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31st January Just before the
window is closed, Kenny Jackett grabs palace winger Dave Martin
for £100,000 and says, "David will give us pace
and balance as a wide left-sided player and I expect him to
go straight into our squad to face Doncaster on Saturday."
29th January
Cheltenham Town 0 Millwall 1: A massive game in the
context of the season. How often have we been able to say
that about Cheltenham Town? It was fairly even, with the Lions
just about deserving their points. Gary Alexander's header
from a Dave Brammer cross in the second half, separated the
sides…
…Afterwards
Kenny Jackett says, "It was a very important win for
us. I felt the players worked tremendously hard and all put
in a really good shift"...
...Robins
boss Keith Downing says, "It was just a flat game, we
didn't really get anything behind them and never really created
a great deal. Too many players had an off-day and we've come
unstuck on a 1-0 reverse for the first time in a few weeks"…
…Wimbledon boss
Stuart Murdoch joins the club as chief scout. Kenny Jackett
says, "I have been looking for somebody with some management
experience to come and co-ordinate all of my scouting for
me. I'm very pleased to add Stuart. He has the type of quality
and experience that I'm looking for. The Chief Scout's main
job is to try to improve the team."
28th January The South London
Press reports that Fisher striker Jeff Goulding, "could
be set to seal a dream move to Millwall." He joins on
trial.
26th January
Coventry City 2 Millwall 1: A cracking day out for
all those that managed to avoid the heavy handed policing.
And an unfortunate result. A bit of the now expected poor
refereeing led to an opening goal for the home side. The Lions
hit back though through Jay Simpson, and in the end it was
only Michael Mifsud, whose class separated the two teams that
denied the Lions progression in the Cup…
…Messrs
Jackett and West were probably a little pleased that concentration
could switch to League proceedings, Colin West said, "I
thought in the first half we played some good stuff. We had
two efforts cleared off the line. Scoring the first goal would
have given us a lift, but we did come back well"...
…Iain
Dowie probably sums it up better, "I think generally
Millwall shaded most of the decisions, but maybe the critical
ones went our way. Millwall deserve a huge amount of credit.
They played very well with passion and zest." Managers
rarely admit they got the dodgy decisions…
…Paul Robinson says
of the first goal, "I was a bit disappointed - I stood
my ground and it smacked me on the arm." And just to
ensure that we're not just bad losers, Rhys Evans is rather
nice about the second, which shouldn't have been given either,
"He pushed me, but you get them one week and not the
next."
25th January Cov boss Ian Dowie
says, “I want to rip in to Millwall.”
24th January Former Lion Scott
Dobie rejoins Carlisle for a nominal fee on a two-and-a-half-year
deal.
23rd January
Millwall 2 Nottingham Forest 2: Despite being outplayed
during the opening exchanges, the Lions take the lead via
a Neil Harris free kick. From then until the last five minutes,
Millwall dominate, with Adrian Forbes mostly controlling things
from a midfield position. Then, that last minute defensive
lapse thing, that has plagued this club for years, raises
its ugly head again. The prophets in the stands that said
we needed two goals to get a draw at half time, were right,
as Forest capitalise on a back-peddling Lions side and even
look like scoring a third in the last minute to grab a win
they never looked like getting anywhere near for much of the
game...
...After the match, Kenny
Jackett said some stuff about the game, but all ears were
focussed on words to the effect of, “If he feels he
needs a fresh start by getting away because he is not in the
side at the moment, that is very much his call”, about
Lennie Pidgeley.
22nd January
Perhaps the most fascinating signing in recent times. Goalkeeper
Rhys Evans joins from Blackpool. Once Lennie Pidgeley's understudy
at Chelsea, Evans' signing suggests the current first choice
will be quickly discarded by Kenny Jackett...
...The fancy meal thing
at The Den sees Steve Claridge spend all night swearing about
Theo Paphitis.
21st January Yet another signing,
and in an important position too. Lewis Grabban, crystal palace's
20 year old attacking prospect, adds to the transfer window
numbers.
19th January
Millwall 0 Tranmere Rovers 1: A travesty, we woz
mugged 'guv, day out at The Den. All the possession, and then
the late sucker punch - another header from a cross incidentally...
