‘Idea is getting there but not the execution’ – Millwall head coach Joe Edwards on his team delivering more in final third

Joe Edwards has talked about how there were a number of examples of Millwall’s tactical approach nearly clicking in Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Cardiff City.

The Lions are back in action on Wednesday night at Championship leaders Leicester City.

Dimitris Goutas’s 78th-minute header was fumbled by Matija Sarkic on his return between the posts for Millwall as Cardiff claimed maximum points.

Edwards enjoyed a dream start as head coach with a 4-0 thumping of Sheffield Wednesday but since then the South London club have collected one point from a possible 12.

Millwall are bottom of the form table for the past 10 matches, with seven points over that period – one fewer than Rotherham United and Birmingham City.

“It felt like one of those days where it is a poor game and neither team can seem to be able to find any rhythm or flow in what they are doing,” Edwards told the South London Press as he reflected on the defeat in South Wales.

“The disappointing thing is you can sometimes go away from home and accept it is going to be difficult but this was one from very early on that you could see your opponent isn’t really at it either. So early in the game it feels like there is an opportunity – not just to get something on the road but to go and win the game.

“So when you are then doing a lot of huffing and puffing yourself to show any quality to do what is needed to hurt them then it becomes really frustrating. That’s the word I’d use to sum up the day – frustrated – because, like in a lot of games at the moment, there were glimpses of stuff we have been talking about, working on and trying to be more about.

“We had Matty Sarkic in goal and we were using him to play out from the back a little bit more to get into midfield. Watching it back there are several occasions when just from a comfy bit of build-up play in that early phase with the back four and the midfield, one more good decision or pass then we’d actually open them up and be behind them. We could just never find that next moment to get to what looked like sterile possession into a good attack.

“We seem to be in that sort of rut at the moment.”

The Lions are 17th in the Championship for shots on target and 19th for big chances created – underlining that the final third has been an issue for the whole campaign.

“When I was on the process of looking in from the outside, with a view to coming in and taking the job, I did a lot of analysis myself and that was a standout point for me – the low productivity,” said Edwards. “It is high on my list to be something to address and it is in keeping with the whole style change that we’ve spoken about on my appointment.

“If you need to create more and good quality chances then the more you can use the ball well and get your attacking players in good quality possession high up the pitch then you have a better chance of doing that.

“Even today in the meeting with the players, it’s about keeping the belief in what we’re trying to do because there are several examples where implementing what we’re doing and having a bit more of the ball, building up our play with passing, there are key moments when we paused the clip and showed if you do make one more pass it does get the likes of Zian Flemming or Kevin Nisbet around areas where they are closer to the box and more supporting bodies into the box with them.

“That hopefully means you create more chances and big chances. At the moment it feels like the idea is getting there but just the execution isn’t. Confidence is a big factor of that. There is no easy way to get around the fact that when you are a football team who hasn’t won many games for a few months, it’s understandible that confidence isn’t quite where it is when you are fully firing and that flow feels natural, like when you watch a team like Ipswich in and around the box and goal.

“We’re not there but there are definite signs we can get there. At the moment it is just taking a bit of time.”