Season Preview 2012/13: Millwall

Vital Watford take peak into the Lion’s Den

SINCE RETURNING to the Championship under the guidance of Watford legend Kenny Jackett, Millwall have scarcely threatened the top-half of the table. However, with another season at this level in the bag, the Lions will be in search of a fourth consecutive season in the Championship.

The resources at the South London club aren’t enormous, but through shrewd spending Jackett has been able to knit together a useful squad.

As well as Jackett, there are a number of other ex-Hornets plying their trade with the Lions nowadays including full-back Jack Smith, defender Darren Ward, striker Darius Henderson as well as trialist Danny Shittu.

Strengths: Continuity. It’s much the same squad as last year for Jackett, and whilst that might be more indicative of the fact the former midfielder has been unable to secure new faces, there is a steady little unit growing at the club with Jackett overseeing five seasons at the helm now.

Weakness’: Over-reliance on Henderson and Andy Keogh.

With 15 and 10 league goals respectively last season, Henderson and Keogh were easily the club’s two highest scorers. It might be a good thing to have two men on double-figures, but when the next highest scorer was Harry Kane (a loanee), followed by Liam Feeney with just five, there have to be concerns.

Best business so far: Chris Taylor from Oldham Athletic.

The flame-haired winger has been hot property for ages and has taken his time in making the step up to the second-tier. However, Taylor is still just 25 years of age and should fill the creative void left by ex-‘Orn, Hameur Bouazza.

In seven years at Boundary Park, Taylor made 254 appearances for the Latics, scoring 33 goals.

Star man: Henderson. Last season’s 19-goal top-socrer in all competitions will be crucial once more.

A handful for any defender, the 30 year-old targetman crashed in three hat-tricks last season as well as breaking the 100 goal mark.

Powerful, strong, and frightening in the air, Henderson will need to repeat last season’s heroics to keep the Lions up.

In: Chris Taylor (Oldham Athletic) free, Maik Taylor (Leeds Utd) free, Karleigh Osborne (Brentford) free & Scott Malone (Bournemouth) player + £750k.

Out: Chris Hackett & Jordan Stewart (both released), Josh McQuoid (Bournemouth) player swap, Hameur Bouazza (Omonia Nicosia) free transfer & Tony Craig (Brentford) free.

Prediction:

wfc123: Good enough to survive last season, but with no sides who stand out as appalling this year, Millwall are a side I’m tipping to go down. Jackett is a good manager and I’d like to see them survive but in reality, they are weaker than most.

chrisgwfc: A quiet summer so far at a time when they may have looked to bring in a few players to freshen up a squad that suffered from second season syndrome last term. Their home for let them down last season and if it does again they will struggle to keep their place in this division.