Millwall

Millwall manager Alex Neil says their recent run of results is "not a fair reflection" of what the club has achieved in the Championship this season.

The Lions have won one of their past five games (D2 L2) and suffered back-to-back home league defeats for the first time since August in losses to Blackburn and Norwich.

But Millwall are just two points behind second-placed Ipswich - who have a game in hand - in the race for automatic promotion and are one win away from all but securing a second-tier play-off spot for the first time since 2002.

"The fact that we are where we are with four games to go, I think is a bigger reflection on how well the lads have done," Neil told BBC Radio London before welcoming QPR to The Den on Saturday.

"Do we want to be in really good form getting into these [final] four games? Absolutely. But I think as the Championship shows everyone, games are unpredictable."

Neil said there was "nothing to be negative about" and pointed to the fact Millwall have won 21 of their 42 league games this season, as well as recording their best points tally since their run to the play-offs 24 years ago.

"I think it's overwhelmingly positive for where we're sitting and how we're looking at the remaining matches," he said.

"The only team in the league that's won more games than us this year is the team that's going to win the title.

"So this whole 'who would you rather play? Are we in a bad spot? Do we need to fix home form?' I don't want to hear any of that. As far as we're concerned, we're in a really good spot."

Should Millwall fall short of the top two, Neil said competing in the play-offs would still be "a brilliant thing".

"There might be elation at the end of it, there might be disappointment, but that's why we're all involved," he added.

"Would you rather sit 12th and bore yourself to death in the remaining fixtures? No.

"So let's enjoy it, let's look forward to it, let's live in the moment, stop worrying about what might happen and let's get on with it and support each other."

Image source, Getty Images

Millwall have triggered a one-year extension on midfielder Casper De Norre's contract.

The Belgian joined the Lions in 2023 and has made more than 100 appearances since, including 25 in the Championship this season.

"I've always said I love it here and I'm really happy to be here," the 29-year-old said in a club statement.

"To play for this football club, to live in London and to be able to do that for another year is something I am very proud of."

Third-placed Millwall go into Saturday's London derby having only picked up one win in their past five Championship outings.

That dip in form has seen the Lions slip two points adrift of second-placed Ipswich.

But a win here would push Alex Neil's side up into the automatic promotion spots with the Tractor Boys hosting Middlesborough on Sunday.

QPR, who sit 11th in the Championship, make the journey across London having drawn their past two games and are 10 points off the play-offs before Saturday's (12:30 BST) kick-off.

• Millwall have won four of their past six league games against QPR (D1 L1) and are looking to complete the double over the Hoops for the first time since 1988-89.

• QPR have lost their past two league games against Millwall, last having a longer losing run against them between 1937 and 1953 (4).

• Millwall have only won one of their past five Championship games (D2 L2), after winning four in a row prior to this run. They've also lost their past two home league games, last losing three in a row in November 2023.

• QPR are unbeaten in their past five Championship matches (W3 D2) and could equal their longest run without defeat under Julien Stephan (six between August and October 2025).

• Femi Azeez has been directly involved in 15 goals in the Championship this season (eight goals, seven assists). Six of his seven assists have been from open play, with Jed Wallace in 2019-20 (seven) the last Millwall player to make more than six open play assists in a Championship campaign.

Image source, Shutterstock

On Tuesday, we asked for your thoughts on Millwall's automatic promotion hopes and if you would be happy with a play-off spot.

The Lions are two points behind second-placed Ipswich, who have a game in hand, with four matches still to play.

Alex Neil's side are in a cluster of four teams from second to fifth separated by just three points.

Here are a selection of your responses:

Mark: Automatic promotion is still within our reach, with the games that Ipswich and Middlesbrough have compared to ours, we have on paper the easiest run-in. But we all know how much teams can come unstuck like we did against Norwich and WBA.

Harry: Think we've overachieved too much this season and feeling the effect these last few games. Southampton to go up instead.

Bob: 9 points from 4 games could see us finish second, but I'm ecstatic with a play-off place. It's been a great season already and who knows what awaits us.

Paul: There will be more twists and turns to this. Southampton have got a cup semi-final to think of, so a nice distraction for them. This weekend is a pivotal one for all of the teams.

Darren: My heart says auto promotion. Alex Neil has done a fantastic job. I was there in 1987/88 when Johnny Docherty and big Frank [McLintock} did the impossible. Oh how I want those times back again. These are brave Lions but head says play-offs and we fear no foe for the top 6. Come on you Lions, do us proud.

Kevin: Half of me would love promotion, half dreads us getting mauled and spat out. Automatic promotion really depends on other results. We just need to keep going. I think we are a great Championship side, with only a few players capable of playing in the Prem. Let's hope my fears are not realised.

Lewis: I never in my wildest dreams believed we would be competing for an automatic place. When you look at the quality of teams who've missed out in previous seasons, it's remarkable to see us there on merit and outcompeting lots of really good clubs.

