with a strike partnership capable of running the channels effectively complete with diligent but attack-minded wide players, an aggressive central midfield pairing and a resolute defence. Bristol City simply had no answers anywhere across the pitch for what Millwall served up. 4-4-2 has proved to be a formula for success previously during Alex Neil’s tenure and it’s worth bearing in mind that we did end the 2024/25 campaign and start last season with a front two of Coburn and Mihailo Ivanovic. We posed far more of a threat with two up top than we did against QPR last week, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more of it.

That will probably largely hinge on personnel; Millwall still feel light in the wide areas and Azeez’s early withdrawal was probably the only blot on the afternoon. His misfortunate gave the electric Kyrell Lisbie the opportunity to impress - and he certainly made the most of it.

Analysing Lisbie’s strengths last month, we already know that he is a potent penalty box poacher - something he showcased with the run to finish off Dykes’ deflected effort, albeit from an offside position. Here he showed he is far from just a penalty box player. He was direct, took people on and caused havoc at times with the searing pace which now gives Millwall another string to their attacking bow. Of all the wide-men on show at Ashton Gate, it felt like Lisbie was the one who really stood out.

His final delivery may not have always been on point but he showed enough to underline that there is more to his game than just goals. Millwall have been blessed down the years with plenty of wingers capable of getting bums off seats; based on the early evidence, they have found another. It was quite fitting that Lisbie, in the second half, tangled with a player who has already filled that remit in Jed Wallace.

As noted above, it could and should have been even more comfortable for Millwall. Tairyk Arconte missed a sitter from a couple of yards out after more excellent centre forward play from Coburn, while a host of other chances failed to test Sam Tickle in the home goal.

The Lions actually accumulated the highest xG across the entire EFL (3.4) over the weekend after laying siege on the home goal time and time again. Sometimes it feels like the numbers don’t always provide an accurate reflection of proceedings, but they did here: Millwall absolutely peppered Bristol City’s goal, registering 24 shots in total. Just three were on target.

There were standout performances all over the pitch: Jenson Metcalfe and Casper de Norre were magnificent in midfield with the former even marking his league debut with an assist, while the entire back four were colossuses. Lukas Jensen, the hero last weekend, was pretty much a bystander this time around.

Millwall have largely evolved year on year since that marvellous campaign under Harris which almost culminated in a top six finish all those years ago. Continue that trend this year and the Premier League should beckon.

If that is to become a reality then Millwall will have to find a way to return to their imperious best at home.

Neil may have transformed the Lions into the best away team in the division last year but it was at The Den where we struggled for consistency, particularly early in the campaign. Looking back now, losing three of our first four home games in the league, albeit to teams who all went on to become promotion rivals, was hugely damaging.

Norwich significantly improved under Philippe Clement last season and were one of seven teams to beat Millwall at The Den. That number simply cannot be as high this year if we are to go one better.

Following this win up with victory next weekend against a team many also fancy to push for promotion would really put a marker down on that front.

For now, Millwall can revel in the satisfaction of a job well done on day one. And as far as starts to the season go, this was about as impressive as it gets.

483 days on from his last competitive appearance, Lukas Jensen would have probably settled for a steady afternoon in Millwall’s season opener at QPR, let alone a spectacular one.

After 15 plus months on the sidelines, Jensen had a prime opportunity to stake a claim for the No 1 berth which was originally taken from him by an achilles injury. A drama-free, assured performance on his return, complete with clean sheet and a win for Millwall to advance in the Carabao Cup, would have been just the ticket.

Instead, he produced four penalty saves in a row to not only record a completely outrageous clean sheet in a 2-0 shootout win for Millwall, but also significantly enhance his chances of retaining his place this weekend.

Jensen has endured a challenging two years at Millwall and Carabao Cup or not, this felt like the big breakout moment he has been waiting for.

Let’s not forget, he arrived in the most tragic and difficult of circumstances. Understandably, it took him time to find his feet and there’s no denying that he endured a shaky start to life at The Den before eventually settling down. It felt like he was just beginning to show some of the qualities that convinced Millwall to acquire him when the serious injury which curtailed his 2024-25 campaign struck.

After Jensen’s stint in the treatment room was extended due to a fresh injury midway through last season, the keeper has returned to action properly this summer ahead of the new Championship campaign. Such a significant lay-off had prompted questions among some fans as to whether or not a new keeper was required with Jensen heading out on loan. That and criticism over aspects of his recent performances always felt particularly harsh given the circumstances; after rehabbing diligently for over a year, Jensen was always deserving of the chance to stake a claim for the shirt in competitive games. And while there has been visible rustiness from the former Lincoln man in some of the friendly games, building up match sharpness after such a significant period out of commission was never going to be a straightforward or prompt process.

Whether anybody expected him to stake a claim in quite the manner he did on Saturday is another matter entirely.

Jensen looked sharp and comfortable during the 90 minutes to keep QPR at the bay, including one fine reflex save from a corner. But it was the quartet of penalty saves in the shootout which genuinely elevated a rather mundane, run-of-the-mill afternoon into one which will be retold for years to come.

It was a remarkable feat of goalkeeping; the save to deny Chair was satisfying. The one to thwart Harvey Vale from the second spot-kick was absolutely class. From then on, it was like Jensen was playing out a Roy of the Rovers script.

He seemed to grow in stature after each spot-kick to the point where it felt almost futile for Kwame Poku to even attempt the final penalty; the ball was always heading straight into the gigantic paws of Millwall’s great Dane.

Watching Jensen previously, it’s felt at times as though there he’s been a dearth of confidence from the man in between the sticks. This will give him an absolutely seismic boost on that front as he bids to re-establish himself as Millwall’s undisputed No 1.

