Millwall have started the campaign with an opening day home win and an away draw against promotion chasers West Brom isn’t bad for a team who before the campaign were relegation favourites, meaning fans and players alike have their proverbial tails for the first time in a while. But what can Millwall put this optimistic start down to?
The numbers don’t lie
EFL clubs supporters know the importance of getting a good start to the season, and for Millwall, this is their best opening to a championship campaign in five years. Also, the first clean sheet of Millwall’s season came 14 games quicker than the previous term, which manager Neil Harris will be very pleased with.
Captain Pearce leading Millwall from the back
Neil Harris appointed a new club captain in central defender Alex Pearce in July, and it’s seeming to be the perfect appointment so far. Several Millwall fans were calling for young midfielder Ben Thompson after his consistently strong performances at the back end of last season, but there were also fears that the captaincy would be too much pressure for the 23-year-old. Pearce just seems to get what it means to play at Millwall and has taken to the backline like a duck to water, and I’m certain he wants to bring success to The Den.
A total squad makeover
The latest summer transfer saw a complete overhaul of the squad, with 19 players going out the door and 12 coming in. Harris promised at the end of the last campaign that there would be change to his squad, claiming some players didn’t want to play for the badge. The manager came through with his pledge by bringing in names like Connor Mahoney, Matt Smith and Frank Fielding to name a few. The gaffer now has a group of players he can work with and knows will give everything for the club, and now he is hoping as well as the fans are, that Millwall can continue this promising start.
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