...Kenny Jackett says,
"I am scratching my head slightly after that defeat.
At the moment we have to take it on the chin. The first half
was even, but the second half was all us. The ball flashed
across goal a few times and we could not get on the end of
those crosses."
18th January
Swindon sign Watford's Moses Ashikodi...
...More importantly is
the departure of another unfulfilled player. Ben May leaves
for Scunthopre, who are rumoured to have paid about £100,000
for his lack of service. May says, "The Millwall fans
have been frustrated with me - but I have been frustrated
with my form as well. Once I had gone to Scunthorpe I did
not want to come back, if I am honest."
16th January Ali Fuseini signs
a new two-and-a-half year deal, pledging his future to the
Lions until June 2010.
15th January
Millwall 2 Walsall 1: A patched up Lions side scrape
through to the fourth round and a meeting with Coventry City
in the FA Cup. Ben may plays well in his last Lions outing,
linking up with Gary Alexander, who also scores, to show what
could have been this season...
...Walsall manager Richard
Money sums it up nicely on behalf of both managers, "Fair
play to Millwall. They defended extremely well in the first
game and in the last 30 minutes of this one. We had forgotten
what it's like to lose. Now we remember it is not a nice feeling."
14th January Marcus Bignot signs
a permanent deal and says, "I'm delighted to be back.
After my loan spell I was hoping that I could become a Millwall
player because I thoroughly enjoyed my time here, and I'm
grateful to Kenny Jackett and QPR for enabling it to happen."
12th January
Port Vale 3 Millwall 1: A thoroughly predictable
hammering, especially after Richard Shaw gets a double yellow,
red card. Alexander gives the Lions the lead, but an inability
to address set-pieces allows Vale to win more than enough
headers in crucial positions to win comfortably...
...Kenny
Jackett says, "The error which gave them their first
goal turned the game at a point when it was poised evenly.
Then Richard Shaw's sending-off tipped the balance"...
...Gary Bowes make his
debut in the match.
9th January
Ahmet Brkovic officially joins the Lions from Luton on a free
transfer...
...Laird
also officially joins...
...Also signing for another
two and a half years, is Zak Whitbread.
8th January
Port Vale’s Lee Sinnott moans about how his manchester
city loannee midfielder had opted for Millwall instead of
the Valiants, "We made the offer as competitive as we
could and put Marc in a quandary by what we offered. We worked
damn hard on it, but it seems it is not meant to be"…
…By going public
in this fashion, Millwall are forced to issue an update on
transfer window progress. It includes Laird, and the fact
that neither Adebayo Akinfenwa nor Brent Sancho will be kept
on, and that Bryan Hodge would have been signed already, but
Blackburn are holding out for a fee.
7th January Millwall are the
fourth team out of the hat on FA Cup Fourth Round Draw day
- Coventry away. Bah.
5th January
Walsall 0 Millwall 0: In many respects this Cup draw
is the most impressive of Kenny Jackett's short time as Lions
boss. The team reads: Pidgeley, Bignot, Robinson, Whitbread,
Frampton (Barron), Gaynor, Simpson, Fuseini, Hodge, Akinfenwa,
Forbes, but the inexperienced team snatch a replay at The
Den on Tuesday week. Walsall dominate but Paul Robinson and
Zak Whitbread are outstanding again…
…Manager Jackett
is happy, "We improved on our 3-0 defeat here two weeks
ago. It would've been great to take the game to them but we
showed terrific defensive qualities - though they will have
players back, like us, for the replay."
3rd January A first transfer
window signing - veteran midfielder, Adrian Forbes, from Blackpool's
reserves.
2nd January Jay Simpson extends
his loan deal to the end of the season.
1st January
Northampton Town 1 Millwall 1: He just can't stop
scoring! Gary Alexander grabs a stoppage-time equaliser to
earn the Lions a draw after Bowditch breaks the deadlock in
a dire game. The highlight, or low-light, depending on your
perspective, was a red card for Poul Hubertz and Neil Harris,
after the Dane waves his elbows and flaps his mouth one too
many times…
…Kenny Jackett says,
"It was a scrappy game but we always had a chance. It
looked like the referee had no choice but to give Neil Harris
a red card. You can't raise your hand these days."
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