If we’re being surgical with our analysis, it probably would have made sense for Jensen to start the season with the shirt before his QPR heroics, even though Max Crocombe has done minimal (if anything, really) wrong in his Millwall career. That’s largely down to the fact that Alex Neil installed Anthony Patterson as first-choice midway through the previous campaign; though Crocombe was steady and dependable on the whole, Patterson was clearly seen as an upgrade.

If Neil wanted an upgrade then, the odds are that hasn’t changed over the summer. Whether or not Jensen is that upgrade remains to be seen, but it makes sense to at least explore the option rather than pursuing an external candidate straight away.

Neil said prior to the game that he was not heading into the season with a settled No 1 and maybe Crocombe will still get the nod vs Bristol City. But off the back of Jensen’s grandstand finale, it certainly feels like the shirt is now his to lose.

Before Jensen’s headline act it was another maligned Lion who had nudged Millwall into the lead at the start of the second half.

Like Jensen, Luke Cundle has also endured plenty of peaks and troughs since joining the club in the early weeks of Neil’s premiership. Scrutiny over his future has coincided with transfer interest from elsewhere with Leicester City keen on a player who has thrived under their manager, Russell Martin, previously.

Whether Millwall would entertain the idea of losing Cundle is another question entirely.

Though Cundle has been unable to nail down a regular spot in the team since his arrival, he is a genuine penalty box poacher; he scored on his debut with a header which was plundered from pretty much on the goal-line against QPR before repeating the feat against them 18 months on, albeit with his feet. Here, he reacted instantly when Pierce Charles somehow spilled a whipped cross from Camiel Neghli to give Millwall the lead.

It looked like being the winner, too, before the unfortunate Mark Sykes put through his own net from a corner four minutes from time; some reward given it had been his superb last ditch defending moments earlier which had kept QPR’s Alfie Lloyd out.

Cundle chipped in with four goals last season including some pretty pivotal ones during the final stretch. That knack of being in the right place at the right time alone makes Cundle a valuable commodity; after analysing the signing of Kyrell Lisbie, I’d wager his predatory instincts in and around the six yard box were a big factor in the decision to sign him. Can you ever have enough poachers in your squad? Particularly for a team like us who, traditionally, struggle to score many goals?

He offered more than just his goal here. He attempted to link play throughout, was generally quite positive and progressive with his use of the ball (albeit he only attempted 20 passes) and didn’t just float in the No 10 spot waiting for things to happen. Steven Schumacher, Cundle’s manager at Plymouth and Stoke, has previously described him as a ‘running 8’ and a ‘connector’: a player who can link defence to attack. Both of those roles have the scope to work in Millwall’s current system and I definitely think there’s a place for Cundle in this squad, although whether that is a main role or not is another matter.

That will become clearer on another day; this one belonged to Jensen.

It was written in the stars, wasn’t it?

Some two years after Millwall were last sniffing around Lyndon Dykes in their search for a bruising but mobile No 9, the Scotland international has finally arrived at The Den. Better late than never, right?

Or maybe not. While there has been plenty to like about our transfer business in recent windows, this one has split opinion quite drastically. And while I get both sides, I certainly think I can see a method to the perceived madness.

At surface level, it feels like an underwhelming move given our exploits in the last few transfer windows and, perhaps more relevantly, where we finished last season. After all, Dykes didn’t exactly rip up the Championship for Charlton, albeit - as we saw firsthand back in January - we are talking about a very poor Charlton side here. A tally of three goals from 20 games doesn’t exactly set the pulses racing.

It’s not a move which screams progression. And it would be totally fair to suggest we would be in alarm bells territory if Dykes had been signed to be our main man over 40 odd games in the Championship given our trajectory under Alex Neil.

But the reality is, he hasn’t. Squad depth will go a long way to determining whether or not we can emulate the achievements of last season. Our starting XI felt like a match for anyone in the division last term, which is why only Coventry (28) won more than the 24 games we did. It was when certain personnel were not available that there was a drop-off. The recent additions of Danny Batth and Massimo Luongo add strength in depth in different areas of the pitch. Dykes is another example of this.

If we take Dykes out of the equation, Millwall were heading into the new Championship season with three senior strikers: Josh Coburn, Mihailo Ivanovic and Tairyk Arconte. Of those, Ivanovic is currently injured and will miss the opening weeks of the campaign, while Coburn has had a chequered injury record since joining. And as much as I like the look of Arconte and believe his profile gives us a completely different weapon in attack, he has no Championship experience. Dykes, on the other hand, has almost 200 games under his belt at this level. Regardless of opinions on his recent record, he is a seasoned Championship operator who can step in when needed.

In terms of a pecking order, Coburn is going to start the season as first-choice and really grew into the shirt last season. We tend to look far more effective when Coburn is playing that type of target man role. And as we saw when he went off injured vs Leicester, Ivanovic is just not suited to lead the line playing that sort of way. Dykes, by contrast, is exactly the right profile to play that sort of role, which is another plus.

In terms of strength in depth, I suppose the debate is this: does Dykes hit the ‘strength’ aspect of strength in depth? As outlined above, I see Dykes as a striker capable of sharing the load with Coburn and deputising for him rather than a leading man. Alex Neil has already said similar. Both Coburn and Ivanovic could also glean plenty from Dykes when it comes to the ‘dark arts’.

