Here we go again-happy as can be-back in League One-after our trip to Wem-ber-lee

2016/17 Season and we are getting a new kit with stripes
After finishing last season on a low with the 1-2 defeat against Barnsley at Wembley we start this season as one of the favourites to go go up. Time will tell and with Mark Beevers signing for Bolton Wanderers hopefully we have somebody who can step up to the plate and make that centre half spot their own. We have options Tony Craig, Sid Nelson, Shaun Williams and perhaps others. Byron Webster now has the job of holding the defence together and perhaps taking the captain's armband.The  idea of Webster taking the armband may raise a few eyebrows but it would help him to focus an see more of the game which a striker may not.
Early June
Seven players leave the club. Carlos Edwards, Lee Martin, Jack Powell, Ed Upson, Keaton Wood, Chris Parr and John Marquis.We all have our thoughts on those we have let go and in my book Carlos Edwards is the best player there or was the best player there and I think he will have to drop a division or two if he still wants to play because age may have finally caught up with him.
With John Berylson backing Neil Harris and money available for another promotion push we are looking for players and have had early talks.  These early talk players were out of contract Mark Beevers and loanee Chris Taylor. The talks come to nought as Beevers and Taylor signed for Bolton Wanderers. It's obvious to me that money was the factor with these two because why else would you go to that souless place of a industral estate a mile in distance outside the town.
Near the end of June
We sign defender Shaun Hutchinson from  Fulham on a two year deal which may have a bearing regarding my earlier comments regarding Byron Webster and the vacant Mark Beevers spot.
This should liven things up as we sign left winger Gregg Wylde on a two year deal from Plymouth and David Worrall from Southend United also a winger and as he says himself a very good header of the ball considering he is only 5'7" tall. If we start getting these balls down the wings and into the box we are going to be banging them in left, right and centre.
Early July
We should have been looking at Folkstone Invicta striker Harry Smith (proper Millwall name that) who is 6'6" tall and was banging them in last season more or less a goal a game but he has a injury so will be coming in for a week trail shortly.
We are in a training camp in Portugul

Middle July
Has the agent been at work? Lee Gregory is going to Rotherham is what I thought but it's nonsense. Rotherham United have been sniffing about and put in a couple of cheeky bids but Lee Gregory who has been training in Portugal with the rest of the team is staying put. Hopefully that is all done and dusted as we have a few pre-season friendlies coming up.

16/7/16 Saturday, Hayes Lane, Pre-season Friendly, 1 Bromley 1 Millwall 2, This was a day when you could fry a egg on the bonnet of your car, it was hot. With Millwall wearing their new strip and new signings David Worrell and Shaun Hutchinson starting this was a game that all though the Lions didn't smash them they won the game in a professional manner with Fred Onyedinma (3mins) and Lee Gregory (27mins)scoring the goals.
We made some changes
Forde(Archer 62), Romeo(Brown 62), Nelson(Webster 62), Hutchinson(Ronney 62), Chesmain (Craig 62), Worrell(Twardek 62), Abdou(Williams 62), Thompson(Farrell 62), Onyedinma (Wylde 62), Gregory(O'Brien 62), Morison (Philpot 62)

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19/7/16 Tuesday night, att: 1,407. Pre-season friendly against Dartford at their place and we win 3-0
We made changes from the team that started at Bromley and although some of big guns did not play we comfortably won the game 3-0 and young Fred scored again.and set up Aiden O'Brien to score just over 15 minutes later. Once again there was many changes 2nd half and Jamie Philpot finished the non-leaguers off with ten minutes to go.
Archer (King 60), Brown (Romeo 75),Nelson (Rooney 60), Webster (Bray 60), Craig (Chesmain 60), Worrall (Twardek 55), Thompson (Farrell 60), Williams (Donovan 60), Wylde (White 60), Onyedinma (Pavey 60), O'Brien (Philpot 60)

