‘We want to encourage our players to make on-pitch decisions’ – Josh Coburn wasn’t designated Millwall penalty taker in win at Derby

Josh Coburn had extra incentive to make amends for his penalty miss at Derby County – the striker was not Millwall’s designated taker.

The Middlesbrough loanee pounced from close range in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time to earn a 1-0 victory on Saturday.

Coburn had won the spot-kick after contact in the box from Sondre Langas, only for Derby keeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom to save with his legs.

Asked if he was supposed to be taking penalties, Lions boss Alex Neil told the South London Press: “He wasn’t in this instance, no – hence the reason why Camil (Neghli) went over to get the ball. But he’s a striker, just back from injury, and he won the penalty.

“You’ve seen with the boy (Ademola) Lookman at Atalanta where it’s kicked off (because he missed a spot-kick when not designated to take it). Where I am with it is that we don’t want players to turn into robots. There needs to be an element of decision-making on the pitch.

“We encourage our players to do that. Josh made the decision he wanted to take the penalty and his team-mates were fine with that.

“Naturally we would have liked for him to score. We all talk about leaders and say about the lack of them in the game. People can’t lead unless you allow them to make decisions. I don’t get too caught up in that.

“It might have been a talking point after the game, but we want to encourage our players to make decisions on the pitch.”

Coburn, 22, scored his third goal for the Lions. He has only featured nine times since arriving at the end of August due to injuries, including a broken bone in his foot which kept him out in December and January.

Asked about the way the big centre-forward did not let a penalty discourage him, Neil said: “It’s important. You’re going to get setbacks in games and you’re going to make poor decisions or not make the right actions in terms of a pass, header or penalty.

“But it’s done and there is nothing you can do about it. What you have to do is re-double your efforts and make sure the next one is a positive one.

“At both ends of the pitch, it’s opposite ends of the spectrum. If you’re the goalkeeper, you’re either going to be the hero or the villain. It’s the same if you’re a striker and if you miss that opportunity or score it.

“I’m sure Josh would have been fully aware of what the narrative would have been if he had not scored. But the fact is that when you get that goal, it flips everything around again.”

Coburn’s return has boosted the frontline options open to Neil.

Serbian international Mihailo Ivanovic, above, has started 10 of the last 11 Championship matches.

“Mihailo has carried a heavy burden on his shoulders for a number of weeks in terms of the amount of minutes he’s had to play,” said Neil.

“He has benefitted from that but equally there have been times where I have looked at him and he looks tired.

“I have demanded a lot from him. To have Josh and an alternative is a real bonus. They are two different type of players for me.”