Key events

I remember Arsene Wenger once saying that a reason Manchester United won three titles in a row, 99-01, was that there were so many London derbies. It’s possible, though, that United v Liverpool could hold its own with Arsenal v Charlton.

Email! “As a supporter of another London team,” writes Richard Hirst, “I don’t mind which of Spurs or West Ham goes down; reducing the number of London derbies is simply a good thing. On that basis I don’t really want Millwall to go up, but wouldn’t it be the ultimate nightmare for West Ham supporters if Millwall took their place!”

It would, though it’s worth noting that a Spurs fan emailed in a few weeks ago, fearing the same scenario but with his team replaced by Millwall…

Meantime, in other pundit news, Gary Rowett is sure there’ll be a “rauseous” atmosphere in the ground.

I … quite like Curtis Davies’ rig?

Photograph: Sky

Jakirovic says he changed formation for greater stability, after Millwall’s first-leg tactics of keeping both full-backs high and filling the pockets with midfielders. He sympathises with Kyle Joseph who, competing with McBurnie for a spot, hasn’t had many minutes this season, but he scored two the last time the teams played here and is feeling good.

I guess any win, however minor, is a win.

If you missed the first leg, the highlights are here. The goal Millwall scored was extremely harshly disallowed.

Neil says he was tempted to make changes but he’s made only one in five games, so decided to leave it, with options on the bench. His team have a good record against back fives, he adds, wondering if the form of Josh Coburn, who played well in midweek, forced Jakirovic’s hand, and he’s sure the home crowd will get the team going.

The first leg saw some classic Grown Men action:

And for balance, here’s some classic Hull.

Some lovely goals in this game, from Millwall’s only top-division stint.

Also going on:

I’m a little surprised Gelhardt’s been left out tonight. My guess is that Jakirovic fancies using him later in the match, against tired legs – especially with the prospect of extra time.

Naturally, I’m entirely impartial. But if I weren’t, I’d be finding it hard to root for perhaps the worst chant in football – and it’s a crowded field.

So, why the change? My sense is that Jakirovic wants to make it harder for Millwall to penetrate the centre, hence a three at the back with the intention of forcing them to go around the outside, while the two men in behind McBurnie should be harder to pick up now their roles are freer.

Neil keeps the same Millwall XI; Jakirovic makes two changes in personnel, Semi Ajayi and Kyle Joseph replacing Mohamed Belloumi and Joe Gelhardt, and one in formation, Friday’s 4-2-3-1 swapped for a 3-4-2-1.

Teams!

Millwall (4-2-3-1): Patterson; Leonard, Crama, Cooper, Sturge; De Norre, Mazou-Sacko; Azeez, Neghli, Ballo; Coburn. Subs: Crocombe, McNamara, Mitchell, Ivanovic, Doughty, Langstaff, Watson, Cundle, Bannan.

Hull City (3-4-2-1): Pandur; Ajayi, Egan, Hughes; Coyle, Slater, Crooks, Giles; Joseph, Millar; McBurnie. Subs: Phillips, Lundstram, Belloumi, Hirakawa, Gelhardt, Famewo, Dowell, Koumas, McNair.

Referee: Sam Barott (Yorkshire)

Preamble

In 1988-89 and 1989-90, Millwall played in Football League Division 1, the only time in their history they’ve been part of the elite. Since then, they’ve remained in the second and third tiers, spending the last eight seasons zooming between eighth and 13th in the Championship, save for the exhilarating outlier of 2018-19, in which they finished 21st.

All of which makes tonight their biggest game in generations – with, of course, a respectful nod to the 2004 FA Cup final. Even a season in the Premier League can change a club’s future, and we need only look at how well Leeds and Sunderland have performed to see that a coherent strategy can deliver exceptional results.

Alex Neil’s outfit are warm favourites tonight, having won three and drawn two of their last five league games in the process of finishing 10 points above Hull – who limped into the final playoff berth having taken just five in the same period – and one behind promoted Ipswich. A goalless draw at the MKM means they’re now a home win away from Wembley.

At this stage of the season, though, things are rarely that simple. Sergej Jakirovic’s men are rarely shut out and, in Oli McBurnie and Joe Gelhardt, boast the second and sixth top-scorers in the Championship. But though only Middlesbrough and the promoted clubs have conceded fewer goals than Millwall, in no sense can this contest be characterised as attack against defence. The home side will look to go forward and, in Femi Azeez, have an in-form attacker who knows how to score, the clash of styles – one direct and the other expansive – along with a rabid crowd, should deliver us an evening of rare intensity.

Kick-off: 8pm BST

Source link