Millwall 2024-25 preview: Signings, key player, one to watch, predictions and opening fixtures

Last season’s league position: 13th in the Championship

Top-scorer 2023-24: Zian Flemming (eight)

Most appearances (all comps): Zian Flemming (48)

Players in: Lukas Jensen (Lincoln, undisclosed), Macaulay Langstaff (Notts County, undisclosed), Japhet Tanganga (Tottenham, free), Liam Roberts (Middlesbrough, free)

Players out: Alex Mitchell (Charlton, undisclosed), Bart Bialkowski (free agent), Nana Boateng (Sutton, free)

KEY PLAYER
ZIAN FLEMMING
The Dutchman was flying in his first season in England – scoring 15 times – but had a tougher second campaign, despite still finishing top scorer. His calf injury is likely to rule out any late transfer window interest if he had started the season with a bang. Would be huge for the Lions if they can get him more often in areas to cause damage.

ONE TO WATCH
LUKAS JENSEN
The summer signing kept 19 clean sheets for Lincoln City last season. The Lions were strong defensively after Neil Harris returned as boss, they will need their new number one to deliver a decent number of shutouts again.

TOP TWO PREDICTION
Burnley and Sheffield United

PLAY-OFFS PREDICTION
Leeds, Luton, Coventry, Middlesbrough

RELEGATED PREDICTION
Portsmouth, Oxford and Watford

A FAN’S OPINION
Nick Hart (Achtung! Millwall Podcast):

After the heroics of last season (please forget the first two-thirds of it though), most Millwall fans could be forgiven for the giddy expectation that we’ll ‘push-on’ and ‘look upwards’ in the Championship.

Please try to manage your expectations is my message to the Lions faithful. Truth is that, despite a couple of very interesting signings in Japhet Tanganga and Macaulay Langstaff, Neil Harris’s squad looks light when compared with the side that did so well to escape the drop at the end of 2023-24.

Now I have an aversion to friendly football and so haven’t seen Millwall since that fine away win at Swansea last May. But if the warm-up match reports are anything to go by, creating goalscoring chances will once again be our Achilles’ heel. Top talent costs top money, something that we all have to be realistic about at John Berylson Way

Hopes for the season? That we see a real flowering of the youthful talent coming through our ranks – Esse, Emakhu and Massey.

Fears for the season? That we can’t score goals for toffee and finish up in another relegation fight.

Prediction: Mid-table respectability

OPENING FIXTURES
August 10 – Watford H (Championship) 12.30pm
August 13 – Portsmouth A
(EFL Cup) 7.45pm
August 17 – Bristol City A (Championship) 3pm
August 24 – Hull City A (Championship) 12.30pm
August 31 – Sheffield Wednesday H (Championship) 3pm