Millwall matchwinner confident club are in a great position to kick on in Championship

BY DANIEL MARSH

Millwall matchwinner Tom Bradshaw has backed them to continue their sterling run of form – with the striker admitting the club are in “a great position” to kick on this year with their strength in depth.

Bradshaw’s brace last weekend saw the Lions come from behind to topple Stoke City and move into the top 10. Millwall are level on points with fifth-placed Luton Town and sit outside the Championship play-off places on goal difference alone.

And Bradshaw has backed the squad to continue their strong form after banishing memories of another slow start to life in the second tier.

“I think the whole squad’s been playing well for a little while,” reflected Bradshaw in the wake of Millwall’s fourth win in five games. “To get 10 games and only lose one of them is a great prolonged spell of form.

“It’s crazy how close the table is at the moment – to have seven teams on 21 points is pretty crazy.

“Historically, we’re normally pretty slow starters and we’ve tended to come on strong in the second part of the season over the past few years. But if you look at the start as a whole, to be in the position that we’re in, from a personal perspective, I think we’ve been getting stronger week by week if anything.

“It’s a great position for us to be in and we’ve got a great squad with a lot of depth. Hopefully, that can be a bonus for this year because if we lose one or two through injury then we’ve got players who are equally as good that can step into people’s shoes. I think we’re in a great position this year to kick on.”

Bradshaw’s double came following the introduction of Lions striker Matt Smith at the weekend as Millwall changed shape to a 4-4-2.

That tactical tweak is something that many fans have craved over the past few weeks, and Bradshaw was quick to compliment his striker partner for the role he played in the turnaround against Gary Rowett’s old side.

“I love playing with Smudge – he’s a great target man and he’s great at what he does,” added Bradshaw. “He pops up with a lot of goals as well. Hopefully, there’ll be more goals for both of us throughout the season.

“I’m not the biggest of strikers, so playing long balls is going to be less effective with me up there on my own.

“We always focus on ourselves, but it can sometimes depend on the teams we’re playing and where their weaknesses lie. That can sometimes change things technically depending on what we can exploit.”

See Friday’s South London Press for a full exclusive interview with Tom Bradshaw.