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30th September Rotherham
2 Millwall 3: At about 3:40pm Millwall were faced
with the prospect of being bottom of the third division for
the first time in nearly a quarter of a century - until teenage
Tractorboy loan star Danny Haynes intervenes with a penalty
right on half time and a late leveller. That would have been
enough for most of the Lions' success starved fans but then
up pops Alan Dunne with his second in two games to give Millwall
their first away points of the season and continue caretaker
boss Willie Donachie's steady start...
…Rotherham manager Alan Knill (ED - who he?), moans,
"I am shell shocked and disappointed." Bet you are
mate.
27th September Caretaker
boss Willie Donachie makes his position clear, “I have
told the board and the chairman that I want the job. I believe
that I can do it and it is now in their hands. This is a results
business and as long as I keep picking up points then I'm
sure that I will be in with a chance of being given the job
on a full-time basis. It is a big job, but I'm up to it"
26th September Millwall 1 Brentford 1: Willie Donachie's first
game in charge and a 4-4-2 formation that everyone has asked
for. Some of the lesser talents of recent weeks appear to
welcome the changes and players are much more comfortable,
although Brentford are equal to the task and take the lead.
A well worked move culminated in a Dunne equaliser to fairly
share the spoils...
...Afterwards the new / temporary boss says, "I've told
the board I want the job, but it's in their hands. The game's
about results though - if we had been beaten 5-0 tonight,
I'd probably be gone by now"...
...A variety of names appear to be in the running. Included
are: joe royle, Mark McGhee, Steve Gritt, Dave Penney, Andy
Hessenthaler, Alan McLeary, George Graham, Martin Allen, Graham
Taylor, and presumably Gordon Hill.
25th September The Sun says,
"Spack gets the sack" By PAUL JIGGINS: MILLWALL
last night sacked manager Nigel Spackman. The former Sky TV
pundit took over in the summer following their relegation
from the Championship. But he has managed to win just two
of his 12 games in charge this season. And the south Londoners
- who were in the UEFA Cup only two years ago - are second
bottom of League One after losing their last five games. Fans
demonstrated in the car park and called for Spackman's head
after Saturday's 1-0 home defeat to Northampton. Assistant
boss Willie Donachie is caretaker boss and ex-Leeds chief
Kevin Blackwell and Ray Wilkins - currently a consultant with
the Lions - are candidates to take over...
...Spackman's exit is confirmed by the club via its SMS text
service, although the official word is his reign came to and
end 'by mutual consent'. The official time of the news release
is 8:15am...
...Shortly before, Ipswich youngster Danny Haynes joins on
a month's loan. The Peckham born striker has been chased for
a while, but a phone call from his former coach does the trick…
…Young goalkeeper Alan Brooks leaves the club.
23rd September Millwall 0 Northampton
Town 1: Lots of first half chances and some hard
work by the players fail to reap deserved rewards and another
defensive error sees a half-time lead conceded. Hubertz comes
on for the second period and the team revert to long ball
tactics, which a Sean Dyche led Cobblers side soak up easily.
The boos ring around the ground and the feeble spirited players
cave in far too easily...
...Manager Spackman claims, "We dominated the game but
one mistake cost us the game. In the first 45 minutes we played
extremely well and I hoped we wouldn't make a mistake, but
we did and you can't afford to make mistakes at any level"...
...The manager is also asked about the abuse of the crowd
and his position as manager, "That's football. My head's
on the line. I'd be lying if I said it didn't affect me, we're
all striving to work hard, but the front line is the results."
And on the crowd he adds, "I think they've got to go
away and analyse the game and see that we had 70% of the possession"...
...The most polite of gents, John Gorman, comes up to say
how sorry he feels for Nigel, but unwittingly sums up the
Lions boss's shortcomings, "It's hard when they come
out with four up front, I have watched them and I didn't expect
them to play like that. In the second half they were very
direct"...
...After the match there is a car park protest. Ray Wilkins
is surrounded by Lions fans and talks about the Cup Final!..
...On the eve of the game Ali Fuseini signs his first professional
contract.
20th September Millwall 0 Southampton
4: After a bright start a defensive error (yes, another
one) sees Southampton score a worryingly simple goal before
cruising through a match to an easy rout. Kenwyne Jones hits
the post in the first minute, before Djamel Belmadi taps in
on 20 minutes. Bradley Wright-Phillips scores a simple second
whilst the Lions defence was on walkabout duty. With the Lions
players on their way from the pitch, Wright-Phillips scores
his second before David McGoldrick completes the demolition...
