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31st December With speculation
at fever pitch, Kenny Jackett explains his transfer window
priorities, "My first priority is extending the loans
of Jay Simpson, Ahmet Brkovic, Marcus Bignot and Bryan Hodge.
If there are players who complement or directly improve our
squad then I will look to bring them in."
29th December
Millwall 2 Crewe Alexandra 0: The Lions complete
their Christmas double header with another welcome home win.
It's mostly Crewe in the first half, but when Neil Harris
got off the mark with his first of the season with a self
won penalty we all knew it was a game that would be won. Brkovic
converts Brammer's free kick to make sure…
…Kenny Jackett comments
on the goals, "Neil knocked it round the defender and
was brought down. It was a definite penalty, and the free
kick for Ahmet's goal was something we've been working on."
28th December Marcus Bignot
comments on his future, "I'm due to go back to QPR on
January 5th, and that's all I know. It's one for Mystic Meg,"
Actually, it's one for Kenny Jackett - most in the stands
want him signed up as quickly as possible.
26th December
Millwall 3 Brighton & Hove Albion 0: A stunning
comeback from the Walsall disappointment, as the Lions put
in their best display of the season by some distance. Gary
Alexander scores a Boxing Day hat-trick to boost his total
to three for the season! First the striker heads home a Brammer
free kick, then he converts a Bignot cross, and no-one is
arguing when he grabs the ball to knock in a spot kick..
…Kenny Jackett says
afterwards, "This was a very good win and a nice response
after the Walsall result, which was disappointing. When you
have bad days you must react in the right way, and you need
strength and character to come through disappointing times."
22nd December Walsall 3 Millwall 0:
One of those roll over and die performances we have grown
accustomed to in recent years. Tommy Mooney scores two and
a mix up between Whitbread and Bignot sees Harris deflect
an own goal in. It is the first poor performance under Kenny
Jackett's management.
17th December Jay Simpson says
the right things, "The manager has mentioned to me about
extending my loan if arsenal agree, and I would love that.
I eventually want to go back to arsenal and fight for a place
there, but right now I am playing for Millwall and I want
to do as well as I can here. When I first came I felt like
an outsider, but now I feel part of the team. I haven't been
thinking about going back, I have been thinking about playing
for Millwall and getting the right results."
15th December
Millwall 2 Oldham Athletic 3: It's Christmas panto
time at The Den. and the first enjoyable home game of the
season, even though we lost! Lee Hughes is allowed to incite
a not very forgiving home crowd by a referee that then loses
complete control and turns the match into a farce, by sending
Jay Simpson off for celebrating, awarding Oldham a penalty
because he felt sorry for Hughes, and sending an Oldham player
off for Hughes' crowd incitement...
...Kenny
Jackett says, "Whether it's the referee or the rules,
it has to be looked at if people are sent off for celebrating.
The emotion, scoring a goal, is a big thing, especially for
an 18 year old." Forgotten in the hysteria surrounding
the game was the fact that former Lions custodian Mark Crossley
should have been sent off for a deliberate handball outside
the area. Jackett adds, "I spoke to Mark afterwards and
he said he was two yards outside the box when he handled.
We played with passion and spirit, but what can you do?"
Quite...
...Latics boss John Sheridan
concurs with Jackett’s views, “There was a bit
of controversy with the two players sent off - I have no idea
what for. They were never red cards in my view.”
14th December The AGM does indeed
see Graham Ferguson Lacey object to John Berylson's aim of
spending money on players. It would reduce his holding and
his only interest is the regeneration. The regeneration is
now the prospect that could kill as well as save our club.
13th December The Daily Mail
are escalating stories again, "Millwall fans fear the
club could be plunged back into Administration if their biggest
shareholder rejects a plan to raise £2million. Club
directors want to raise the amount from shareholders - in
exchange for more shares the following year - if Millwall
run into financial trouble again, which could safeguard them
from any cash crisis."
12th December
manchester city hammer Scott Fitzgerald's youth team 5-1 as
the young Lions crash out of the FA Youth Cup and leave Academy
Director Joe Little plenty to ponder...
...It’s Walsall in
the FA Cup, after they beat Northampton.
10th December The South London
press reports, "Millwall's annual general meeting on
Friday will vote to allow the club's board to raise £2million
from existing shareholders - should it ever need to - in exchange
for more shares in the next year. But the club's biggest shareholder,
Isle of Man-based developer Graham Lacey, who has a 29 per
cent stake, has declined to say how he will vote on the issue."
8th December Luton Town P Millwall P:
Despite the conspiracy theories - catering staff not turning
up because they won't get paid, the players striking, the
weather is truly appalling, and even if the game had gone
ahead, it may have been called off in similar circumstances
to the Northampton match last season. It was playable at the
time of the pitch inspection though.
7th December The club confirm
that Colin West has been appointed first team coach, Joe Gallen
steps up from coaching the kids to the position of reserve
team manager. He is replaced by former Lions centre half Scott
Fitzgerald. Kenny Jackett says, "My philosophy is to
use all the help available. You can't have too many good experienced
people around you because anything we achieve will be a result
of a team effort."
6th December
Former World Cup player Brent Sancho joins on a month to month
basis after being released by Gillingham. Kenny Jackett says,
"He hasn't been with a club so we are able to sign him
even outside the window"...
...Former
Brighton captain Danny Cullip is also training with the Lions...
...Will Hoskins tells the
Southwark News, in so many words, that he will not be returning
to The Den, "I wanted to prove that I have ability, that
I can score goals and I have really enjoyed it here. Now I
want to go back and will put pressure on the strikers at Watford."
Work-rate mate, work rate.
5th December After a bottle
was thrown on the pitch at Orient, the MSC make the mistake
of unwittingly alerting the authorities, by releasing a statement.
Included within the wording, "...we potentially find
ourselves in the dock, again, because of a very small number
of idiots. We really can't afford to have sanctions taken
against us, and we really don't want any further restrictions
on our away travel, but these incidents make such impositions
so much more likely."
4th December
Leyton Orient 0 Millwall 1: Millwall stun high-flying
Orient with their first away win of the season at Brisbane
Road. It's the best display of the season as Zak Whitbread
scores s cracker to take the points early on. It's not backs
to the wall stuff either as the Lions look the better side
throughout...
...Manager Jackett says
afterwards, "Games at this level are very tight and you
can only be successful if everyone is together 100%. If you
fall 3% or 4% below that it can be the difference between
winning and losing, and that's something I have been emphasising
to the players."
2nd December The best day of
the season - third round draw day - sees the Lions net a ‘could
it possibly be more exciting trip’ to f***ing Northampton
or Walsall.
1st December
Millwall 2 Bournemouth 1: The Lions earn their place
in the Third Round of the FA Cup with a relatively easy win
against Bournemouth. Ahmet Brkovic scores the opener and Hoskins
scores the second before Shaun Cooper gave a little fruitless
hope towards the end...
...Kenny
Jackett says, "It was a close game, but goals change
matches. They came back after we scored and when that happens,
you always wonder why they didn't do that from the start"...
...In
his programme notes for the game, Jackett also reveals that
he will be extending Marcus Bignot and Ahmet Brkovic's loan
periods.
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