Alex Neil identifies Millwall’s ‘biggest challenge’ this season

By Gbam Godwin On Nov 21, 2025

Alex Neil identifies Millwall’s ‘biggest challenge’ this season.

ALEX Neil cited Millwall’s inability to field a consistent starting eleven as their “biggest challenge” this season.

The Lions have dealt with two different injury crises in the first three and a half months of the season, making it difficult for Neil to identify consistent starting lineups from game to game.

They returned from October’s break with few injuries and won four straight with a nearly same lineup.

However, injuries piled again, leaving Neil lacking 11 first-team players for their final game before the November break, a 1-1 draw against Preston North End.

Neil pinpointed a lack of consistency in player availability as his team’s toughest challenge thus far, ahead of their trip to Portsmouth on Saturday.

“After each batch of games, we always try and reflect on them and how we’ve done and what we’ve done and how we can do better and what’s coming up and try to get guys fit and try to adapt and evolve the shape in terms of what we’re trying to do,” Neil told me.

“I think the biggest difficulty this year, as I’ve mentioned several times before, is consistency in terms of personnel and consistency in terms of style.

Sheffield Supertram: City wide disruptions this morning with…

Nov 21, 2025

Former Reading FC manager joins Oxford United

Nov 21, 2025

Hearts and Hibs discover major European football shake-up as…

Nov 21, 2025

“Naturally, when players are missing, whether people like it or not, it affects how we try to play because each player has different abilities.

What we’re attempting to do is set the players up in a way and system that highlights their strengths while potentially masking their limitations, which each player possesses.

“For us, it’s much more complicated when we’re missing players because we have to try to find alternative means of pressing the ball, maintaining the ball, and carrying that danger.

That isn’t really helpful, but we’ve had plenty of time to attempt to get that ready for the game.” Millwall received some excellent injury news over the break.

Danny McNamara and Alfie Doughty are expected to play against Pompey, and Neil said Mihailo Ivanovic will be available for selection despite his withdrawal from the Serbia under-21s.