adminMillwall missing out on £4.3m target will hurt more after sale of striker on deadline day
Millwall had a busy transfer window, but the late departure of Kevin Nisbet has left the club short of forwards.
Millwall spent considerably this summer and continued their positive actions from the January window to help strengthen the squad to contend for the play-offs.
11 players arrived at The Den during the transfer window. The Lions broke their club record for the third time in two seasons with the signing of Josh Coburn. The South London side also made strong moves in the loan market with Will Smallbone and Thierno Ballo joining for the campaign.
Alex Neil’s side did well to keep hold of the majority of their key players, like Mihailo Ivanovic, who was subject to plenty of interest. The Lions did lose Japhet Tanganga to Sheffield United, but secured a good deal for the defender. The deadline day sale of Kevin Nisbet could be questioned as a smart decision by the Championship outfit, though.
Millwall had four senior strikers available before the departure of Nisbet. After the failed pursuit of Jusef Erabi late in the window, Neil now only has three senior strikers in contention. Ajay Matthews and Zak Lovelace could appear in the first team but lack experience, and it’s unlikely they are ideal options as of right now.
Injuries have cut Millwall’s depth dramatically
Millwall have been unlucky with injuries sustained during the first four weeks of the season. Alfie Doughty, Casper De Norre, Femi Azeez and Billy Mitchell all picked up knocks and could still be sidelined after the international break.
Striker Macaulay Langstaff looks set to return after a hip injury, which is positive news for the Lions, who only had Coburn and Ivanovic fit to play against Wrexham two weeks ago.
Missing out on Erabi does give Neil more problems than needed, as he will have to be careful with the minutes assigned to Coburn specifically, given his prior injury record. Another forward sidelined could damage the Lions’ chances of play-offs with only three frontmen in the squad.
Jusef Erabi would have been perfect Kevin Nisbet replacement
Nisbet’s time at Millwall will go down as a failure after his lack of impact during the two years he was at the club. Five goals in 30 Championship appearances isn’t good enough, and the Scotsman’s fortunes for Aberdeen last term make his eventual move beneficial for his career.
Erabi, despite choosing to join Genk instead, would have been an upgrade on Nisbet and complemented Neil’s style of play a lot more. The Swedish striker is known to be willing to press from the front and use his acceleration to hurt the opposition.
According to FotMob, last season Erabi won almost two fouls every game, whilst Nisbet, for Aberdeen, managed less than one. The Scottish international’s lack of determination became an issue for Lions’ fans who will be glad he has gone, but disappointed that a replacement wasn’t brought in.
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