Perhaps that’s the key aspect of this signing. It feels like Dykes has been signed as much for what he could do for others as he has for what he alone brings to the table. Take Coburn as an example here: his value far exceed the 10 goals he finished the season with. The first Hull play-off game (sorry to bring it up) he was almost unplayable and gave us a real platform in the game. If we had Coburn available for 46 games, I’d wager we’d have gone up. Dykes’ best goalscoring return in the Championship came back in 2020-21, where he scored 12 goals for QPR. His subsequent seasons yielded goal tallies of eight, eight and six. For Birmingham he scored twice, albeit he was largely a sub. As mentioned above, he scored three times for Charlton. But when you factor in assists, his numbers look far better. And you can also start to see where he may add value as a foil of sorts. With assists, his goal contributions were in double figures for all but one season with QPR (17, 11, 10, 7). Even last year at Charlton, he matched his goal tally with assists (three) in a poor team.

I think more than anything else, the fact that Dykes’ arrival has triggered such a powerful reaction underlines just how far we have progressed on the transfer front. But not every signing can be a ceiling raiser. It’s just not realistic and, as outlined above, we’ve already got three strikers who will all fancy their chances of playing regularly. Adding a ‘sexier’ fourth option does’t happen without a departure in that area.

So is Dykes a shrewd move or a rare miscue in the transfer market?

If you were to put me on the spot, there’s no reason why Dykes can’t go on and prove his worth. As alluded to above, he will know the score in terms of realistic playing time, arrives on a free transfer and is here for just a year initially: it’s all pretty low-stakes stuff. And the more I think about it, I can see why we wanted to carry a fourth striker with some Championship know-how considering we are traditionally low scorers, even if Dykes is not particularly known for being prolific.

Throwing nuance out the window for a moment, it’s worth bearing in mind that sometimes things just click for certain players at certain clubs. Dykes quite clearly is not a 20-goal a season man, but I’d argue he does seem a decent fit for how we play. And I think he’ll be well suited to playing at The Den. He’s a big nasty fucker - and we love a big nasty fucker, don’t we?

One thing that isn’t up for debate is that, at the very least, Dykes boasts certain attributes which has seen more than one Millwall manager court him. The next 12 months will give us an idea if they were on the money or not.

With the new season proper finally almost upon us, this feels like a good time to hit you all with a sales pitch, of sorts.

Fancy reading more Millwall content? If so, then you’re on the same wavelength as me. As a bit of a backstory, I’ve supported Millwall since I was a kid and have also been fortunate enough to cover them occasionally in the past for the South London Press. I want to write about us more often, hence the foray into Substack.

I’ve badgered people enough about signing up to subscribe to me on here, so I think it’s only fair that I lay out my plans on here ahead of the new season. My first promise is that I’ll never mention this page’s uncreative name (or abbreviate it) ever again.

I think it’s important to stress right off the bat that this is not me committing to covering 50 odd games from the pressbox; I have a season ticket and intend to enjoy (or maybe endure) matches as a fan first. This is in no way affiliated with my day job or anybody, really. It’ll be independent, critical alternate coverage of Millwall. Basically, whatever I (or you, potentially) want to write about.

In terms of what that entails, I’m planning to write about a wide variety of things: matches, transfers, general news happenings and more. Maybe even some stuff I haven’t quite thought of yet. What I won’t be providing is pre-match previews, post-match quotes or anything like that. You’re already well stocked on that front as Millwall are covered locally by the Southwark News and BBC London. I’m hoping I can offer a sort of alternative coverage, if you like, on here. More analysis than news.

Obviously I can lean into years of supporting the club, which I’m hoping can make what I offer a bit different. I’ll still try and be nuanced, but I can also look (and write) about things from a fan perspective, too.

When I covered Millwall games for the SLP, I used to enjoy doing a colour piece on matches rather than your straight report. So that’s exactly what I intend to do throughout the season. Let’s face it, in this day and age, pretty much everyone is able to watch every game, whether you’re at The Den or not. You don’t need me reliving every set-piece routine, the build up to a big chance or just general play-by-play commentary. The traditional cut and dry match report doesn’t fit with what I want to do. I’ll be trying to go a bit deeper into the ‘why’ rather than the ‘what happened’ during games, often on the Sunday or the Monday.

On the transfer front, I’ll be totally transparent. There’s no guarantee I’ll be breaking all of (or any) the latest news. That’s not to say I won’t be trying to do so. But I’m just being realistic. The first half of the summer has been exceptionally busy away from Millwall with work/life and I’ve found analysing happenings at The Den more enjoyable than trying to break them. It’s also not as time restrictive, as writing analytical pieces can be spread out. Obviously that isn’t the case with cold, hard news. Will that change before the transfer window shuts? Maybe. But even then, nobody can promise scoops, particularly in the transfer sphere. Anybody who says otherwise is lying! What I can commit to doing is providing analysis of anybody who comes in the door, like I did for Kyrell Lisbie. If you haven’t read it, you can have a gander here. The majority it will be long-form content.

In terms of other stuff, I’m open to suggestions. My main goal is to be regular, as I know I’ve shared some stuff in the past and then done a Tom Brighton (he’ll be back any day now). As you can hopefully see from this little sales pitch and my last two pieces, I am getting there! Regular games will help as there will be plenty of talking points. But it’s my intention to post regularly.

So why subscribe? Well, it helps me really. If more people sign up then it sort of reinforces that I’m doing something right. And that there is an appetite for alternate Millwall coverage in the current landscape. That means I’ll try, at the very least, to maintain my level of output. The more people read, the more likely it is that I will continue doing this and maybe even ramp things up over time in terms of output.

I’d also like to try and be a bit more interactive with the people who do subscribe on the Substack app, again, if there is an appetite for it. As above, if you’re asking me about transfers and gossip, I can’t guarantee I’ll always know. But I would like to be a bit more ‘chatty’. I won’t delve too much into that, though, otherwise I’ll put you all off.

So there you have it. If you fancy joining me for the journey, please do consider subscribing and sharing with anyone you think might enjoy.

