Millwall manager Alex Neil acknowledged his side's shortcomings following a disappointing 2-1 defeat to Norwich City on Easter Monday. After a spirited comeback win against Middlesbrough that had briefly placed Millwall in the Championship's automatic promotion spots, they struggled to maintain that momentum at The Den in front of their loyal supporters. Read more about Clement Weighs Amass Future as Norwich Assess Options.
Mihailo Ivanovic provided Millwall with a glimmer of hope through an early second-half goal, but Norwich responded decisively. Goals from Pelle Mattsson and Oscar Schwartau secured the points for the visitors, much to the delight of their travelling fans.
“It’s disappointing when you lose a game,” Neil remarked after the match, reflecting candidly on his side's performance. “Playing out from the back, I don’t know if it was nervousness or a lack of quality, but we didn’t move the ball well enough. Norwich were better. They didn’t have loads of chances, but certainly more territory and more pressure.”
Neil pinpointed several critical moments that undermined Millwall's hopes. “The best chance I can remember was probably Jack Stacey's shot across the box. Then there’s one where Zak (Sturge) just switches off, and the lad puts it in at the back stick, and he steals in off the back of him.”
At half-time, Neil made a tactical adjustment, shifting to a two-striker formation to inject urgency into his squad's performance. “I knew I had to do something to try and get ourselves back into the game,” he explained. “We went much more direct, which allowed us to lock them in and try to sustain pressure. We managed to get the first goal, which was good.”
Unfortunately for Neil, his optimism was short-lived. “From that position, we’re normally really good. We’ve got our noses in front, and I didn’t actually think Norwich were that dangerous in that spell of the game. Then we concede a goal from a simple ball out to the channel. We need to do better,” he lamented. “It’s a great finish, but we should have dealt with it better.”
Neil underscored the team's defensive frailties as pivotal to their defeat. “We started pushing bodies forward to try and get goals, but their top line is quick and mobile. We ended up having to defend one-on-one on a couple of occasions after that.”
Despite the setback, Neil is determined to learn from the experience. “I didn’t think we did enough to get anything out of the game. Once we got our noses in front, I was confident we could get something, but we didn’t defend those two moments well enough, and ultimately it cost us.”
In contrast, Norwich City manager Philippe Clement celebrated the victory as a significant achievement. He praised the resilience of his players, who responded admirably after going behind. “For me, it’s been our best performance since I took over,” Clement stated, acknowledging the challenges of competing at The Den. “It shows good signs of where we want to get.”
Looking ahead, Clement's focus shifts to an important East Anglian derby against Ipswich Town next Saturday, where he aims to build on the positive momentum established in this match. The result against Millwall not only halted their promotion charge but also solidified Norwich’s standing in the Championship as they strive for a robust finish to the season. Read more about Championship Faces Crisis as Clubs Report £3bn Losses.