Millwall v Ipswich Town 
Saturday 17th January 2015 - 15:00
The New Den
Opening Thought – Jamma
So, it’s three matches without a win, with just one goal scored over that time. We have resorted to playing unimaginative football with no end product and are increasingly prone to defensive errors. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the squad is down to the bare bones heading into a crucial stage of the season. Or, alternatively, we have been unlucky to go down to narrow defeats against two very good sides who we have matched all the way, notably going one better than Arsenal and Manchester United against a Champions League-chasing team. We are still a solitary point off top spot in the Championship, with a very winnable run of fixtures coming up.
Whichever of these camps you fall into – and the likelihood is that, like me, you will probably be somewhere in between the two – the important thing is that we keep a sense of perspective as we approach the final third of the season. In amongst all the disappointment voiced on the forum immediately after Wednesday night’s game, there were some good points made along these lines. With all the excitement in the build-up, it was easy to lose sight of just how far we had come in such a short space of time. Yes, there are the injury concerns that all teams inevitably suffer at some point, and we knew that we would have to endure a blip somewhere along the way. It will be how we react to this setback that will determine where 2014/15 ultimately leads for Ipswich Town.
A lot was made of the Blues daunting-looking run of fixtures in December. As we all know, we came through that series of tests with flying colours, picking up 13 points from a possible 15 to reassert our claim as genuine promotion contenders. If football were played out on paper, we could rightly expect to secure 3 wins out of 3 in our remaining January schedule, which features clashes against league strugglers Millwall, Brighton and Wigan. But Town have an unfortunate habit of slipping up in these kind of games, as we found to our cost against the Lions on the same weekend last year. On that occasion, a 1-0 defeat put a sizeable dent in our play-off aspirations, following hot on the heels of an FA Cup exit to Preston as our season threatened to unravel. With this year presenting some eerily close similarities, Mick McCarthy will be hoping that lightning will not strike twice on his return to his former club.
The Opposition - Millwall
Millwall Rovers were formed by the workers of J.T. Morton's canning and preserve factory in the Millwall area of the Isle of Dogs in London's East End in 1885.
In April 1889, a resolution was passed for Millwall to drop 'Rovers' from their name and they were now playing under the name Millwall Athletic, inspired by their move to their new home The Athletic Grounds. Millwall Athletic reached the FA Cup semi-finals in 1900 and 1903.
Millwall moved to a new stadium, named The Den, in New Cross, South London in 1910.
Millwall, who had now also dropped 'Athletic' from its name, were invited to join the Football League in 1920 for the 1920–21 season through the creation of the new Football League Third Division.
In the 1925–26 season Millwall had 11 consecutive clean sheets, a Football League record, which they hold jointly with York City and Reading.
In the 1927–28 season Millwall won the Third Division South title and scored 87 goals at home in the league, an English record which still stands.
Millwall were the tenth best supported team in England in the pre-war years, despite languishing in the Third Division for most of the 1930s. Millwall were one of the most financially wealthy clubs in England.
The loss of so many young men during the Second World War made it difficult for clubs to retain their former status. This was especially true for Millwall, who appeared to suffer more than most. From being one of the country's biggest clubs before the war, Millwall were reduced to one of its smallest afterwards.
During the late 1950s and early 1960s Millwall's form was poor, and they were relegated into (and became a founding member of) Division Four.
Later in the decade, Millwall established a record of 59 home games without defeat (43 wins and 16 draws) from 22 August 1964 to 14 January 1967. During this spell, Millwall played 55 different teams, kept 35 clean sheets, scored 112 goals and conceded 33. The record was eventually broken by Liverpool.
Millwall missed out on promotion to Division One by one point. By remaining unbeaten at home in Division Two for the 1971–72 season, Millwall became the only club to go through an entire season without losing a match at home in four different divisions. Millwall hosted the first game to be played on a Sunday, against Fulham.
George Graham managed Millwall from 1983 to 1986, and during that time he guided the club to a Football League Group Cup win.
John Docherty In his second season as manager, Millwall won the Second Division championship and gained promotion to the top flight of English football for the first time in the club's history in 1988 where they stayed until the 1990 season.
Mick McCarthy guided Millwall to third place in the new Division One at the end of the 1993–94 season, and then went on to manage the Irish National team. This was their first season at a new ground, at first known as The New Den.
In 1997 the club experienced severe financial difficulties that resulted in them being placed in financial administration and eventually falling to the old Division 2 until 2001 when they were promoted back to the Championship.