Cheers!

If I recall correctly, injuries plagued the former striker’s season-long loan at The Den back in 2010-11, but he plundered plenty of goals elsewhere. And it certainly seems as though his twin sons, Kyrell and Kyreece, who joined Reading last month, have inherited his goalscoring touch.

With Lisbie’s move from Peterborough United now signed, sealed and delivered, let’s take a look at why Millwall have decided to bring him in.

In my last piece, I touched on how Millwall have struck gold targeting players of a certain age who have caught light in League One. The two most notable success stories, Femi Azeez and Tristan Crama, were both 23 when signed off the back of stellar campaigns, albeit the latter was halfway through his (on loan with Exeter when signed).

Lisbie is 22 and, obviously, still has his best years ahead of him. He is rapid and a similar profile to Azeez in that he has enjoyed plenty of joy operating as an inverted attacker of sorts, a right-footer deployed on the left.

There are further parallels between Lisbie and Azeez, who has grown into a player that will command a significant eight-figure transfer fee. For those who harbour concerns over Lisbie’s dearth of EFL experience, that is completely valid. As we discovered last season with Tommy Watson, another exciting young player with a small sample size in terms of senior play-time, the potential of signings doesn’t always translate into success.

But when you break things down number-wise between Lisbie and Azeez, it’s interesting that both were essentially signed following breakout campaigns in League One; Azeez registered eight goals and nine assists across 46 league games for Reading, one goal contribution fewer than the 11 goals and seven assists Lisbie accumulated in 44 games for Peterborough. Those are eerily similar numbers. Yes, Azeez was on Reading’s books prior to that and featured regularly from the bench for them in the Championship during the second half of 2022-23. But make no mistake, Millwall signed him for his output in that League One campaign. In that respect, Lisbie is no different. Whether he will be able to replicate that form at a higher level as Azeez has done is another question.

Lisbie arrives for a more substantial transfer fee than the low seven-figure sum it took to acquire Azeez. It’s worth taking into account the state of the market in correlation to both deals; transfer fees have soared in the last two years in England. And as we’ve already seen this summer, Championship clubs are now shelling out some serious cash. Is £1m for Azeez in 2023 now somewhat equivalent to the fee Millwall have parted with for Lisbie in the current market? Perhaps. If not, it’s probably not a million miles off. Inflated transfer fees are not going anywhere anytime soon; the upside is Millwall will hope they can profit - both figuratively and literally - on the other end of the scale from trading players at the right time.

With the expectation being that Azeez will be sold during this transfer window, Millwall need attacking reinforcements. That much has been clear in our friendlies, with Ra’ees Bangura-Williams and Zak Lovelace predominantly playing as our wide left options. Going back to last season, neither Watson or Thierno Ballo ever came anywhere close to matching Azeez on the opposite flank in terms of output or effectiveness, so a new left winger was always going to be on the agenda.

Is Lisbie the solution? Well, he could be. It’s worth bearing in mind that Lisbie will not be the only winger signed before September 1. With Watson and Ballo no longer at the club, it would be reasonable to expect another left-sided attacker through the door to join Lisbie at some point. It’s also worth mentioning that the initial plan was to use Alfie Doughty in a move advanced role when he was signed last summer, though it remains to be seen if that will still happen.

Given our recruitment at first-team level since entering this different stratosphere of multi-million pound transfer fees in the last couple of years has predominantly been more hit than miss, there are encouraging signs. On that front, Steve Gallen and Co have credit in the bank.

But as we learned back in January with Watson and to an extent Barry Bannan, what seems like a good signing on paper doesn’t always correlate out on the pitch.

Even in the case of Azeez, the biggest success story of Millwall’s recruitment strategy, it took time for him to adjust to the level; the majority of his maiden season, in fact. The step up is a significant one and it’s fair to assume Lisbie could also be a slow burn. Expectation levels are also far higher now than they were when we signed Azeez.

As Azeez has been for us, Lisbie was a rich source of goals and assists for Peterborough last season after being snapped up from non-league. Last term, Millwall plundered the most goals they have at this level since returning to the Championship 10 years ago, but it feels like even more will be required if they are to push for promotion again. Lisbie is a penalty box poacher; the consensus from Peterborough fans is that he often finds himself in the right place at the right time and has a knack for scoring simple goals, which is a good trait to have. Watching his goals back, all are plundered from inside or around the six-yard box.

League One has been a fruitful hunting ground for Millwall. The hope will be that in Lisbie, they have struck gold again. And let’s not forget, Peterborough certainly know how to spot a player.

But not every foray into League One will be successful and I would argue this is the difficult part of our player trading-focused model: the next step up from acquiring gems for fees in that low seven-figures or less ballpark. That will be the challenge Millwall encounter more and more when it comes to replacing players when the opportune moment to sell arrives, as is such with Azeez this summer.

In terms of Lisbie’s signing, are there reasons for caution? Yes. But also plenty of reasons for optimism.

So, it’s fair to say last night’s game didn’t exactly turn out to be one for the ages.

Pre-season is always such a weird time; we’re all desperate to watch us play again after weeks of no Millwall, but I think it’s easy to delve far too deep into things in pre-season. So this mish-mash of thoughts certainly won’t be a blow-by-blow analysis of individual performances.

One thing that did occur to me while watching the Gillingham game was the current pathway for our academy players, and how the events of the last 18 months or so may have possibly altered it.

For me, the fixture emphasised the gulf between the academy and the calibre of player now required in order to be considered a genuine squad option at the level we are now competing at.

That’s a natural consequence of the rapid upward trajectory the club has been on under Alex Neil. Increased expectations and improved performances in terms of pushing for a top-six finish and then surpassing that by finishing third will, naturally, make it more challenging for academy players to stake a claim for first-team football.