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23/7/16, The 3rd friendly and back to a Saturday game and Millwall beat Crawley Town 3-2 at their place, att:1,278 (we took 489)
We played a stronger team and we needed to as Crawley gave us a tougher game and we had to come from being 2-1 down to win the game. With just less that five minutes to go Steve Morison headed in from a Shane Ferguson superb ball into the box. Amazing away crowd for a friendly.
The Lions: Archer (Forde 46), Romeo, Craig, Webster, Hutchinson, Abdou, Williams (Thompson 71m), Wylde (Ferguson 60m), Gregory (Onyedinma 71m), Morison, O'Brien (Worrall 71m),
subs not used, Nelson, Twardek
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26/7/16 Dover 2 Millwall 0, our last pre-season game and we send our B-side

Millwall: King, Brown, Nelson (Bray 82m, Rooney, Ferguson (Chesmain 65m), Twardek, Donovan, Farrell, Wylde (McNamara 76m) Philpot (Smith 62m), Onyedinma (Pavey 62m),
sub not used, Sandford

att: 866

***

THE SEASON STARTS PROPER

6/8/16, Millwall 3 Oldham 0, League One, Game 1, att: 9, 787 (312)

That's a great start to the season as Lee Gregory, Aiden O'Brien and Byron Webster score a goal each as the Lions pose a threat throughout the game. I am hoping we can keep this going and quickly add more points to our tally as due to a bad first part of the season last year we had to play catch up and we didn't quiet make the automatic promotion spots and that cost us. Our new signings Gregg Wylde and David Worrell both played in this match with Worrell starting and Wylde coming on as a 2nd half sub. Both players done ok against a Oldham side who had ten players making their debuts so not surprising that a comfortable win gave us the first points of the season.

Millwall: Jordan Archer, Mahlon Romeo, Tony Craig, Byron Webster, Shane Ferguson, David Worrell, Ben Thompson, Shaun Williams, Aiden O'Brien, Steve Morison, Lee Gregory, (J.Martin 46m) (Onyedinma 71m), (Wylde 82m)
Subs not used, Nelson, Abdou, Phipot, King

Goals: Gregory, 13m pen,  O'Brien 45+2.09m, Webster 46m

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Oldham: Ripley, Wilson, Clarke, Burges, Reckford, Green, Banks, Flynn, Fane, Erwin, McKay
(Law 11m), (Klok 68m), (Osei 60m)
subs not used, Kettings, Croft, Cassidy, Edmundson

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Harry Smith 9/8/16
We have had a look at the Folkstone Invicta striker Harry Smith who has spent some time with us and we have signed him on a two year deal. Neil Harris likes what he saw and reckons he has the whereabouts to become a decent footballer but is rough around the edges.
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9/8/16, EFL Cup 2nd Round, Barnet 0 Millwall 4, att:1,410

Our first visit to Barnet's new ground and a comprehensive win to take us into the next round.
A own goal started the demise of Barnet and Aiden O'Brien and Steve Morrison took the game beyond their reach. According to the Barnet manager Martin Allen the score wasn't a true reflection on the game, "what's he saying? they should have won it"
Anyway a Fred Onyedinma penalty near the end of the game topped the win off and I wonder who we will get in the next round.

Millwall:Archer, Martin (Ferguson 82m), Craig, Thompson, Onyedinma, Wylde, Nelson, Webster, Morison, O'Brien (Worrall 67m), Morison (Philpot 79m), Abdou
Subs not used, Williams, Gregory, Romeo, King

Goals: Akinde og 23m, O'Brien 34m, Morison 74m, Onyedinma penalty 81 m

Barnet: Vickers, Johnson, Dembele, N'Gala, Nelson, Watson, Weston, Akinde (Gash 54m), Togwell, Akpa Akpro (Gambin 58m), Nicholls (Amaluzor 71m)
subs not used, McKenzie-Lyle, Taylor, Muggleton, Champion

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13/8/16 MK Dons 2 Millwall 2, League One, Game 2, att:10,232 (2,065)

Over 2000 make the trip

We could have won this game but late on we could have lost it. We blew a two goal lead as it only took MK 6 minutes to score a couple of goals to equalise. With the two goal lead I was buzzing but following the Wall it didn't last long but in the end with more chances from both sides it was a decent game and the point is welcome but it should have been three. Conceded twice quickly after we achieved two goals is a worry and and to give up a decent lead cheaply shouldn't be Millwall. Peterborough Tuesday should be interesting as they put five past us the last time we played them at their place.

