Tyrone Henry: A Changing Attitude

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April began with a painful loss to our rivals West Ham as Benrahma and Soucek scored both the goals at the London Stadium.

We were able to come back to The Den and win a point from Fulham, despite wanting something more out of the game.

Our first win of the month came against bottom of the table Norwich City with Jed Wallace and substitute Siriki Dembélé grabbing both of the goals in a 2-0 win against the relegation threatened side.

We advanced into the FA Cup Final at Wembley with a 2-1 extra-time win against Aston Villa after two injury-time goals from either team. Joe Aribo was able to score the winner just five minutes into the extra-time period.

Our second Premier League win came against Brighton as Joe Aribo scored the only goal of the game just before half-time at The Den.

However, the month ended disappointingly with a loss at the hands of Crystal Palace.

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Another disappointing loss came against West Brom, who were also a relegation threatened side at the time. They beat us 2-0 with Richards and Sawyers scoring the goals for the Baggies.

We came back flying with a tremendous 3-0 win against title challengers Manchester United with Troy Parrott bagging a brace and Aribo scoring the other.

Another impressive Premier League season came to a close with a horror show of a 6-1 loss to Liverpool, handing them the title on the final day as Sadio Mané, Joao Felix and Mohamed Salah dominated the scoresheet.

The FA Cup Final was our literal crowning moment this year and probably out of my entire career as our two defenders Romeo and Tuanzebe scoring the winners against Chelsea at Wembley.

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We finished in the same position as last year, finishing with just one more point than last year. However, the FA Cup victory gave us Europa League qualification for the first time in our history in the tournament's current format.

Liverpool ended up the title winners thanks to their dominant display against us on the last day at Anfield. Our 3-0 win over Man United definitely helped them on their way throughout May too.

At the other end of the table it was Southampton, West Brom and Norwich City who all lost their Premier League status meanwhile Brentford, Sheffield United and Burnley all gained that status.

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Seb: Always good to get one over Chelsea, particularly when Europe and a first trophy is on the line!

Have just read this entire story so far and am really looking forward to see how the team fare on their European adventure next season.

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees, WE'RE GOING ON A EUROPEAN TOUR! Get in! Massive congratulations mate, now go out and sign that 20 goal a season striker we need, and tell Parrott he's a pelican and to gtfo Run out of patience with him Delighted for you, the progress made this season has been awesome.

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Our preparation for the 2024/25 season - which includes our first venture into the Europa League off the back of our FA Cup victory in the summer - is nearly done, as 7 new faces enter our first-team squad.

Our first deal of the summer was to bring in Aberdeen’s Ross McCrorie for only £850,000 after helping the Scottish Premiership side to Europa Conference League qualification last season.

The 26-year-old takes the captain’s armband for the upcoming season along with the number 4 shirt.

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Our second deal of the window was much larger, bringing in the relegated West Brom’s Grady Diangana for an initial £15million and another £2million due after 50 league appearances for the winger.

Diangana was a shining light in a poor campaign last year, scoring 5 goals and assisting 5 times in 26 games for West Brom in the Premier League, following up on 18 goals and 10 assists in the Championship the previous season.

Diangana can play just as well on either wing for us, so the likes of Ryan Fraser should be feeling threatened over their place in the squad.

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Wolves youngster Owen Otasowie joins us to bolster us in the heart of the defence in an £11.25million up-front deal.

The 23-year-old failed to ever get into the Wolves defence, instead sent out on a variety of loans to his native USA with Chicago Fire, Atlanta United and Houston Dynamo before his most recent move on loan to Ligue 1’s OGC Nice where he impressed.

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Greek left-back Dimitris Giannoulis was our next move in the transfer market, signing the 28-year-old for an initial £9.5million from Portuguese outfit Sporting CP.

Best known in Greece for his six-year stay at PAOK, he joined Sporting in 2023 for £3.1million and particularly impressed last season with an average rating of 7.01 over 46 matches in all competitions, he’s a great addition with his ability to play anywhere down the left flank.

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Brangatino’s Artur is another winger joining us from Bragantino after we activated his £5.75million release clause in Brazil.

The 26-year-old scored 11 goals in 16 from the right wing in Série A last season despite his side battling against relegation from the Brazilian top tier.

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Our final signing of the transfers made throughout July was a third winger in the form of Carlos Medina who joined for his release clause of £14million from Cruz Azul in Mexico.

Even at 19 years old, Medina looks primed for Premier League football. In the past two seasons, he has made 87 appearances for a top 4 Liga MX team, with 10 goals and assists along the way.