Traditionally, some of Millwall’s best periods have been synonymous with a healthy amount of academy representation in the team. Obviously, that is easier said than done.

More recently, Romain Esse and Ra’ees Bangura-Williams are the only two players who have really properly made that jump, certainly in the last couple of years. Bangura-Williams was genuinely impressive when first breaking in under Neil the season before last and quickly earmarked as the successor to Esse in terms of being the new flag-bearer for players making that jump from youth to senior football. There was a dearth of minutes for the young attacking midfielder during the second half of last season, though, as Millwall chased an automatic promotion spot. Would Esse have got the opportunities he received had we been in a similar position when he first emerged onto the scene? Maybe not.

Development is never linear, so I’m hoping we will see a lot more of Bangura-Williams this season, even with increased expectations following last year’s tremendous campaign and fierce competition for a central spot.

With Neil confirming after the game that minutes for senior players will be ramped up from Saturday, it will be interesting to see which of the younger players will continue to feature in the remaining friendlies and beyond. Especially if the ceiling of the first-team continues to be raised with the work done in the transfer market.

While it feels like the route from academy to first-team has become more challenging in some ways, Millwall have shown a willingness to give young players opportunities, which is encouraging. Indeed, they have managed to lower the average age of the squad after targeting younger players in the transfer market. Of course, that in itself has a knock-on effect when it comes to that academy pathway.

But the club are developing talent, which as we know is a big aspect of the current strategy and has already helped us operate at a new level in the transfer market. Several of said signings have progressed nicely under Neil, whose pedigree in developing young players was highlighted following his appointment.

On that front, the club seem to have found a real sweet spot in signing players in their early twenties with lower league EFL experience: Femi Azeez (23 when signed), Tristan Crama (also 23 when signed) and Caleb Taylor are all success stories on that front. It’s no surprise that we’ve already seen similar forays into the market this time around.

It’s still very early doors, but Mathis Servais has been the standout acquisition for me so far. A friend who had seen Servais playing for KV Mechelen first hand told me after his signing that he expected the Belgian to be a Premier League player ‘within 18 months’. As we said above, it’s very easy to go overboard in pre-season (Conor Mahoney, we’ll always have Real Sociedad) but first impressions of Servais have been very positive. He looks dynamic, confident and has a touch of class. It doesn’t look like he’ll be shy in getting forward, either.

I thought the No 8 role really suited Camiel Neghli when he filled in slightly deeper last season, so much so that I wondered whether there was a case for him to be used there more regularly moving forward. The signing of Servais probably makes that a bit of a non-starter; he is definitely someone I’m looking forward to seeing more of.

With pre-season being a bit of a minefield, it’s hard to get an accurate reading on too much at this stage. For example, Millwall generally operated with an out-and-out left winger last term with Femi Azeez cutting in on the right flank and Tristan Crama bombing on. Given that preferred formula saw us finish third, it’s probably a safe bet that we’re not planning on making drastic changes, such as switching to a completely different shape. With Thierno Ballo and Tommy Watson no longer on the books, a natural successor to that role has yet to be signed, so things will naturally look different as we adapt to our current circumstances. It almost feels pointless digging into things too much when we’re still fielding separate XI’s for both halves.

Thankfully, we’re nearly at that ‘back to business’ stage of the summer. With the Stevenage game set to represent more of a ‘proper game’ in terms of the senior pros playing most of it, we’ll learn much more about how the team and individuals are shaping up from our final three friendlies.

Few of the managers who have led Millwall in their 140 year-plus history will go down as revered or pivotal as Kenny Jackett.

As a Millwall fan whose earliest (full) memories are those of the swashbuckling Mark McGhee team that came within a whisker of successive promotions, I’m part of a ‘generation’ which has been fortunate enough to grow up in an era where the highs have far outweighed the lows.

And much of that is down to Jackett, whose influence on the club spanned well beyond the five-and-a-half years he actually spent in SE16 as the club’s manager.

Simply put, the evolution that the club has undergone in recent years under the likes of Neil Harris, Gary Rowett and Alex Neil doesn’t happen if Jackett had not been persuaded to walk through the doors at The Den almost 19 years ago.

Neil, like Rowett before him, inherited good, solid foundations. No such luxury was afforded to Jackett, who, as we all know, walked into an almighty mess.

Long gone were the halcyon days of McGhee, the triumphant march to the FA Cup final and subsequent European adventure. Premier League ambitions had been replaced by a diet of despair and apathy as the club churned through managers in the aftermath of the Dennis Wise era.

Not only were Millwall flirting dangerously with relegation to the fourth tier in this particularly dark chapter of our history, but the club had been stripped of its dignity after dropping out of the Championship. And things only looked like deteriorating further.

Despite the seismic task at hand, Jackett turned the tide. He would assemble a squad that would go on to finish in the top-six in successive seasons after steering Millwall away from relegation in 2007-08, engineering a successful play-off campaign — the first in the club’s history — at the second attempt to restore Millwall’s second tier status.

But football is about more than just wins and losses, promotions and relegations. And that’s why Jackett’s reign ranks so highly.

After a chastening period, he assembled a team that resonated with Millwall long before identity became the analytical buzzword of choice. He gave Millwall fans a team they could be proud of again. He brought both the feel-good and the fear factor back to The Den, commandeering some of the most ferocious, intimidating atmospheres this variation of the ground has ever seen. Nights that we still wax lyrical about now.

Personnel wise, a number of modern day Millwall greats rose to prominence under him. David Forde, Jimmy Abdou and Steve Morison were all signed during Jackett’s reign. Morison went from a boy to a man under Jackett’s tutelage. He was not alone, as outlined in the book, ‘Family’, by Michael Calvin.

