Millwall v Middlesbrough Preview: home is where the Lions’ heart is

Steve Morison – mirror.co.uk

Just when Millwall looked on a dangerous downward curve, they plucked four points out of the air against top six contenders Sheffield United and Aston Villa.

They were deserved 3-1 winners against the Blades, too. Neil Harris, whose biggest critics deem him a one-dimensional coach wedded to 4-4-2, showed the adaptability to match his opponents up with 3-5-2, leading to an impressive second half.

Lee Gregory, who sharply struck the opener early on, showed typical grit to steal the ball and tee up marauding right-back Romeo to put the Lions back in front, before Jake Cooper’s late header crossed the line.

Gregory also looked a threat in the goalless draw at Villa Park the following week, but he, partner Steve Morison and wide man Jed Wallace were all denied by an opposing goalkeeper in fine form.

The South Bermondsey outfit have taken nine points from six against top eight opposition, losing only to Wolves. That doesn’t bode too well for Middlesbrough, who are yet to hit the heights expected of them.

They have put in three clinical performances away from home: the back-to-back October wins at Reading and Hull and the Adama Traore master-class at Bolton back in September. Apart from that, they have allowed other teams to control games when on the road.

In recent trips to Bristol City and Leeds, they only started playing once they were two-goals down and had drawn away to some middling teams before then. For the most expensively-assembled second-tier outfit of all time, that seems a little underwhelming.

Middlesbrough will hope that they found the right formula in last week’s 2-0 win at Ipswich. Patrick Bamford’s intelligence came to the fore in the 10 role behind Britt Assombalonga and in Jonny Howson and Grant Leadbitter, they may have discovered their most dynamic midfield pairing.

Monk has pragmatic outlook though which while not always a bad thing, can sometimes disrupt fluency and confidence generated by a win. Assombalonga will have to work hard to stretch home centre-backs Cooper and Shaun Hutchinson, who have shipped just seven goals in nine when partnered together.

At the other end, Boro will have to be prepared for the long balls to Morison and the target man’s aerial battles with Ben Gibson and Daniel Ayala could be a deciding factor in the game.

However, Millwall also have players capable of playing off Morison with some quality. George Saville has already chipped in with six goals this season while winger Wallace cuts inside with intent and energy, forming a strong right-sided pairing with Romeo.

The Lions play with real intensity at home and could be too much to handle for the underperforming Boro.

The Football Lab’s Verdict: 1-0