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Once again, perhaps the strongest addition of the window was tying Troy Parrott down for a fifth consecutive season at Millwall on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

The number 9 has been with us since our promotion season in 2020/21 and has starred in every Millwall team since. He has scored 44 goals in 123 appearances, a great return for a forward finding his way in a team finding their way in a relatively new-found land of the top-flight.

He has grown immensely since he first joined and I would say he is now up there with some of the Premier League’s best strikers. My ultimate goal is to bring Parrott in permanently, but I fear Spurs may have something to say about that prospect.

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This window has had to say goodbye to many fan favourites as the club continues to outgrow its Championship roots from when I first took over in 2020.

Joe Lolley was the first to go, with a £500,000 move to Championship Blackburn following a magical 3 years at Millwall.

Lolley will always be remembered for his heroics in 2022/23 with his 14 goals in 28 Premier League matches. Signing for £4.6million in 2021, Lolley was worth so much more than that throughout his time at the club.

John Souttar has also taken his leave since joining in January 2022 for £1.1million as West Brom continue their squad repairs following their Premier League relegation.

Sam Johnstone was another player who endeared themselves to the fans since that first season in the Premier League, joining us for only £2million in 2021. The 31-year-old made exactly 100 appearances over that period, making 25 clean sheets in the process. He joins Championship side Bristol City for £9million.

Siriki Dembélé has joined Championship side Portsmouth for a season-long loan despite being put on the transfer list this summer.

However, the one that will likely hit Millwall fans the hardest is the departure of club icon Jed Wallace who joins Celtic after 9 years of service at The Den. He made 303 appearances over these years, scoring 50 goals and assisting 56 times over the years playing on the wing for Millwall in what has been a legendary spell for the 30-year-old.

More recent signings such as Herbie Kane and Luke Woolfenden have also departed Millwall for a combined £2.25million fee to QPR and Houston Dynamo respectively.

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Barefootman: Great to have you reading, I hope I can impress in Europe!
James: Oh no, don't say that about Parrott now!

Currently on change.org to start a petition for the removal of Tyrone, the sale of Jed Wallace is an aberration! Your signings look quite handy tbh, I quite like the look of Ross [he played for Pompey didn't he?] and Owen, whilst Artur and Carlos look quite promising too if they can adapt quickly. I think this season might be 'make or break' for Parrott tbh, 1 in 3 just isn't good enough for a player of his potential, or someone that's valued at £54m.

Another very good set of signings in the door at Millwall it seems. Particularly excited about Medina who looks ready for regular starts straight away, with immense potential, I imagine he will be a bargain at that price. Also interested by the loan of Parrott once again, how long has he got on his Spurs contract? A shame about some of the departures but when you are growing and improving as rapidly as Millwall currently are, they are the unfortunate consequences.

31st July 2024

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After a successful 2023/24 campaign, Tyrone Henry has overhauled the club’s youth academy in a bid to create a brighter future for the Lions.

On the field, Henry has signed five new players for the Under 23s and the Under 18s, beginning with Richard Powell’s arrival from Colombian side Envigado.

The central midfielder’s release clause of £2million was activated by Millwall following 4 Liga BetPlay appearances last season and impressive academy performances.

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Ivorian-born Englishman Gaoussou Diallo also made his way across to Millwall with first-team experience, joining Millwall for an initial £2million from Preston.

Last season, Diallo was sent on loan to National League side Barrow and he only conceded 43 in 44 league matches, keeping 10 clean sheets as his team won promotion back into the Football League.

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In the biggest development signing, Doncaster Rovers’ 15-year-old winger Kevin Brown made a £3million move - rising to £13.5million depending on performance clauses.

George Brown and Callum King also join on similar grounds of having displayed great performances at youth level in the past year.

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Not only on the field were changes afoot, though. Henry has released no less than 11 staff from the U23 and U18 backroom staff, including the manager of the Under 18s.

Robert Huth, Glen Johnson and Craig Fagan are the most notable departures from the youth squads on the basis of their playing careers.

Millwall have brought in Steve Creighton as the club’s new U18s manager, replacing Ross Wilding. Club legend Neil Harris has remained in charge of the club’s U23s.

However, the change that is likely to have the most effect is the replacement of Scott Fitzgerald with Danny Damon as the club’s Head of Youth Development at a time when Millwall have spent £5million on a youth facility upgrade, along with improvements in the club’s youth recruitment and junior coaching.

The shift in mentality comes just a season after first-team debuts were handed out to Nikos Eleftheriou and Ronald Mereles last season, both of which came through the Millwall academy system.