Jackett continued to rehabilitate the club following promotion, establishing Millwall in the second tier and taking us to another FA Cup semi-final before calling time on a premiership that, like a fine wine, will only look better as the years tick by.

Just three Millwall managers — Bob Hunter, Benny Fenton and Charlie Hewitt — can better the 306 games overseen by Jackett. It’s incredibly hard to properly quantify and compare records and accomplishments across different eras, but Jackett will rightly go down as one of Millwall’s greatest ever managers. Given where Millwall were when he arrived, coupled with the consequences a further relegation would have had at the time, perhaps his impact was more pivotal than any before or after him.

On a personal level, I never met Jackett. But the one thing that has stood out the most since the sad news of his passing has been the sheer amount of people who have paid homage to his character. He was a very good manager. We all knew that. But he was an even better human being, who didn’t just get things right at our football club, but did them in the right way. He did it all with class.

John Berylson saved Millwall when he started his long affiliation with the club shortly before Jackett’s arrival. If Berylson saved Millwall’s soul, then Jackett restored it.

Though it feels incredibly cruel that neither will be at The Den to witness them firsthand after all they did together, both have ensured far brighter days lay ahead.

And that is some legacy.

It won’t be remembered as fondly as the dismantling of Charlton, nor did it have the excitement of what turned out to be a statement victory over Birmingham City.

But the 1-0 win over Derby County felt like a big, big night in Millwall’s season - and for Josh Coburn in particular.

Coburn’s goal just before half-time was the game’s decisive moment. But it was his overall display which made Tuesday night feel like the night he truly arrived in a Millwall shirt.

If we’re being blunt, it’s been anything but plain sailing for Coburn ever since the striker swapped Teesside for Bermondsey. Injuries have dogged him and, in many ways, denied him a fair crack at living up to the expectation that comes with the territory for any football club’s record transfer signing.

Trying to sum up his time at SE16 is challenging; there have been times where Coburn has really looked the business. And then there have been other times where he has really not. For the most part, the positives have far outweighed the negatives: it has always looked as though Coburn has all the tools to become a top Millwall striker, he just hasn’t been able to piece it all together. But that changed in the Derby game.

Since returning from injury, Coburn has been ultra-effective leading the line and supplemented that with some quality goals. But this felt like the night that Coburn really came of age in a Millwall shirt, so it was fitting that he marked it by grasping the game’s solitary goal.

Coburn’s match-winning moment, a glancing header in the six-yard box from the second phase of a set-piece, was a rare moment where he wasn’t grappling with at least one Derby defender.

While the ever-dependable Jake Cooper and Tristan Crama engaged in battle with Patrick Agyemang and then Carlton Morris at the other end of the pitch, Coburn was robust and relentless against Dion Sanderson, giving the Derby defender a torrid time. He may not have won every duel against Sanderson and Matt Clarke, but he harried and hustled at every opportunity to keep them occupied - sometimes both at the same time - and was a constant outlet. We have already seen evidence this season that Coburn is by far Millwall’s most effective attacker when it comes to making things stick in the final third and against a big, powerful Derby side, he was worth his weight in gold.

Millwall have broadly shared the load in terms of goals this season to good effect. And while Mihailo Ivanovic and Femi Azeez sit atop the scoring chart with eight goals apiece, stats don’t always paint the full picture. In many ways, Coburn and Macaulay Langstaff have been two of the most influential attacking players in Millwall’s recent run, the former as a mobile focal point and the latter as an endless ball of energy leading the press in a hybrid attacker-slash No 10 role.

Their importance in the spell of good form that has seen Millwall crystallise their status as automatic promotion contenders pretty much defies their modest goal tallies, which stand at five and three respectively in the league. In Coburn’s case, he looks a different beast now to the player who led the line at the season. He is stronger and sharper now; a genuine outlet.

What makes Coburn unique is his skill set in comparison to Alex Neil’s other attackers. His size, strength and ability to hold the ball up is obvious to the eye but there are other aspects to his game, such as his movement, that make him first-choice when it comes to the striker berth. Yes, he should have more goals to his name and is guilty of spurning some golden opportunities, but there would be more cause for alarm if he wasn’t getting into these positions. The goals he plundered against Watford, Wrexham and Hull are evidence he can finish.

As outlined above, his attributes on paper are ideal for how Millwall play, even if that hasn’t always translated on the pitch. But with Coburn growing into the shirt with each passing game, now it is. The best should still be to come, too. Coburn has already equalled the league starts he managed last season (14) and has now matched his tally for the 24-25 campaign. If he can stay fit, then there is no reason why he doesn’t put daylight between that and his goal total this year between now and May.

Goals have often been Millwall’s Achilles’ heel but that doesn’t feel like an issue right now. 21 goals have come in the 10 games Coburn has featured in (every fixture bar the Portsmouth loss) since his return from injury, starting in the 2-0 win over Watford. Averaging 2.5 points a game across that spell, Millwall are bang in promotion form; they look and feel like genuine promotion contenders now, not imposters. Like Coburn, they have grown throughout the season.

With big away games against Ipswich and Middlesbrough to come, Millwall will still need plenty to go their way if they are to beat others to the punch when it comes to that coveted second promotion spot, with the play-offs now looking like a lock.

Consistency has been the driving factor behind Millwall’s fine season and the likes of Cooper, Crama and the talismanic Femi Azeez are all big, big players in this team who will have a big say in the Lions’ fate.

But it feels like there is now a growing case for a fit and firing Coburn actually being the most important factor in Millwall’s promotion push - whether that’s automatically or via the play-offs.