Between 2005 & 2006 Millwall had 6 managers come and go, ending back down in League 1 in the process. In 2010 they gained promotion back to the Championship via a Wembley play-off final.
Kenny Jackett celebrated five years in charge of the club in November 2012, including a 13-game unbeaten run and flirting with the play-offs, however Millwall finished poorly, narrowly avoiding relegation on the last day of the season. Their poor league form coincided with reaching the semi-final of the FA Cup for the fifth time in their history. Kenny Jackett resigned on 7 May 2013. He was Millwall's fourth longest-serving manager.
After a month of searching, Millwall appointed Steve Lomas as their new manager on 6 June 2013. Millwall sacked Lomas on 26 December 2013, after winning only five of his 22 games in charge. Neil Harris and youth team coach Scott Fitzgerald took over as joint caretaker-managers. Millwall appointed Ian Holloway as their new manager on 6 January 2014, with the club sitting 21st in the table. He was given the priority of maintaining their Football League Championship status, which he achieved.
One To Watch – Ed Upson
Millwall fans won’t thank me for saying it but they look to be mirroring South-East London rivals Charlton’s approach from the early 2000s, in assembling as many ex-Ipswich players in their squad as possible. Dan Harding is the latest former Blue to arrive at The Den, joining the likes of Ed Upson, Carlos Edwards, Lee Martin, Ricardo Fuller and Stephen Bywater. I am going to pick out one of these who didn’t get the chance to fulfil his potential at Portman Road. And no, I am not referring to Lee Martin!
Ed Upson will forever be associated with his starring role in Ipswich Town’s third success in the FA Youth Cup, in 2005. The 15-year-old schoolboy dispatching the extra time winner from 30 yards has to be considered as one of the highlights of the last decade of the club’s history. He has matured a lot since those days, of course, making more than 150 career league appearances since leaving Portman Road in the Roy Keane era. Having got his break with Yeovil in League 1, Upson became one of Ian Holloway’s first signings when he joined the Lions in January 2014. He endured an injury-hit end to the season but still proved to be instrumental in Millwall’s successful fight against relegation with his authoritative displays in the middle of the park. Now 25, the central midfielder’s presence – and eye for goal – could be crucial as his team faces up to another battle to stay in the division.
A blast from the past
The Gaffer - Ian Holloway
The colourful Ian Holloway began his playing career as an apprentice with his hometown team Bristol Rovers, turning professional in March 1981, after four seasons at Rovers, he was transferred to Wimbledon in July 1985 for £35,000.
After less than one year at the club, he was sold to Brentford where he also spent just a little over a year. In January 1987 he joined Torquay United on loan, In August 1987, Holloway returned to Bristol Rovers for a fee of £10,000 where in 4 seasons he only missed 5 matches.
In 1991 he signed for QPR, playing 150 games for the club before returning to Bristol Rovers for the third time in August 1996, this time as player-manager.
Holloway managed the club whom had played over 400 games for, over the next 4 and a half years with to a highest place finish of 5th in what is now League 1.
In February 2001, midway through the 2000–01 season, Holloway was appointed manager of QPR, where he was given the task of keeping the team in Division One. He failed to do so, as QPR finished second from bottom and were relegated to the third level for the first time in 34 years. Despite the relegation, Holloway stayed on and rebuilt the side. After steadying the ship in 2001–02, and a near miss in 2002–03, Holloway and QPR were promoted back to the Championship in 2004.
Holloway was suspended (sent on gardening leave) as manager by Queens Park Rangers on 6 February 2006, due to the Board believing he was about to fill the vacant Managers position at Leicester. This never transpired and at the end of the season he became manager at Plymouth Argyle.
In November the following year he did however resign from Plymouth Argyle and sign for Leicester on a 3 and a half year deal where he became the first Leicester manager in over 50 years to win his first league game in charge. Winning just nine out of 32 games, Leicester were relegated from the Championship on 4 May 2008.
On 23 May 2008, following the club's relegation, Holloway and Leicester City parted company by mutual consent.
On 21 May 2009 it was reported that Holloway, after 364 days out of football, was set to be announced as the new manager of Blackpool.
Nine months later, he guided the club to the Premier League after winning the play-offs following a sixth-placed finish in The Championship.
On 22 May 2011, Blackpool lost their Premier League status after losing 4–2 to champions Manchester United and returned to The Championship after one season.
