Millwall
Odds: 14/1
Last Five Seasons
2005/06 - 23 (Championship, Relegated), 2004/05 - 10 (Championship), 2003/04 - 10 (Championship), 2002/03 - 9 (Championship), 2001/02 - 4 (Championship).
2005/06 Cup Progress
FA Cup Third Round (replay) vs Everton (a) - lost 1-0.
Carling Cup Fourth Round vs Birmingham City (h) - lost 4-3 on penalties with the score at 2-2 after extra time.
Top Goal Scorer 2005/06: Ben May (striker) - 11 goals.
Players In
Adam Cottrell (Charlton Athletic - Free), Gavin Grant (Gillingham - Free), Darren Byfield (Gillingham - Free), Leonard Pidgeley (Chelsea - Free), Zak Whitbread (Liverpool - Free), Filipe Morais (Chelsea - Free), Derek McInnes (Dundee United - Free), Tom Brighton (Clyde - Free), Richard Shaw (Coventry City - Free), Chris Day (Oldham Athletic - Free)
Players Out
Andy Marshall (Coventry City - Free), Curtis Weston (Swindon Town - Free), Josh Simpson (Released), Trevor Robinson (Released), Joe Healy (Released), Carl Asaba (Released), Sammy Igoe (Released), Carlos Fangueiro (Released), Berry Powell (Released).
Millwall surprisingly crashed out of the Championship last season following several seasons as a solid top 10 side and even secured a place in Europe during the 2004/05 campaign after reaching the FA Cup final. Amazingly, the Lions went through five managers last season as the club attempted to halt the slide into League One, with Steve Claridge, Colin Lee, David Tuttle, Alan McLeary and Tony Burns all have ill-fated short stints in the hot seat.
Nigel Spackman, after nearly five years out of management takes charge for the new season and wholesale changes have been made to the playing staff. At the time of writing, Spackman has bought 10 new players and shipped out nine as he attempts to return to the second tier at the first time of asking.
Gillingham's top goal scorer last season, Darren Byfield, left the Kent outfit to join Millwall on a two year contract. The former Aston Villa, Rotherham United and Sunderland striker finished the season as top scorer with 14 goals despite missing several weeks through suspensions and injury.
Veterans Richard Shaw, after nearly 11 years at Coventry City and former West Bromwich Albion midfielder Derek McInnes, who joined on a free transfer from Dundee United, will add experience to the squad, while the club are also taking a chance on Scotland under 21 international striker Tom Brighton. The former Rangers trainee scored nine goals for Clyde last season and helped to knock giants Celtic out of the Scottish Cup in January.
Verdict
What Millwall need is stability and consistency following the shambles of last season. Spackman has brought plenty of quality to the club and if they can gel quickly then a play off place, pushing for an automatic promotion spot, is not out of the question. |
