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And for balance, here’s some classic Hull.
Some lovely goals in this game, from Millwall’s only top-division stint.
Also going on:
I’m a little surprised Gelhardt’s been left out tonight. My guess is that Jakirovic fancies using him later in the match, against tired legs – especially with the prospect of extra time.
Naturally, I’m entirely impartial. But if I weren’t, I’d be finding it hard to root for perhaps the worst chant in football – and it’s a crowded field.
So, why the change? My sense is that Jakirovic wants to make it harder for Millwall to penetrate the centre, hence a three at the back with the intention of forcing them to go around the outside, while the two men in behind McBurnie should be harder to pick up now their roles are freer.
Neil keeps the same Millwall XI; Jakirovic makes two changes in personnel, Semi Ajayi and Kyle Joseph replacing Mohamed Belloumi and Joe Gelhardt, and one in formation, Friday’s 4-2-3-1 swapped for a 3-4-2-1.
Teams!
Millwall (4-2-3-1): Patterson; Leonard, Crama, Cooper, Sturge; De Norre, Mazou-Sacko; Azeez, Neghli, Ballo; Coburn. Subs: Crocombe, McNamara, Mitchell, Ivanovic, Doughty, Langstaff, Watson, Cundle, Bannan.
Hull City (3-4-11): Pandur; Ajayi, Egan, Hughes; Coyle, Slater, Crooks, Giles; Joseph, Millar; McBurnie. Subs: Phillips, Lundstram, Belloumi, Hirakawa, Gelhardt, Famewo, Dowell, Koumas, McNair.
Referee: Sam Barott (Yorkshire)
Preamble
In 1988-89 and 1989-90, Millwall played in Football League Division 1, the only time in their history they’ve been part of the elite. Since then, they’ve remained in the second and third tiers, spending the last eight seasons zooming between eighth and 13th in the Championship, save for the exhilarating outlier of 2018-19, in which they finished 21st.
All of which makes tonight their biggest game in generations – with, of course, a respectful nod to the 2004 FA Cup final. Even a season in the Premier League can change a club’s future, and we need only look at how well Leeds and Sunderland have performed to see that a coherent strategy can deliver exceptional results.
Alex Neil’s outfit are warm favourites tonight, having won three and drawn two of their last five league games in the process of finishing 10 points above Hull – who limped into the final playoff berth having taken just five in the same period – and one behind promoted Ipswich. A goalless draw at the MKM means they’re now a home win away from Wembley.
At this stage of the season, though, things are rarely that simple. Sergej Jakirovic’s men are rarely shut out and, in Oli McBurnie and Joe Gelhardt, boast the second and sixth top-scorers in the Championship. But though only Middlesbrough and the promoted clubs have conceded fewer goals than Millwall, in no sense can this contest be characterised as attack against defence. The home side will look to go forward and, in Femi Azeez, have an in-form attacker who knows how to score, the clash of styles – one direct and the other expansive – along with a rabid crowd, should deliver us an evening of rare intensity.
Kick-off: 8pm BST
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