In May 2012, Holloway guided Blackpool into The Championship play-offs for the second time in as many seasons in the division.
On 3 November 2012, Holloway agreed to join Crystal Palace as manager and on 27 May 2013 guided Crystal Palace to promotion to the Premier League In the 2013–14 Premier League season. Crystal Palace started with just three points from the first eight games as Holloway came under pressure to keep his job and on 23 October 2013, Holloway left the club by mutual consent after less than a year in charge.
On 6 January 2014 he signed two-and-a-half-year deal with Millwall, whom he guided to Championship safety for the 2014-15 season.
Past Match - Video Highlights - Trev
Media Watch - K L Blue
Daryl Murphy has scored more goals than Lionel Messi and Diego Costa
Among the grand targets being pursued by Daryl Murphy, from career redemption to a place in the Premier League and a run in the FA Cup, is a piece of paper worth £100.
Written on it are his name and a number that seemed unfeasibly high when he scrawled it last summer. Once folded, it was handed to Mick McCarthy with the cash.
Like most aspects of life at Ipswich Town, it was the manager’s idea. ‘He called us together one day before the season started and told us all to do it,’ Murphy explains.
The Ipswich star has scored 17 times for his club this season and is the country's second top goalscorer
Chesterfield's Eoin Doyle tops the leader board for highest scorers throughout the English league
‘Strikers had to put down what they were going to score this season, goalkeepers had to write how many clean sheets and so on. Then we each had to put £100 into the gaffer’s pot — it is going to charity if you don’t reach your number.
‘If you reach it you get it back. You don’t put down a low number because it’s for charity and besides, the gaffer would never allow it. I put down quite a high number. I won’t tell you what it was as I’m not there yet but it looks like I might get there.’
Like a number of McCarthy’s decisions, it seems to have had a positive effect on the 31-year-old striker who was once drifting but is now the leading scorer in the Championship; a 17-goal spearhead in a team who sit third in the division.
It’s not bad for a club that was bottom of the Championship table when McCarthy arrived in November 2012. Only Tyrone Mings, a £10,000 signing from non-League Chippenham, commanded a fee. The rest of his recruits, including Murphy, cost nothing.
For Murphy, the Championship player of the month for December, the goal rush is something he never saw coming.
‘I’m as surprised as anyone about how this season has gone,’ he says. ‘This is the best time of my career.’
The Republic of Ireland international spent the first few years bouncing from League Two with Luton to the League of Ireland, before McCarthy took him to Sunderland in 2005.
It was good but not much more for a striker mostly playing on the left wing — if at all. He never scored more than three goals in a season and the games dried up. In 2010, Celtic’s Neil Lennon came along.
‘They were the team I supported as a boy, so I took a pay cut to go but it didn’t go well. When I was given a run in the team I scored two in three starts, but then I got injured.
‘There was a game I was sitting out when we won 9-0 — the strikers, Gary Hooper and Anthony Stokes, scored a hat-trick each. I’m in the stands thinking, “How is your luck?” I didn’t play that next weekend, obviously, and the lads kept scoring. I couldn’t get back in and I accepted that.’
He spent two loan spells at Ipswich between 2010 and 2012 and it was during a third spell at the club in 2012-13 that McCarthy took over. The following summer the move became permanent.
‘Maybe I was destined to play for Ipswich,’ Murphy says. ‘I came here under Roy Keane. I got on brilliantly with him and do still. He gave me a copy of his book — a good read. I didn’t get a mention!
‘The gaffer now has done so much for me. On his first day here he called me into his office and said I would be a striker again, no more playing on the left. It was music to my ears. His faith in me has been so important.’
The result was 13 goals last season and a stunning run in this campaign. The signs are good, even if the challenge of maintaining their form will be increased by interest in Mings.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has admitted he is keen on the defender but Murphy said: ‘I don’t see why he should go when he is playing here every week. If you go to a big club you are probably going to be on the bench. In that position, I would rather play every week.’
The words carry weight from a man who has served his time on the sidelines. If Mings sticks around then Murphy will have a better chance of getting back to the Premier League.
Either way, you would not bet against him getting back his £100.