Millwall: Archer, Craig, , Williams(Abdou 28m), Worrall(Onyedinma 82m), Thompson, Gregory, Romeo, Webster, Ferguson(Martin 81m), Morison, O'Brien
subs not used King, Wylde, Nelson, Philpot

Goals: Upson og 24m  Worrell 27m
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MK Dons: Martin, Baldock, Lewington, Walsh, Upson, Potter, Williams,(Bowditch 61m), Agard (Thompson-Asante 87m), Powell, Downing, Maynard
subs not used, Nicolls, Wootton, Williams, Jackson, Tshimanga

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16/8/16 Tuesday Night, Peterborough United 5 Millwall 1, League One, Game 3, att: 5,007 (648)

I MISSED THIS ONE-WHICH WAS LUCKY

That confirms it "our defence and midfield is not at where it needs to be. I have no idea where that result came from and was not expecting it even though they scored five last time. The travelling 648 must have suffered watching that and I was struggling to pick up the result on a old radio while on holiday where the chance of getting a signal on the phone was non existent. I couldn't be bothered after we went 4-0 down and  and found out the final score next day. We were 2-0 down after 7 minutes when Jordan Archer was caught wrong footed and for their second they scored again when we defended square and was caught. Peterborough's 3rd came on 20 minutes when they scored when a unmarked player netted with his end. The obligatory consolation goal was scored by Steve Morrison with about 10 minutes to go and that was that.

Neil Harris in his interview after the game said a few choice words about the team and he did not blame some of the travelling Wall from leaving the game early, he reckons he would have left early if he could.
Me' I will quickly forget this one and a win against Sheffield United Saturday will bring us back on track. I'm not panicking' yet

Millwall: Archer, Martin(Wylde 46m), Craig, Thompson, Gegory, Romeo, Webster, Ferguson (Hutchinson 77m), Morison, O'Brien(Onyedinma 65m), Abdou,
subs not used, Worrall, Nelson,  Philpot, King

Goal: Morison 79m)
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Peterborough: Alnwick, Smith, Hughes, Bostwick, Baldwin, Edwards(Nabi 75m), Forrester, Taylor(Coulthirst 74m), Maddison, Anderson, Nichols(Gormley 86m),
subs not used, White, Chettle, Tyler, Santos

Goals: Maddison 6m, Taylor 7m, Edwards 20, 52m., Nichols 67m
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20/8/16 Millwall 2 Sheffield United 1, League One, Game 4, att: 9.058 (785)

Back to winning ways after the shame at Peterborough

This game finished 1-1 at half time and like many a game at the Den and at our old ground we were better the 2nd half. A good many made it known at the half time whistle that even though the half finished equal and Shaun Williams scored one of his quality strikes, improvement was needed, also it was a chance to sound off about the Peterborough game. 

As per normal once we have had our moan we welcome the Lions back onto the pitch with the normal welcome and they got stuck in from the off with Lee Gregory having chances but his shooting boots was not on target and also the their keeper pulling off a good stop when Gregory was one on one with him. With Shane Ferguson who had replaced Aiden O'Brien slinging in crosses and the midfield winning balls we were more like we should be, but we had to wait to the 89th minute when for some reason the Sheffield defender O'Connell stretched his arm up high and handled the ball. My player of the season so far Steve Morison can sink a penalty and he sunk this one after sending the keeper the wrong way. Another three points and no boo's at full time. 'Come on you Lions

Millwall: Archer, Martin, Craig, Williams, Worrell, Thompson, Gregory (Onyedinma 82m), Romeo, Webster, Morison, O'Brien (Ferguson 70m), 

subs not used, King, Philpot, Wylde, Abdou, Nelson

Goals: Williams 14m,   Morison 89m pen

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Sheffield United: Moore, Hussey, O'Connell, Basham, Scougall (Chapman 82m), Sharp (Done 65m), Coutts, Freeman (McNulty 90m), Wilson, Duffy, Clarke

subs not used, Ramsdale, Wright, Wallace, Whiteman

Goal: Scougall 21m