...As the team exit to a chorus of boos Nigel Spackman goes
on the defensive, "If they think changing the manager
for the fifth time in a year is right then they can carry
on shouting." By 'They' we believe the disrespectful
Lions manager means the supporters that are spending good
money to watch half committed professionals earning good money,
playing in ridiculous formations and systems.
16th September Crewe 1 Millwall 0:
More team changes and playing system alterations, but this
time the tinkering almost works as the Lions dominate for
much of the match, but come unstuck to Luke Varney winner.
Denied a certain penalty late on Millwall are victims of a
superb goalkeeping display by Ben Williams and some rather
'unfortunate' finishing. The defeat leaves the club four points
from safety and just four points ahead of Rotherham, who started
out with minus ten...
...Post match manager Spackman says, "We're devastated
that we put in such a good performance and got nothing out
of it. I thought we deserved three points today but we go
home with nothing."
12th September Gillingham 2 Millwall
1: Nigel Spackman rings the changes, but they are
obviously the wrong changes, as yet another system that isn't
4-4-2 succumbs to misshapen tactics, players not knowing where
they should be and some fairly average individual displays.
The Lions five man midfield dominates the early exchanges,
but Clint Easton scores a superb opener. The second half sees
the Gills make the necessary alterations to their set-up and
go on to dominate throughout and get a deserved second. Although
oddly omitted from the starting line-up, substitutes Hubertz
and Williams combine with a simple cross and header routine,
but it's too little too late...
...Nigel Spackman says afterwards, "The main thing is
trying to put the ball in the back of the net and try to win
football matches and at the moment we're just not good enough
at doing that. That's why we are putting ourselves under pressure"...
...17 year old Ali Fuseini stars on his full debut in a position
vacated by dropped captain Derek McInnes...
...Earlier in the day Millwall send some more home-grown youngsters
out on loan: Ross Gaynor (Sutton United), Alan Brooks, Dean
Pooley (Beckenham Town).
9th September Millwall 0 Brighton
& Hove Albion 1: After Richard Carpenter is sent
off after just over half an hour, Millwall bombard the Brighton
goal. There are three good penalty appeals turned down and
three efforts cleared off the line. Brighton could also have
had three players sent off. However, the tactics are all wrong
and the lack of leadership is significant. In the end an Elliott
own goal two minutes from time sum up Nigel Spackman's early
days as Millwall manager...
...Afterwards the Lions boss claims, "It was a massive
shock that we didn't win this game." Oh, no it wasn't.
8th September Millwall sign
Chris Zebroski on a two year deal. Chris had been sacked by
Plymouth Argyle for 'gross misconduct' on a pre-season tour,
but Nigel Spackman reassures fans, "I've spoken to Peter
Kaye and he says Chris is a lovely lad and that what went
on at Plymouth goes against his nature completely." We're
not sure what the bloke out of Phoenix Nights knows, but Ricky
Gervais thinks that Tony Craig is 'mint'...
...On the eve of the Brighton fixture Mark McGhee is sadly
sacked. Shame, there might have been an atmosphere...
...Danny Senda's impressive debut could earn him a proper
contract as Stewart Till tells the Southwark News, "If
he carries on playing that way I wouldn't be surprised if
Nigel recommends an extended contract for him."
2nd September
Millwall 0 Blackpool 0: After 45 minutes not one
Millwall player had played poorly, but not one had had a shot
either. The same effort was applied in the second period but
gradually certain players ran out of steam. With just Kevin
Braniff up front against Blackpool at home, manager Nigel
Spackman is clearly making a statement of [lack of] intent.
The 4-5-1 system is stifling any hope...
...Afterwards Spackman says, "I can understand the supporters
frustration because we're at the wrong end of the table"...
...Both Danny Senda and Liam Trotter make their Lions debuts
in the match...
...After missing out on a move back to The Den the previous
week Neil Harris scores his first Nottingham Forest goal and
says, "Millwall represents my spiritual home, so the
idea was tempting. However, I decided to fight on at Forest
for very good reasons. I want to give it a go here. The team
spirit is as good as I have known, with everyone helping everybody
else, so to finally get my goal was quite a thrill. Forest
are top of the League One table, and deservedly so. I want
to be here when we regain Championship status."
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