Good response to take it to Millwall in the end. But all those stats are against a 10-man team (who we also let score on the break). Still our defence letting us down with critical mistakes to make it hard for us. Shame Freeman didn't get that last minute goal. Have to take it as a spirited comeback. But we could have been 5th tonight with a home win, so great opportunity lost - but the team is showing some grit - which we have lacked for some time. Need to make up for it at 'boro this weekend.
It's not his fault though, obviously. It'll be the bad eggs amongst the 14 new players he's brought in. ****ers, ruining his pristine reputation. If this goes on he'll be in a wheelchair by October, and back on the golf course in Spain in November.
It was quite worrying how easily Millwall cut through us when they tried. Fortunately for us they reverted to thuggery. Good spirit from us I guess but we really lacked guile. Why do they drop these supposed Premier refs into our league? The bloke clearly felt the occasion was beneath him and treated both teams with contempt. Once he'd booked Onuoha for a nothing foul he steadily lost the plot and bad tackles flying in from both sides was inevitable. What wasn't inevitable was that ludicrous decision to stop the play when we had a counter attack after allowing play to go on. Utterly clueless throughout.
I suppose getting a draw after being 2 down is not too bad, but I came away disappointed we hadn't won. We just didn't seem to be ourselves in the first half - as if the team were as intimidated by Millwall as the stay-away fans seem to have been - and we were second best until the sending-off. Had it remained 11 v 11, I don't think we'd have got anything out of the game. The introduction of Smith at half-time signalled what was to come, and it was like the Alamo for pretty much the whole half. Given the amount of possession and chances we had, we should have won.
Anyone know what he was doing talking to the 4th official for around 85minute whilst the Millwall player was feigning injury...should have had about 10 minutes extra tine
Really disappointing first half, It was men v boys. We struggled to get the basics right, passing, intensity and pace were all absent. It felt like Saturday but in reverse, Millwall pressed us all over the pitch and didn't allow us to play. Heaven knows what was going through Gregory's mind when he made that two footed over the top challenge on Scowen? One nil up and on top in a London derby high up the pitch with no danger, madness. I wasn't sure at the time that them going down to ten men would be a hindrance or a help. Millwall would surely set themselves up so it would be harder to break them down. Following a mixture of missed chances and fine goalkeeping either side of half time, you got the feeling it wasn't going to be your night. A hapless refereeing display by Mr East from Wiltshire didn't help either. His decision making, managing of the game and the players was at best inconsistent. He decided not to award a free kick for a high challenge on Scowen in the first half which was deserving at least a yellow card. Then in the second half Sylla was about to challenge for a high ball but pulled out of it with his foot about one foot high in the air and bloody Roger the rascal blows up straight away when we were on the attack. The second half was much better when it felt like we were creating chance after chance until they scored their second following some shocking defending. As has been documented elsewhere the goals finally came, we all sighed with relief and came away crestfallen that we didn't win. I feel that we would have if the right amount of added time had been played. Their goalie must've wasted five minutes alone. And a Millwall player never passed on an opportunity to feign injury for the most innocuous reason like blocking a shot for instance. One huge positive from tonight was that like against Hull, we came back. We have some fight and character in this squad. I remember writing on here last season a stat that showed that when we went a goal down we only came back into the game on something like nine in fifty six occasions. One gripe, Pawel get down the wing and take your man on and get a cross in. The amount of times he checked back instead of getting his head down and getting to the bye line. He looked like he lacked confidence tonight.
I find Wsolek very frustrating, He flatters to be a very good player, but too often disappoints. Mind you, he wasn't helped in the first half when Baptiste became a spare man after the sending-off, and pushed up the right wing only to just get in Wsolek's way. After a good performance on Saturday, Baptiste reverted to the player we saw against Brentford.
12600. About 1600 Millwall I'd guess. Smithies made a superb save in the first minute and don't think he could have done anything with the first. Just a great strike. He can't keep them all out. The defending throughout the game was dire.
Think the crowd was about 11,000 Stan....It was quite a nasty night and what with the warnings from the club of only approaching the ground from a certain way...May have put people off. Smithies made about 3 good saves, one point blank in the first 5 minutes to keep us in it. Not sure he could do much with their first...it was a screamer and unexpected....but the second maybe. As I think 999s said...their goalie made a number of outstanding saves whilst continuing to look incompetent....at least twice he parried the ball only just passed our incoming player..Smith in particular twisted nearly in two trying to get a rebound of their goalie that was inches out of his reach....We had 3 off the post/bar....a different night. However if they had kept 11 on the pitch...we would have been hammered as we didn't really have a clue how to handle their high pressing game and huge forwards. When they went down to 10 they bought on a player (34) to play as an extra CD who was twice the size of Smith. Although last night I was disappointed with the point...this morning I realise we got away with one
I thought Robinson had a decent game again, although he was probably at fault for their second goal. Smithies should have saved it, though.