Finishing 6th in the Championship has been El Dorado ever since I can remember, never mind finishing second. I am extremely proud of the Lions no matter where we finish.

Do I think we can still make second place? I think we are in the best position besides Ipswich. Ipswich will drop points but we have to win four successive games which is not easy in this division.

Dan: It has been an incredible season with so many players performing well and Alex Neil really stepping up and proving himself a very good manager at this level. To be in with a realistic chance of a top two finish is something I did not think possible, but we have shown huge resilience and no shortage of skill to get there.

Ultimately, I think we'll finish just short to Ipswich but with a great chance in the play-offs where we have a decent record over the last 20 years. One final push in these last four games and you never know. Millwall in the Premier League - I think many neutrals would love to see that. I would after supporting them for 45 years.

Richard: I have been a fan of the Lions since I was 17. I am now 89 and what a joy to see them in a lovely position. Please don't let me down.

How are you feeling, Millwall fans?

You've popped your head above the dotted line for automatic promotion but a run of five points from five games has seen you overhauled.

Now looks like a four-way fight for second place with Ipswich, Millwall, fast-finishing Southampton, and Middlesbrough separated by just three points.

The Lions can jump back into the top two on Saturday lunchtime when QPR head to The Den (12:30 BST), but there's a big game between Ipswich and Middlesbrough on Sunday (12:00) to come, and the Tractor Boys will also visit Southampton in the penultimate game of the season.

So what do you think you need from your final four games? QPR and Stoke look to be on the beach while Leicester and Oxford are likely to be scrapping for their lives in their final two outings.

Is the door for automatic promotion still open, or would a play-off place be reward enough for a fine season?

Click here to have your say.

Nick Hart
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Despite what proved to be a valuable away point at the Hawthorns last Friday night, the sense of missing out on the automatic second spot in the Championship was strong amongst many online Millwall fans over the weekend.

Wrongly, I would argue.

Unfortunately, once again a series of missed chances by the Lions, combined with promotion fatigue, meant that the side were clinging on by the late stages of the game.

Indeed it needed a late save by on-loan keeper Anthony Patterson to preserve the draw for Millwall.

That said, the weekend's other results increasingly put Millwall in a stronger position for post-season play-off football - which is in itself no mean achievement.

Certainly as gaffer Alex Neil said post match, if you'd have offered that to most Lions fans back in August, they'd have accepted with enthusiasm.

Myself included.

Although nothing is done and dusted yet, the planning for the play-off semi-finals will probably begin discreetly at The Den after Saturday's home derby fixture versus QPR onwards.

Certainly, Ipswich Town will be bitterly disappointed if they miss out on second place, given the games in hand that they currently hold.

Play-offs it is then.

Football of course rarely offers a sense of perspective but as much as some might feel deflated by settling for the Championship play-offs, this remains a huge achievement by Alex Neil and this squad.

An exciting finish that has eluded Millwall for 25 years since the 2001-02 season awaits and the possibility of the big-time next season.

Find more from Nick Hart on Achtung! Millwall, external

Millwall boss Alex Neil spoke to BBC Radio London following the goalless Championship draw at West Brom.

"I thought first half we had the better of the game, in terms of clear-cut chances we should score at least one. Josh Coburn's chance is the best of the game," he said.

"We struggled to keep the ball at the top end of the pitch the last 20 or 30 minutes of the game and couldn't muster enough opportunities to win it. I thought if we were going to win it, it would be in the first half if we got the first goal.

"Like I said to the lads afterwards, if you can't win it, just make sure you don't lose it."

Image source, Getty Images

The EFL has announced the fixtures for the 2026-27 season will be published at midday on Thursday, 25 June.

The first-round draws for the Carabao Cup and the Vertu Trophy will be made on the same day.

The new season will kick off on the weekend of August 7-9 with the first round of the Carabao Cup, and the opening fixtures in the Championship, League One and League Two will follow a week later on 14-16 August.

The first round of the Vertu Trophy will be played in the week commencing 21 September.

Image source, EFL

Millwall striker Josh Coburn has been named the Championship's player of the month for March.

The 23-year-old scored three goals last month as the Lions won two, drew one and lost one of their four matches.

Coburn scored the winning goal against Derby and an important equaliser at promotion rivals Ipswich with his tally for the season currently standing at nine.

It is the second successive month a Millwall player has won the award with winger Femi Azeez taking the February prize.

West Brom defender George Campbell, Southampton goalkeeper Daniel Peretz and Derby defender Matt Clarke were also nominated.

Millwall visit West Brom on Friday night (20:00 BST).

Image source, Getty Images

Oxford United's Matt Bloomfield, Tonda Eckert of Southampton, West Brom interim boss James Morrison and Coventry's Frank Lampard have all been nominated for the March Championship manager of the month award.

Bloomfield led Oxford to seven points from their four games last month to give them hope of avoiding relegation from the Championship, while Eckert's Southampton went unbeaten in March - and won at leaders Coventry.

