Are Millwall heading back down to League One?

The squad doesn’t have the capabilities to play the possession game, they’re weak when they’re attacking, they always look for the cross into their big men in the box and they’re vulnerable on the counter.

They’re an easy side for other teams to set up against due to having arguably the most predictable approach in the league.

George Saville shaped hole in midfield

Four games into the 2018/19 Championship season, Millwall lost their most potent attacking threat from last season. George Saville had been the catalyst for the Lions attack, creating chances rarely expected from a side like Millwall.

He left for Middlesbrough in a loan deal until January, where he’d sign a permanent deal. But Millwall and Harris never replaced his threat, and stuck with what they already had in the middle of the park.

Saville scored 10 league goals last season, while also being heavily involved in all of the Lions forward-thinking play. While he may not have notched too many assists, he was always involved in the build-up play.

This season, their highest scorer in the league is Gregory with eight goals. Shaun Williams is the highest-scoring midfielder for Millwall this year with four, and Shane Ferguson follows up with two. The entire midfield have 10 goals between them, which is a long cry from the feat achieved by Saville last year.

The void has become more obvious with their slip down the table. Partnering that with their lack of a plan B makes it hard to argue that they deserve better from their season.

Tricky fixtures remaining?

Though it looks like two of the three relegation spots are all but decided, with Bolton eight points adrift and in free fall, and Ipswich 13 points behind and with only three wins all season, it’s still not pleasant viewing for Millwall fans when it comes to their nine remaining league fixtures.

With a promotion battle still going strong at the top end of the table, and the relegation battle destined to go down to the wire, the Lions would want to avoid any teams caught up in those fights.

However, they’re unfortunately caught up with fixtures at both ends. They face four of the current top six sides, with away games at Leeds United, Sheffield United and Aston Villa, while facing West Bromwich Albion at the Den.

Wigan Athletic are the only other relegation-threatened side Millwall play in a crucial six-pointer, though as the last game of the season, both sides will be hoping to be clear of any threat by then.

Their fortunes could come down to the form of others around them. Birmingham City have been dragged into the relegation scrap after their nine-point deduction, and having lost four on the spin, they’re another side in free fall.

Rotherham occupy 22nd at present, but they’ve been picking up important wins of late. Their fixtures against Nottingham Forest, Stoke City, Swansea City and Birmingham will go a long way to deciding whether they can remain in the division.

Reading, currently 21st, face an incredibly tough April. They take on Norwich City, Bristol City, West Brom and Middlesbrough after a game against Preston this weekend.

Click here for the latest Championship odds.

Big match previews, betting tips and transfer news – Coral has it all.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.