Takeaways from Millwall’s 0-0 draw against Bristol City – Long underlines his worth as Burey is a dilemma

Millwall were forced to settle for a third straight home draw after Bristol City dug in for a share of the spoils in SE16 on Thursday night.

It was the visitors who had the best chance to win the game. Firstly, George Long denied Antoine Semenyo brilliantly after a mix-up between Shaun Hutchinson and Jake Cooper.

Andreas Weimann missed a glorious chance late on when the ball fell to him following a free-kick, but he could only fire off target.

Here are Alex Grace’s takeaways from the contest:

A BORE DRAW – BUT A CLEAN SHEET

It was no spectacle. Bristol City needed a response after West Brom beat them on Boxing Day, and they got that with their performance at The Den.

Millwall’s main threat is through set-pieces and dead-ball situations, but they were deprived of those throughout the contest. They had just three corners and not one of them caused any problems for Max O’Leary in the City goal, who did not have a save to make.

That will be the main disappointment for Millwall, considering how much effort they put in at Watford to come away with a comfortable victory, this seemed the polar opposite, and they could have even lost it had it not been for Long’s quick thinking.

However, one positive to take from it for the manager and the players is it’s another point on the board, and another clean sheet, something Long and his team-mates have been short of this season.

DEN DEADLOCK 

It’s the third successive home game that has ended in a draw. All three games have come against teams in the lower reaches of the table – the Lions have faced Hull City, Wigan Athletic and the Robins in those three games and have managed to score just one goal. That will be a concern for Rowett but in years gone by those would have been games that could have ended in defeat.

The problem facing Millwall is that teams in those reaches of the table are studying what the others do and setting up in similar ways to frustrate Rowett’s men and silence the home crowd, which is a huge factor for away sides visiting SE16. Millwall aren’t a side like Burnley or Sheffield United that can play through a stubborn defence to open them up and create chances, especially if not all their options are fit and firing.

LONG ANSWERS CRITICS 

There has been some criticism of Gary Rowett’s continued persistence in starting George Long over Bart Bialkowksi in the Millwall goal. Long replaced the two-time Millwall Player of the Season winner in goal against Blackpool in September and has been an ever-present since.

He was criticised for two of the three goals that Sunderland scored against Millwall on December 3, but he proved his worth against Bristol City. There is no doubt that Bialkowksi is an excellent shotstopper, but Long established he could be just as good with the smart save he made to deny Semenyo. His agility and pace to get off his line quickly meant he could quickly make himself big and deal with the threat.

That could turn out to be a massive save come the end of the season, particularly with how tight the league is at present. One mistake can cost you three or four positions.

THE BUREY DILEMMA

Tyler Burey is another player that is currently dividing fan opinion. As a young player you expect, at times, his performances to be a little bit inconsistent, and that is what we are seeing from him at present. It’s clear to see the frustration on his face when things are not coming off for him.

A few times on Thursday night, he could have used a different option. There is no doubt that he has the talent there to be an excellent footballer. He was best when he was running at the City defence. His raw pace is a massive advantage and that almost created an opening goal for Millwall in the first half on Thursday. However his final product let him down. He put too much power on the cross but, as a young player, he will learn how to adjust his game accordingly.

The problem facing Rowett now, though, is does he risk another game of potential frustration for Burey against a Rotherham side that will sit deep and make life hard for his attacking options? Or does he keep him in reserve and use him as a critical weapon in the final half an hour against a tiring Millers side?