And breathe.

The January sales (not those ones) have been and gone and mercifully it’s time to knuckle down and focus on the football for the next four months.

Whatever happens between now and May, it’s worth bearing in mind that Millwall transfer windows are a different beast these days; we’ve come a long way from that Maikel Kieftenbeld-George Evans one-two back in January 2021.

Last time out, I wrote that if ever there was a time to attack the transfer window, this was it with Millwall firmly entrenched in the promotion picture - so did we do it?

In terms of the calibre of the players who have come in through the door over the last week or so, it’s a yes. Personnel wise, Barry Bannan is a quality acquisition at this level. And in Anthony Patterson and Tommy Watson, Millwall have acquired two individuals who were not only sought after by divisional rivals but who also played key roles in Sunderland’s play-off final triumph (if you’re into your omens) last term.

I’ve already written at length about Bannan and what he brings to the table, so I’ll focus on Millwall’s two newest recruits. Patterson was Sunderland’s No 1 for their two seasons in the Championship - including two play-off campaigns - and boasts plenty of big-match pedigree. Without looking too far ahead, that could prove invaluable if Millwall can stay the course in terms of the promotion race.

While externally the addition of a fifth keeper may look unusual, it was necessary. With previous loanee, Steven Benda, significantly underwhelming, Max Crocombe has looked an upgrade over the past 20 odd games. Statistically, for instance, it doesn’t really look like he’s put a foot wrong: at 75%, he has the second highest save percentage in the league behind Stoke’s Viktor Johansson (75.5%). The eye test maybe hasn’t always aligned with those numbers, but if we’re picking holes, it’s a small pool.

With Benda gone, Millwall needed to add another senior keeper - and this window was all about quality over quantity with the goal of adding a handful of signings who would improve the quality of the starting XI with promotion up for grabs. The keeper position was not immune to that and Patterson’s body of work in the Championship speaks for itself; he is established at this level and in this respect, and with the greatest of respect to Crocombe, he ticks that upgrade box.

While Bannan and Patterson are seasoned Championship players, Watson is a different prospect altogether, albeit an exciting one.

In terms of Watson and Championship pedigree, we’re working with a much smaller sample size than that of Millwall’s other two winter recruits. The 19-year-old is, though, very highly-rated and I would say the general rule of thumb right now is that if one of the B’s (Brighton or Brentford) want a player, then they’re probably a player.

He is direct and can be ultra effective in Millwall’s transition game on the left. With Femi Azeez growing into one of the division’s most feared attackers on the right, personnel on the opposite flank have not quite hit the same heights. Thierno Ballo has blown hot and cold, while Aidomo Emakhu - who has now left the club - has also struggled with consistency, albeit he departs having played some of his best football for the club earlier in the season.

Watson is fresh blood and full-backs should loathe coming up against him. The caveat here, though, is the fact that Watson only has 34 senior appearances under his belt (just over 1000 minutes in total game time) and has hardly played since joining Brighton in a £10million deal shortly after plundering that £200m goal for Sunderland at Wembley. Ultimately, patience may be required with Watson while he finds his groove, but we are still talking about an eye-catching signing who has the scope to provide added quality in the final third, hence why many Championship clubs were so keen on loaning him. The hope will be that he can go some way to replicating Azeez’s output on the opposite flank.

As previously referenced, the focus this window, with a genuine promotion push now in full flow, was adding quality capable of improving Alex Neil’s starting XI.

Coming into the window, the priorities were - in my view - a goalkeeper, a left-sided attacker and another No 9. Heading into the final third of the season, Millwall have strengthened in two of those areas.

I referenced Millwall’s goal record in my last piece and how crucial that is likely to be in the promotion race. Bolstering our attacking options was the order of the day and Bannan and Watson have scope to make us more dangerous in the final third.

It will count for little, though, if others don’t finish the chances they have been signed to create - chiefly Mihailo Ivanovic, Josh Coburn and Macaulay Langstaff.

Ivanovic was our top scorer last term with 13 goals and given he is on seven already this term, has scope to better that tally. Coburn has shown flashes of why Millwall agreed to make him the club’s record signing but has also had injury setbacks, while Langstaff has, unfortunately, struggled to plunder goals at the same rate he did in the lower echelons of the pyramid.

At the time of writing, Millwall are the joint-lowest scorers in the top half of the division with 37 goals from 30 games. Our best season tally since returning to the Championship in 2017 is 57 goals; Sunderland (58) and Bristol City (59) both made the top-six last year, so it’s not like we have to hit unimaginable levels between now and the end of the campaign. But it’s hard not to feel like another option would have been beneficial in our bid to do so.

Thinking back to Ipswich Town when they went up a couple of years ago, they benefitted massively from the addition of Kieffer Moore, who scored seven times in 18 games after joining on loan in the winter window. Somebody of that ilk - another striker capable of scoring six to eight goals between now and May who knows the Championship - would have been the dream ticket.

But let’s also caveat that with the fact that adding another striker, particularly a proven one, would have been difficult for a number of reasons. Firstly, anybody joining in that area would have likely come at a substantial cost and would also likely lead to either Ivanovic or Coburn spending large amounts of time on the bench - or even the incoming player, initially. So already that’s probably not the easiest sell. And that’s before we even get into the fact that striker’s are the one position everybody is looking to strengthen mid-season, and that the winter window is a particularly challenging one to operate in.

In terms of assessing the window as a whole, are Millwall in a stronger position now than they were at the beginning of January? People may have different opinions on what - or if more - was needed, but I’ll go out on a limb and say that most would be in agreement that we have strengthened this month. And focusing on what has been done rather than not, the quality of said additions is undisputed, which is obviously key.

