United – It was another nervy, disjointed performance. It is devastating to let a goal in so late and throw away three points but in truth it had been coming and Millwall deserved the point. They had lots more chances than us over the game for the last 20 minutes there was only one side in it and we sat back, defended and they had a number of chances. We sat off, did not stop the ball coming into our box and were right on top of the keeper. We had a let off for the penalty but were not so lucky at the death. Make no mistake it had been coming. Henderson made 3 or 4 saves even outside of the penalty. United never got going from the start really and save for a spell for 5-10 minutes second half, we never attacked, did not create many clear chances and looked a tired, meek side that did not quite show the belief needed. Millwall are a poor side but they sensed we were going further and further back and made us pay for this approach.
United were the better side first half but we did not create anything of note at all and it was very pedestrian. McGoldrick tried to get us going and had one decent chance he made himself but outside of his nothing happened, as we did not make anything happen. Millwall defended deep but we did not penetrate and it was all so slow and deliberate. We never moved it at tempo and never got our wing backs really into the last third. Basham went off injured and we opted to go for Madine and another striker. This was odd as it seemed the whole planning and ethos of what we do was changed for a more of a gung-ho attack. It became even more disjointed after this and half time 0-0 was right. They had not attacked at all but were happy with how it was going.
Second half we seemed to up the tempo and Fleck surged forward and made a goal with a great run. After this we had another decent spell and you felt we could go for it but it never really happened. They put another striker on and started to pen us back. Sharp went off injured and we became really disjointed. We went back to a 5 and then the ball kept coming back at us. The big lads won headers and they had lots of corners we managed to see out.
We got to the last 10 minutes but they started to really throw men forward and we sat back deeper and deeper. Henderson made a few good saves and then disaster as they got the penalty as the ball would have gone in. After this miss, you felt we would get new belief but it never happened. Even after this we sat back and never pressed the ball and they had more chances and finally one went in after another save from Henderson and we did not react. We got what we deserved. People can mention the possibly foul on McGoldrick but they could have scored long before this. We did not keep the ball, sat back and panicked. We basically played well for about 10 minutes in 90 and that is not enough.
It was a nervous performance and one where we lacked energy. We looked so tired long before the penalty/late goal. Norwood was sitting right on the defence. We ended up with Madine almost as one up and McGoldrick in midfield and looked a long way off a promotion team and looked quite a ragged, desperate crew. Players were blowing out of their behinds a long time before the end of the game and with two key men off injured and the red card, we looked all over the place. McGoldrick and maybe Stevens were the only two who kept their standards; maybe Henderson. The defence did not win the key headers when it mattered but the whole team invited pressure.
When we beat Brentford, we mostly kept out shape, discipline and shape against a better team. Today Millwall were just lumping balls into our box but we could not handle it at all and they got all the loose stuff and came again. I was really disappointed how we saw out the game and we never looked composed at all. We looked a long way off a promotion side and it reminded me a bit of the side that was dead on its feet around February/March last season – I have felt this way since the international break and the high intensity football and adventurous approach seems to have gone and we are now not seeing that risk and reward football we saw until a few months ago.
People will talk about tactics, or formations or subs but for me when you have 5 or 6 players off the game as they have been for the last 3 or 4 games, it is hard to win games. Sharp has not really been at it the last few weeks and the midfield have not won battles. This puts a lot of pressure on the defence and has meant lots of chances. The last four games the other team has made Henderson work much harder than their own keeper. Today, they had 7 shots to our 2 and the only other one we had was a McGoldrick one that was comfortable. The keeper did not have one save to make outside of that and can barely recall us having any shots or efforts all game. I felt for McGoldrick today who at times was having to almost play them on their own.
Now we have Egan missing for a game and possibly Sharp/Basham out for a while too. People will say do not overreact and we are still in it, but today was pretty disastrous on all fronts. We did not win the game, played poorly and lost possibly 3 key men. Leeds won their game and now we really need to win every game really and at the moment don’t look like going on the run that we had done a few months ago. I hope Wilder is right and we see a different team to the usual United team that wilt under pressure but the last few we have not been good enough which is a shame as we got in a great position. We still have four games to play but you sense today being a huge turning point.
We have now let in two very late goals at Villa and today that have cost us 4 points with almost the last kicks of the game. We have let in a few late goals to lose points this year – Stoke at home another that stands out and going the other way other than Norwich at home, I can’t recall too many late winners for us in the last minute or stoppage time? That worries me as traditionally a promotion team gets lots of late goals as Leeds and Norwich have done this season; and does not concede many at this stage.
When the goal went in, I felt the same as when Kuqi scored against Oldham a few years ago and you sensed what a moment it was. Gutted tonight. No point dressing it up really. It was a huge opportunity missed.
Millwall – For 60 minutes they defended and did it well. They restricted us to barely a chance, defended in numbers and kept it tight. They were comfortable really as they made us try and go through them or around them and we managed neither. Second half we upped the tempo and we struggled and they conceded. Like the game last season, this was the chance for us to go for the jugular. We never did and they slowly improved. They made changes and started penning us back. It was basic route one stuff looking for the big lads but it worked. They had 2 or 3 chances and then missed a penalty but kept going and still attacked and attacked. The goal was their just rewards for really going for it. The last 20-25 minutes it was all them really in terms of play and chances and they looked more like the home/promotion side. They will stay up as they have enough fight and the rather direct approach will yield them goals/points. They have some decent ball players and it must be frustrating playing in such a direct side If you are decent on the ball but their up and at me approach will probably help them stay in the division but also stop them going much higher than where they are. I always felt today would be tough and so proved. We should have the quality to move them about and create but we never did and they kept in the game and then came with a really good end. Well done to them. To be honest it would have been a travesty if they had not got anything as they battered us for the final period of the game.
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Opponent man of the match – The lad Cooper is a giant and can see why teams are looking at him. Scored the goal and played well. He headed and cleared things all game. Leonard was hard working and marked Duffy out of the game and for the final stages of the game he was tireless and chased everything. I felt Gregory was not really in it but the big lad who came on Elliott caused us all sorts of problems and won most headers.
Weak link – Attacking wise Thompson and Wallace did not really get in the game until the closing stages. Tunnicliffe is a player that has not gone on from the potential he showed at Man Utd, and was poor today. I also felt we did not get at the full backs at all and they had an easy ride and I think both are weak defensively. The keeper was not tested at all.