Perrennial play-off dark horse Millwall have lost one in seven, and are two places and one point shy of the top six, as they head to QPR on Saturday - our man at The Den Lucas Ball is still taking things a game at a time.

How would you assess Millwall's season so far?

Overall, we’ve done quite well though our away form was a concern until fairly recently, when we’ve started picking up some points on the road. We’ve been strong at home and have one of the best defensive records in the league - as I feel like I always say, we just need to be a bit more clinical.

Millwall league games so far…
Millwall 2-0 Stoke Cresswell 12, 65
Sheff Utd 2-0 Millwall Ndiaye 7, Berge 22
Millwall 3-2 Coventry Cooper 36, Honeyman 53, Saville 85 — McFadzean 2, Godden 28
Swansea 2-2 Millwall Manning 1, Obafemi 13 — Wood og 90, Cabango og 90
Norwich 2-0 Millwall Sargent 50, 75
Millwall 0-1 Reading Sarr 14
Burnley 2-0 Millwall Vitinho 62, Rodriguez 72
Millwall 2-0 Cardiff Cresswell 63, Afobe 90
Millwall 0-2 QPR Willock 54, Johansen 71
Millwall 2-1 Blackpool Flemming 14, Afobe 63 — Patino 33
Blackburn 2-1 Millwall Dolan 57, Brereton 63 — Cooper 75
Rotherham 1-1 Millwall Barlaser pen 9 — Flemming 42
Millwall 2-0 Middlesbrough Flemming 5, 49
Bristol City 1-2 Millwall Hutchinson og 71 — Bradshaw 44, Flemming 76
Millwall 3-0 Watford Bradshaw 8, 26, 33
Millwall 2-1 West Brom Styles 38, Burey 90 — Swift 20
Huddersfield 1-0 Millwall Nakayama 9
Birmingham 0-0 Millwall
Millwall 0-0 Hull
Preston 2-4 Millwall Hughes 20, Evans 28 — Flemming 4, 16, 64, Cresswell 72
Sunderland 3-0 Millwall Diallo 53, Pritchard 58, Simms 90
Millwall 1-1 Wigan Flemming 40 — Keane 33
Watford 0-2 Millwall Voglsammer 22, Flemming 83
Millwall 0-0 Bristol City
Millwall 3-0 Rotherham Bradshaw 4, 81, Humphreys-Grant og 66
Middlesbrough 1-0 Millwall Forss 54
Cardiff 0-1 Millwall Bradshaw 26
Millwall 1-1 Sunderland Cooper 59 — Cirkin 81

I always tip Millwall for a push for the top six and they never quite manage it - one point and two places away as we stand is this the year?

The league is as open as it’s ever been, we just have to keep trying to put points on the board and hope we’re still firmly in the conversation with ten games to go… and then with six to go etc. With the league being so open, it’s by far our best chance of late but we do currently have a number of injuries which is stretching an already thin squad.

It's being done despite the lowest total of away wins in the top half, is there anything in particular that's troubling them on their travels? Give us some hope for Saturday...

I just think there were some issues with mentality and we were making silly mistakes - often early in games - and then having to claw - or try to claw - our way back into games which led to desperation at times and coming away from the game plan. Of late, we’ve looked more settled and structured away from home, while some of those mistakes have been cut out (cue a defensive horror show against QPR!).

Opinion on how Gary Rowett is doing? Now one of the longest servers in the division...

This season has been the first time my opinion on Rowett has really changed significantly. After an awful run of form earlier in the season, he looked unable to turn it around but, to be fair to him, he changed our shape and set-up and we’ve been much better since. Working on a relatively tight budget, to keep finishing near the play-offs/in the top-half with him in charge is impressive.

What January business was done? What needed to be done?

Oliver Burke and Duncan Watmore signed but we arguably needed another out-and-out striker. We thought we had a deal done for Kevin Nisbet but some issues came up late in the deal, he might have been that crucial upgrade on Tom Bradshaw who is a real workhorse but misses too many clear-cut chances for a side chasing promotion. Burke & Watmore can both play across the front and add pace to the attack which was much needed, it’s just whether they can add those goals or be creative enough to set up chances for the likes of Zian Flemming.

Summer Ins >>> Zian Flemming, 23, AM, Fortuna Sittard, £2.3m >>> Benik Afobe, 29, CF, Stoke, Undisclosed >>> George Honeyman, 27, CM, Hull, Undisclosed >>> Andreas Vogalsammer, 30, CF, Union Berlin, Undisclosed >>> Connal Trueman, 26, GK, Birmingham, Free >>> Charlie Cresswell, 19, CB, Leeds, Loan >>> Jamie Shackleton, 22, RM/RB, Leeds, Loan >>> Callum Styles, 22, CM, Barnsley, Loan

Winter Outs >>> Benik Afobe, 29, CF, Hatta (UAE), Free >>> Hayden Muller, 20, CB, Dundalk, Undisclosed >>> Isaac Olaofe, 23, CF, Stockport, Loan

Stand out players and weak links in the side?

Defensively we’re still very strong although Shaun Hutchinson will miss this one. Jake Cooper has been better this season after a below-par 2021/22, while George Saville and Billy Mitchell (probably our player of the season) have been excellent in midfield. Flemming is the real danger man, though, while George Honeyman has improved in recent weeks. In terms of weak links, Murray Wallace hasn’t been at his best this season while Charlie Cresswell - as good as he was against Sunderland - can be error prone.

Revised expectations for the rest of the season?

Hopefully to still be in the mix after 40 games and then see what happens. If everyone is fit for that stage of the season, there’s no reason why we can’t give it a real tilt.

Links >>> Millwall official website >>> South London Press — Local Paper >>> News at Den — Blog >>> North Stand Banter — Forum >>> News Shopper — Local Paper

The Twitter @LucasBall2211, @loftforwords

Pictures — Action Images

Action Images

TacticalR added 10:46 - Feb 10 Thanks to Lucas. A clash of teams who don't score that regularly (Millwall have only scored two more than us). Having said that, Millwall have two players in Zian Flemming and Tom Bradshaw who are in the top twenty scores in the division, whereas we don't have any. My question about Rowett has always been about whether he is a lower half of the Championship manager, so it will be interesting to see how does if Millwall do make the play-offs.

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francisbowles added 08:59 - Feb 11 Thanks to Lucas and Clive. I'm feeling slightly more optimistic, fool that I am, hearing that 'Wall don't score that many goals and don't win many away. Then I remember we are in with a chance of a double and I come over all nervous again.
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