How much more decisive can you be?
With seven games left in the Championship season, Millwall currently sit in fourth place, two points behind second-placed Middlesbrough.
They head to Riverside for a lunchtime kickoff.
There’s no doubt that they’ll be in the playoffs whether they lose or draw, but it’s not something to laugh at considering this is the Lions’ highest league position in 32 years.
But victory? They move up to 2nd place with 3 points. To some extent, their fate will be in their own hands with six games remaining.
Ipswich are not playing until Monday, so they will be watching from third place knowing they have two games left before playing again.
Good Friday is literally life or death for Millwall and their hopeless promotion push.
Some managers may use the underdog tag as motivation for their players. But Alex Neil has no interest in seeing his team as plucky upstarts.
“We don’t like the narrative of old Millwall punching above their weight and doing rubbish,” Neil said ahead of the final game against Ipswich.
“For me personally, I have never used the term ‘old-school Millwall’. I would never say that to the players because it would belittle who we are and what we are trying to do. As far as I am concerned, we are as competitive as anyone. We are working within the resources that we have.”
“I don’t like people who talk down to me and say I’m a loser. I don’t like nonsense like, ‘If I could do that, it would be a miracle and I’m really lucky to be here.’
“If you want to be there, if you want to be competitive, if you want to win, you have to believe you should be there, and we believe we should.”
Friday, April 3rd 12pm
12:30pm kickoff
It’s an opinion that holds true this season as well. The top two spots are currently occupied by Coventry and Middlesbrough, who have been away from the Premier League for a combined 34 years.
Ipswich have the luxury of parachute wealth and depth in their squad, but it’s still easy to forget the fact that they were in League One just three years ago.
Given the changes to the play-offs coming into effect next season, and the clubs coming down from the Premier League, it could be a very different playing field at the top of the tree.
For Millwall, it’s not right now, and it never will be, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
“If Millwall win at Riverside things will be very different.”
“If they win at Middlesbrough, you have to take them seriously,” Andy Hinchcliffe said on the Sky Sports Essential podcast.
“But they need to win at this stage to keep their top two hopes alive. I don’t believe they can win, but they performed well in Ipswich and got the points. If they win at Riverside, things will be very different.”
“I thought they were going to be down and be a playoff team at best, but they’re competing seriously. Their consistency has been incredible and the January signings are helping.”
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The Sky Sports Essential EFL Podcast covers the promotion race in the Championship.
And they are coming up against a Middlesbrough side who have been stagnant of late, especially at home.
Boro occupy second place but are without a win in three games. They were also winless in their last four games at Riverside, scoring just two goals in that span despite taking 94 shots.
Former Boro defender Tommy Smith, who now works as a loan manager on Kim Helberg’s staff, believes nerves are high on Teeside and perspective is needed.
“The results of the last few games haven’t been what the club wanted, but it’s really important to have a bit of perspective at this stage of the season,” he said on the Sky Sports Essential EFL Podcast.
“To take that back, Middlesbrough are second in the league after 39 games and I think everyone at the club thought that at the start of the season.
“Now is not the time to panic. The holidays are a good time to take a step back, look at the situation, look at what has been good throughout the season and what has been bad in the last few games and reset.
“You have to be optimistic. If you aim for the highest prize, you have to experience moments like this. Full speed ahead now. Seven games and what a ride it will be.”
Can Coburn return to Teesside and thrive?
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Millwall’s Josh Coburn spoke to Sky Sports on Friday ahead of his side’s game against former club Middlesbrough in their quest for historic promotion to the Premier League.
One of the key players will be striker Josh Coburn. The 23-year-old joined Millwall on loan from Middlesbrough at the start of last season, before completing a club-record permanent move in the summer.
It will be his first return to Riverside since leaving the club.
“We’re looking forward to it and we know it’s an important game, but it’s just another game so we need to focus on ourselves,” Coburn told Sky Sports. “If we do well on the pitch, we know we can win.
“It’s great for the fans that we are in this position in the league. They can dream, but we still have work to do. There are still plenty of games left. We are really looking forward to the challenge and hope we can give them some encouragement.”
Coburn missed three months from October to January, but since returning he has scored four goals in the Championship, three of which have come in his last four games.
“It’s been a bit of a frustrating season with the injuries,” he added, “but now I’m back and I feel really good.
“I’m just trying to take each game as it comes, continue to score for the team and continue to help the team as much as possible. Hopefully I can do that.”
“What Millwall’s current incarnation represents is staggering.”
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The Sky Sports Essential EFL Podcast takes a look at Middlesbrough vs Millwall.
David Prutton said on the Sky Sports Essential EFL podcast:
“Don’t underestimate Millwall at all. They were asked a lot of questions in the first half against Ipswich and answered most of them in the second half.”
“They were very, very good. It was a good goal they scored and there’s a lot to like about them. Alex Neil has built a team with a strong defensive foundation, but they can also attack.”
“Against Middlesbrough at the Riverside they did things in typical Millwall fashion and could cause us problems.
“Remove any preconceptions about what you think of them as a club, what this current incarnation of Millwall represents is phenomenal.
“They are a very likeable group of players led by an imaginative manager and there is much to praise. Kim Helberg and his Boro team have a serious challenge.”
Middlesbrough are still promotion favorites…just
According to Opta, Middlesbrough remain in the race for promotion.
Despite Ipswich still having a game in hand, they rate Boro’s chances of promotion at 45 per cent, giving Ipswich a 38.9 per cent chance.
Millwall have 14.4 per cent, but we should expect that figure to swing significantly to the Lions if they win at Riverside.