Morrison was handed the task of lifting West Brom clear of the bottom three and took eight points from an unbeaten four-game run.

Coventry have continued their charge towards the Premier League, with Lampard overseeing three wins and just that one blemish in the defeat by Southampton.

Southampton goalkeeper Daniel Peretz and West Brom defender George Campbell are nominated for the player of the month award along with Millwall striker Josh Coburn and Derby defender Matt Clarke.

The winners of both awards will be announced on Friday morning.

Image source, Opta

There's a big game to begin the Championship weekend as relegation-battling West Bromwich Albion welcome promotion-chasing Millwall to The Hawthorns on Friday night (20:00 BST).

Albion are one of the division's form teams, unbeaten in six, claiming 10 points, and with three clean sheets in their past four games.

That run has hauled Albion up to 20th, four points and two places above third-bottom Leicester with five games remaining.

The points are potentially just as precious for the Lions who lie fourth, outside the automatic promotion places on goal difference, though having played two games more than second-placed Ipswich going into this game.

Monday's home defeat to Norwich was a second straight at The Den but Alex Neil's men have only lost back-to-back league games once this season, and that came in December.

• West Brom are winless in their past nine league games against Millwall (D6 L3) since a 2-0 away win in February 2020.

• Following their 3-0 win in October, Millwall are looking to complete the league double over West Brom for the first time since 2001-02.

• Since the start of March, West Bromwich Albion are one of only three sides unbeaten in the Championship (W2 D4), along with Southampton and Ipswich. They've also faced the fewest shots on target (12) and have the lowest xG faced (5.3) in that time.

• Millwall spent three days in 2nd place in early April but are now 4th. In total – up to the night of 9 April – the Lions have ended 168 days in the play-off positions in 2025-26, 43 more than any other Championship side.

• No side have won more away points in the Championship this season than Millwall (36), winning 10 of their 20 games on the road (D6 L4). They last won more than 10 away league games in a season in 2015-16 in League One (11), and have never done so in the top-two tiers of English football.

Nick Hart
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

From Good Friday's heroic win at promotion rivals Middlesbrough to Easter Monday's disappointing home loss to form side Norwich, life with the Lions is never dull.

Let's start with the good news. The second-half performance at the Riverside Stadium was one of the grittiest that I've seen from a Millwall side in a very long time.

Despite the Lions being up against it for the bulk of the match, the story of the day belonged to two-goal ace Josh Coburn, combined of course with a series of top-class blocks and saves by the defensive back line.

Three huge points won that (briefly, it turned out) put Millwall into the prized automatic second spot.

A position that lasted until Monday afternoon, when a very fatigued and 'leggy' looking Millwall side came up short against a strong Norwich City.

I read online that the Canaries were able to rotate five fresh players into their starting XI at The Den from Friday's match - and it must be said that they were the faster and more energetic side.

Despite getting in front via a Mihailo Ivanovic header early in the second half, the hard truth is that Millwall looked jaded compared with Norwich, who ran out deserved winners on the day.

No rest in the hectic Championship, however, as the Lions travel to West Bromwich Albion this Friday night.

Does the Championship promotion race still have more twists and turns in it?

A win at The Hawthorns looks like a 'must' if Millwall are to stay competitive for second place.

Fingers crossed.

Find more from Nick Hart on Achtung! Millwall, external

Millwall head coach Alex Neil told BBC Radio London "nothing is going to be decided yet" after their 1-0 home defeat by Norwich City saw them drop out of the Championship top two.

"We lost Billy Mitchell prior to the game. And I don't think we did well enough in the first half, with Norwich turning the ball over too cheaply, and they had the better chances to score the first goal.

"I had to do something at half-time to try and get us a foothold in the game. I went two up top, and was always concerned with getting more energy in the middle of the pitch.

"We put so much into the Middlebrough win, and if you look at the second goal, we got run off it in the middle area, and that is what cost us the game.

"All the games at this stage of the season are physically and emotionally tough because there is so much riding on them.

"We're not going to win every game. Although today is disappointing and frustrating, even if we'd got a result nothing is going to be decided yet.

"It's going to go to the wire and we've got to just stay in there."

Manager Alex Neil says Millwall's ability to stay in games is one of the biggest reasons they are fighting for promotion to the Premier League.

After being second best for the first half away to Middlesbrough and trailing 1-0, they roared back after the interval as Josh Coburn scored twice to push the Lions up to second.

It came after they fought back in the second half away to another promotion contender in Ipswich Town to claim a point in their last game.

And it means they have a genuine chance of securing top flight football for the first time since 1990.

"We were never coming to come here and pop Middlesbrough off the pitch," Neil told BBC Radio London. "We're not that type of team.

"They're that type of team and I thought at times they were excellent at it. They're a really good side but what we are is even when we're not playing well, we stay in games.

"What we can do when we get our foot on the ball and show a little bit of composure is we can create opportunities and score goals because we've got guys at the top end of the pitch that can finish.

"And I thought today when the chances came along, we took them."