Something I’ve said when analysing previous transfer windows is that you cannot dispute the ambition of James Berylson; as noted earlier, Millwall are a different beast entirely in the transfer market these days.

And if further evidence of said ambition was needed, then the decision to rebuff a club-record offer, among others, for Azeez from Ipswich in the final hours of the window crystallises the direction of travel Millwall are moving in.

In comparison to our rivals in and around the top-six, you would probably only say Derby County added that ‘banker six to eight goal’ striker in Sammie Szmodics. He left Ipswich on deadline day and there is palpable anger in Suffolk at their failure to add a striker.

News of Emakhu’s pending transfer to Oxford sparked some scrutiny but he was likely to be third-choice on the left with Watson’s arrival, which effectively freed him to move, while Alfie Doughty, as impressive as he has been at left-back, was signed primarily to play further forward.

So was it the perfect winter window for Millwall? Maybe not. But we have strengthened and I’d put forward the case that achieving a decent to good January window is much harder than landing straight A’s in the summer variation.

As ever, there has been no shortage of ambition in terms of the cost of said signings and the Azeez call. In terms of backing, it’s hard to ask for much more.

Only time will tell if it is enough to yield promotion.

Unlike some of Millwall’s signings in previous transfer windows, Barry Bannan is a man who needs no introduction.

A deadly but diminutive midfield maestro, Bannan is widely recognised as a modern day Championship great after clocking up a decade-plus at Sheffield Wednesday.

Now 36, Bannan still oozes class despite his advancing years and, in truth, it’s hard to imagine many - if any - Championship teams who wouldn’t fancy adding a player of his calibre to their ranks if presented with the chance, particularly in the January transfer window.

Even so, the Scot is more of an outlier than a tailor-made fit for the recruitment model Millwall have adopted.

A focus on young, hungry players with the scope to evolve and generate profit both on and off the pitch has been the focus, and it’s already yielded success. For a club who have never really had a reputation for effective player trading, Millwall have become an intriguing prospect recruitment-wise and are regularly involved in multi-million pound deals; unthinkable even as recently as a few years back.

Not only has it generated substantial transfer fees, it’s helped propel them to the top end of the Championship table - and that current trajectory is also the exact reason why Millwall have chosen to deviate from that model. At least in this transfer window.

The reason for that is simple: Millwall may never be in a better position to finally crack the Championship top-six after a remarkable 12-month period under Alex Neil.

Despite a horrendous injury crisis, the Scot has Millwall in the best position they’ve been in at this level for quite some time. And if there were any lingering doubts - external or otherwise - that the Lions aren’t where they deserve to be in the league on merit, then the recent display against Coventry City surely extinguished them for good.

Forget play-off talk, this Millwall team feels like it’s just a couple of quality additions away from being genuine contenders for a top-two finish.

So if ever there was a time for Millwall to attack the transfer market, then is it.

In terms of Bannan, we know he’s class - we’ve seen him (annoyingly) run games at this level for many years. He is a proven entity who does exactly what it says on the tin. He has the X factor with his ability to conjure something from nothing; an invaluable attribute in a division renowned for being ruthlessly unpredictable.

A dearth of goals has been our Achilles’ heel in recent years. Before smashing four goals past a sorry Charlton Athletic side at the weekend, Millwall were averaging just over a goal a game (32 from 28). Since returning to the Championship in 2017, the Lions’ best goal return is 57 from a 46 game season. Not exactly prolific stuff.

While nobody should be under the illusion that Bannan will be the outright remedy to that proverbial ailment, he can play a significant role in helping us shake it with his ability to manufacture moments of quality. The onus will be on others, though, to make the most of them.

Millwall carry more genuine attacking threat and swagger right now than they have at this level in many years but the majority of said threat is consigned to the wide areas. Bannan’s ability to create centrally should offer up a new and intriguing weapon; if he can do that in a significantly weakened Sheffield Wednesday side, for whom he’s created 52 chances (the fourth highest in the Championship) so far this term, then there’s no reason he can’t continue in that vein for a better team.

Bannan boasts a different profile to both Billy Mitchell and Casper De Norre, who in my view, remain our best central midfielder partnership by some distance. Given Millwall currently operate with two ‘traditional’ central midfielders, there will be debates over who compliments who best before even taking into account some of the other talented midfielders already in the building.

But the stark reality is that strength in depth will be imperative if Millwall are to finally last the distance in their bid to crack the top-six. Selection dilemmas are probably non-negotiable in that respect - and if that leaves Neil with some difficult decisions to make, then so be it.

If anybody deserves a positive headache, it’s Neil: he and the group have performed gallantly to engineer a genuine promotion push despite having no options in the middle of the pitch for a sustained - and key - period of the season.

The positive is that said hellish injury run is now finally subsiding. The opportunity is that we can kick things up a notch with a good transfer window.

That’s why adding a player of Bannan’s ilk before the February 2 deadline makes so much sense, even if midfield may no longer be viewed as the priority area for additions now players are finding their way back.

It feels like if Millwall are to find the goals required to fire us to promotion, a further addition - preferably one of Bannan’s quality - will likely be needed in the more advanced areas of the pitch. But he does have the capacity to help us get more out of the tools at our disposal in terms of goal returns.

Bannan is an unusual signing in that he has been targeted for the here and now rather than long-term. As the saying goes, he’s here for a good time, not a long time.

Millwall’s focus on an effective player trading model will obviously remain the status quo given dealings have largely been successful since adopting said strategy.

Bannan will not give Millwall the opportunity to land a significant transfer fee in 12 months time like other recent signings. But does adding a player of his pedigree and ability automatically bolster our chances of winning promotion here and now this season? Yes.

And that can only be a good thing.

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