Stat Time
Head to Head
Millwall Wins..................19 (38.00%)
Ipswich Wins..................18 (36.00%)
Draws...........................13 (26.00%)
Millwall Goals...................71 (ave. 1.42/match)
Ipswich Goals...................69 (ave. 1.38/match)
Head to Head at Millwall
Millwall Wins.....................13 (52.00%)
Ipswich Wins......................5 (20.00%)
Draws..............................7 (28.00%)
Millwall Goals....................42 (ave. 1.68/match)
Ipswich Goals....................27 (ave. 1.08/match)
The Predicted Teams
Millwall
01 Forde
29 Wilkinson
02 Dunne
35 Nelson
21 Harding
30 Chaplow
26 Abdou
07 Martin
27 McDonald
11 Woolford
19 Fuller
Ipswich Town
33 Bialkowski
04 Chambers
05 Smith
06 Berra
03 Mings
12 Hunt
11 Anderson
18 Tabb
27 Bishop
09 Murphy
10 McGoldrick
Marko's Caption Contest
So many great captions there. Might even discuss with Frosty during the close season on better ways to score this competition. Right now it's just what makes me laugh out loud the "loudest" that gets the points. Please know that they are all excellent.
But as a 45 year old, like possibly many 45+ year olds, we have unfortunately experienced a prostate exam. And 9 times out of 10, the doctor has a face just like McLarens in that picture! I must give a maximum 8pts to The Don.
"Time for your prostate exam"
I must admit, I did like the "joined" captions. 6pts to Derick, and 4pts a piece to James and Blueblood. A 4pts also went to Quasar as I gave him 3pts for his second picture. Superb. I didn't even notice that guy drawn on there.
Here you go for this week, try and find something amusing to about about one of life’s little winners!TABLE
1. Frosty ......... 24
1. Quasar ........24
2. Herforder ... 23
3. Blueblood... 22
4. James ........ 20
4. Derick ........ 20
5. Bluemike ... 19
6. The Don .... 18
7. Barmy Billy. 10
8. Supershred. 8
9. Jamma ....... 6
9. Floors ......... 6
10. Ashford .... 5
10. Andy M .... 5
11. Number9 .. 4
11. Charnwood 4
11. Mr Punch .. 4
12. Morph ....... 3
13. ITNO1 ....... 2
13. Hallamblue 2
13. LnP ........... 2
14. Nicscreamer 1
Match Referee – Graham Salisbury
Final Thought - Frosty
Well that’s a bugger I had my heart set on Town winning the FA Cup this year as well as being in the EPL next season which would have put us straight into the European Competition as well! Still moving right along ……………….
Switching our attention to the mighty Lions ….. well pussycats this year anyway, one see’s a side in the doldrums and in real trouble of spending next season in a lower division.
I have personally always rated Ian Holloway, and at one time thought he may have even become our Manager which at the time I think most on here would have been delighted about. Instead he is starting to look like a bit of a journeyman. Don’t be surprised to see him walk away rather than be pushed in the very near future. Still MM is starting to really get the hang of witty football ‘quips’ nowdays, so we didn’t need Holloway anyway.
Since Christmas Millwalls form has been quite abject. It started on Boxing Day with the birdies sh*tting all over them 6-1, a not unsurprising 2-0 loss occurred next against high flying Bournemouth (although this match was at home), an FA Cup Replay was to follow next against Bradford after a 3-3 draw and finally before succumbing last weekend to the awful cellar dwellers in Blackpool 1-0.
Now writing this after the 3rd round replays, it’s safe to say that Millwalls confidence levels won’t have improved after being dismantled 4-0 away to Bradford …. Ouch!
On paper I don’t consider them to be that bad a side, but just surviving in the Championship has been their ‘modus operandi’ for the past two seasons and at averaging only a goal a match that is unlikely to change for the remainder of the season.
Of all the opponents that I would prefer to play away at this stage of the season, with all due respect to Millwall, this is a great opportunity for us to go back to winning ways.
Looking at our nearest rivals this week. The Derby versus Forest game should be a cracker (I said that about us versus Derby last weekend BTW). Bournemouth are unlikely to be quivering in their boots as they make a trip to Rotherham. Boro host Huddersfield, The Seagulls host the Bee’s …. (insert smart comment here) and Watford receive Charlton who have a new man in charge this week. Speaking of which, I see Bob Peeters was dismissed this week from the Addicks. Who would have thought that would have happened when you consider the early season form.
Anyway, enough from me, for those of you making trip to London this week, have a fantastic time (love that City, got engaged there years ago …. Luckily have managed to avoid the wedding bit since) ….. and remember as you pass through Calais, you have probably made a wrong turn along the way.
MILLWALL 0 IPSWICH TOWN 2
