Holloway appointment spells trouble for Millwall’s relegation rivals
Published:Ian Holloway has made a prompt return to football management in south London, taking the reigns at Millwall following his autumn resignation from the same post at Crystal Palace.
His first task is to arrest an alarming run of results that has encased the Lions’ feet in concrete and dragged them down to 21st in the table, just one point clear of the drop zone. At present, they can be backed at 2/1 to be relegated from the Championship this season.
Holloway’s appointment is somewhat of a coup, however, and his arrival is a definite detriment to those piling in on punts for Millwall to be demoted to the third tier come the end of the campaign.
A run of just two wins in 15 league games is a clear sign that the current crop of players aren’t up to much, but a coach who, in his last three seasons on the second rung of the English football ladder has won two play-off finals and lost the other.
His first game in charge is their trip to face an out-of-sorts Huddersfield side, with a trio of home matches to follow – far from a baptism of fire.
Decent point accumulation in these opening four games could lead to a build up of valuable momentum, steering them away from the drop zone.
One of the biggest factors behind their slinking towards the foot of the table is the distinct lack of goals they’ve scored of late.
Their previous four league outings have yielded just one strike, but if any tactician has the cure for this ailment it’s Holloway.
The former Blackpool boss’ commitment to attacking football was brought to light when he manned the Tangerines’ rudder in the Premier League, while only Watford outscored his Palace side last time around.
Should he work his magic at The Den and get the Lions scoring again, they’ll soon start climbing the table and, in a famously volatile division, a few wins strung together will soon see their 250/1 price for promotion whittled down.
All odds and markets accurate as of publication’s time and date
