Millwall v Swansea

K

keith margam

Vital Football Legend
Millwall v Swansea Sunday 04 Jan 15:00

The packed games schedule over Christmas is catching up with us as we prepare to play another away game. The long term injury to Idah, Cullen out for three weeks, both Key and Ronald going off injured yesterday, the extent of which is yet to be assessed, will test the strength of our depleted squad.

After Sunday’s game at Millwall pressure eases as we have a clear week either side of the home cup tie against West Brom to recuperate, before the home game with Birmingham on 17 January.

The Lions Den is always a tough place to go and we have to be wary of their renowned goal scoring capability from set pieces.

Millwall’s last six home games W3 D2 L1 F8 A7, but they are going through a bit of a blip at the moment with their ‘all games form’ over the last six games W1 D3 L2 F4 A7.

Both teams have a similarly low goal scoring record but Millwall don’t lose many games, seven so far this season, and they are only out of a play-off spot on goal difference.

The reverse fixture last September was a 1-1 draw. After an early Vipotnik goal on 12’ their equaliser came on the stroke of half-time 45’+1 from a free-kick to the far post, the ball headed back across goal for Coburn to nod in.

I wrote at the time:

The goal: Cabango beaten in the air by Cooper for the cross to the far post. Cooper heads it back into the goalmouth. Stamenic is marking Coburn, Stamenic and Burgess get in the way of each other and Coburn is able to get between them and head the ball home.

The penalty shout: Cooper (already on a yellow) pull back on Vipotnik to deny him a clear goal scoring opportunity.

Ex-Swan Steven Benda (on loan from Fulham) was on the bench for Millwall’s 0-0 draw at Southampton yesterday.

A draw would be a good result for us.
 
Swans: Lawrence Vigouroux, Ethan Galbraith, Ben Cabango (c), Cameron Burgess, Ishe Samuels-Smith, Jay Fulton, Goncalo Franco, Malick Yalcouye, Ronald, Jisung Eom, Zan Vipotnik

Subs: Andy Fisher, Marko Stamenic, Melker Widell, Josh Tymon, Bobby Wales, Kaelan Casey, Zeidane Inoussa, Ollie Cooper, Sam Parker



Millwall: Max Crocombe, Zak Sturge, Tristan Crama, Jack Cooper (c), Caleb Taylor, Thierno Ballo, Billy Mitchell, Mihailo Ivanovic, Camiel Neghli, Femi Azeez, Macaulay Langstaff

Subs: Steven Benda, Dan McNamara, Alfie Doughty, Ryan Leonard, Aidomo Emakhu, Joe Bryan, Ajay Matthews, Raees Bangura-Williams, Derek Mazou-Sacko
 
0-8 minutes all Millwall, four corners, Swans cannot handle Millwall’s high press
16’ double save from Vigouroux
34’ another double save from Vigouroux
36’ another save from Vigouroux

37’ Ivanovic 1-0 close range shot

Inevitable goal, so one sided it could have been 5-0 by now.
Samuels-Smith weak link at left-back, not stopping any crosses from Azeem who beats him every time, Eom trying to cover him is just as bad. Galbraith not much better the other side.
Swans outclassed except for the odd foray on the break, a few chances wasted.
Seven corners to one and numerous top saves from Vigouroux

HT: 1-0 thanks only to Vigouroux

Stop the crosses! No changes start of second-half
 
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Would you believe it!
47’ corner from Eom, headed on by Franco, Cabango taps it home at the far post

47’ 1-1 Cabango

53’ all Swansea so far, Franco playing higher up
58’ Tymon on Smith off, Widell on Yalcouye off
61’ almost an own goal from Fulton, Vigouroux dives full stretch to save
72’ short corner, Fulton shoots, Crocombe saves, Burgess skies his shot.
73’ Stamenic on, Eom off
75’ Cabango gives the ball away, Mitchell shoots over the bar
77’ Widell shoots high over the bar
84’ cross from the right, Taylor heads in, Vigouroux full stretch saves it
87’ Wales on, Vipotnik off
90’ Tymon corner doesn’t pass the first man and cleared

91’ The giant Taylor jumps above poor Stamenic at the far post to head home, another capitulation at the death by the Swans, how many games have we done that this season.

91’ 2-1 Taylor
94’ full time

FT: 2-1

Bitterly disappointing result after that valiant comeback

Always beware of the giant Millwall players in the air and so it proved
 
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Going into injury time at 1-1 with a corner ourselves we should be holding on there but a gutter blow at the end.

We rode our luck far too much in the first half. It was a lethargic display, lack of energy and front foot pressing and we can't see to cope, similar to WBA at home but not as full on and for as long compared to today. (Think WBA away for a better comparison)

We've got to find ways to stop these waves of attacks from opposition away from home. Millwall should have been out of sight by HT.
 
VitalSwansea said:
Going into injury time at 1-1 with a corner ourselves we should be holding on there but a gutter blow at the end.

We rode our luck far too much in the first half. It was a lethargic display, lack of energy and front foot pressing and we can't see to cope, similar to WBA at home but not as full on and for as long compared to today. (Think WBA away for a better comparison)

We've got to find ways to stop these waves of attacks from opposition away from home. Millwall should have been out of sight by HT.
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It’s strange because we’ve played short corners at the end of games at home recently and tried to keep the ball in the corner. Not sure why we haven’t done it today.

We have had periods like against West Brom where we absorb huge amounts of pressure while looking relatively solid for the rest of games. That West Brom home game was particularly odd because they suddenly looked brilliant despite not doing much for 60 minutes.

We’ve still got a long way to go under Matos, I think it’ll take some time for us to fully adapt to his methods.
 
Their two giant centre-backs Cooper and Taylor are always involved in goals against us. Millwall are renowned for their set piece dominance in the air and we couldn’t handle it.
Another point, Millwall had three out of the four of their games over the holiday period at home. Swans had three out of the four games away. How unfair is that. No wonder we looked jaded and they looked fresh.
We tried to alleviate the burn-out by utilising the squad, it didn’t work. Both full-backs, especially Samuels-Smith were beaten almost every time and our centre-backs were dominated in the air when the crosses came in. Only Vigouroux stood between us and a hiding.
We can’t say that Millwall didn’t deserve to win but ultimately we were so close to snatching a draw.
 
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With Cabango at 6’2” and Burgess at 6’4” they shouldn’t have been beaten in the air so easily yesterday.

Our coaching team were aware of Millwall’s big team stature but why wasn’t Kaelan Casey 6’1” utilised at all yesterday and Marko Stamenic 6’2” only coming on after 73 minutes. At one stage Galbraith 5’9” was marking Cooper 6’5” with the Swans zonal marking.

Millwall’s centre-backs Caleb Taylor 6’4” and Jake Cooper 6’5” plus nine of their squad over six foot, set pieces are their forte and result in most of their goals being scored directly or indirectly through their aerial ability.

Their tricky wingers, especially Azeez, had our full backs in their pockets, and were able to supply the countless crosses into the box first-half.

Stamenic 6’2” must have been caught ball watching when he allowed Taylor 6’4” to climb all over him at the far post for the injury time winner.
 
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