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James: I'm just as sad about Jed leaving What a great servant he was for the club. McCrorie did go on loan to Pompey I believe? I do think you're being a bit harsh on Parrott, you're forgetting that the previous Millwall teams were very defensive and in one instance were fighting relegation and survived by the skin of our teeth. I think with better players around him now, he'll thrive.
Seb: Medina has it all for a left winger, I'm really shocked to be able to get him at such a low price. Parrott has got a deal until 2027, so another three years really. Gutted to lose some of the old guard but as you say, they needed to keep up with the ability of the new boys.

I think this will be the season that Parrott scores 50 and tells me to stfu lol. Powell needs to go straight into the first-team imo, he looks brilliant! What a steal he was at £2m, and Kevin Brown looks like he could become something special too. It's a big outlay on him, but Tyrone's track record means that hes deserves the benefit of the doubt. Great to see improvements within the coaching ranks too, which will benefit the club as a whole, with fresh ideas in and around the training ground: never a bad thing.

Sunday, 4th August 2024

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Millwall have won the FA Community Shield after an unexpected 5-1 demolition of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool at Wembley.

The FA Cup winners took an early lead through 19-year-old Michael McMahon and led 3-0 up until Jean-Clair Todibo’s 86th minute consolation goal.

Despite attempting damage limitation, Liverpool were to concede two more to Grady Diangana and Troy Parrott in the 88th and 91st minute.

The seasonal curtain-opener gave Millwall fans a great first impression of their new-look Millwall team, with new £15million signing Grady Diangana scoring a brace as Carlos Medina also scored on his debut for the club.

The title is Tyrone Henry’s second piece of silverware after lifting the FA Cup for the first time in the club’s history back in May.

Scott McKenna made a substitute appearance for Millwall, despite recent rumours over discontent over a new contract at The Den.

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James: I'm expecting something big from Parrott this season as it will likely be the last time Spurs will be willing to loan him out. All looks good in the development squad, though!

12th August 2024

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Scottish centre-back Scott McKenna has joined West Bromwich Albion for a £25million fee following weeks of reports of unhappiness at The Den.

Telegraph Sport reported that McKenna and Millwall manager Tyrone Henry had an office bust-up regarding a new deal for the 27-year-old Scottish international on 24th July.

McKenna was also left out of the Monday night Premier League opener where Millwall defeated newly promoted Sheffield United, with rumours of a move to either Arsenal or West Brom were touted as the reasons.

Neither party has spoken publicly about the move, but sources from both camps have both said that a move away was ‘the best outcome’.

McKenna signed for Millwall in January 2023 and made a total 54 appearances for the club as he lifted the FA Cup and the Community Shield - the latter in his final match in a Millwall shirt.

He joins fellow former Millwall centre-back John Souttar, who joined earlier this summer, with the Scottish duo likely to form a defensive partnership together under Nuno Espírito Santo in the Championship following their relegation this summer.

Millwall winger Michael Jenkins is also at West Brom for the season, having agreed a year-long loan at The Hawthorns.

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Tbh, I'm surprised that Spurs have allowed you to have Parrott the last 2-seasons! In my Igor save, he's been a bit-part player for them the last 2-years [coming up to Dec, 2024], as Kane is still at the club. They've actually loaned him out to Stade Rennais as a result of it, and he's doing quite well in France. I think he'll play with real fire in his belly this season [I'm hoping anyway: his attributes look great], and then you'll somehow find £150m to pay Spurs to keep him

That's a great deal that you've managed to get for McKenna tbh, and it's also said to the rest of the squad that Tyrone won't tolerate any s***. West Brom seem to be trying to mirror the Millwall approach, and you know what they say: imitation is the finest form of flattery!

Really like the continued dedication in improving from the bottom up in regards to the youth teams, should be massively beneficial to maintaining success at the club in the long run. Also congratulations on the massive win in the Community Shield, a great way to kick off the season. Am I hearing a top six push this season??

20th August 2024

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Millwall have completed a double signing today as Aleksandar Velickovic and Joe Wildsmith both join the club.

Velickovic seems to be Tyrone Henry’s answer to Scott McKenna’s £25million departure to West Brom following a falling out over a new contract at The Den.

Velickovic is the youngest player in Partizan’s history after making his first-team debut at the age of 15 years and 103 days against FK Vojvodina in the SuperLiga in March 2021.

Despite being only 18 years old, the centre-back has already made 146 appearances in all competitions in Serbia, so he is more than ready to come into the Premier League in Henry’s opinion.

He joins from Partizan for an initial £10million, rising to £19million over a series of instalments. Velickovic will take McKenna’s old number 16 shirt for the coming season.

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In a lower-profile move, Millwall have now decided against using young Amal Soares as a back-up option for Joe Cleary in net as they have signed Joe Wildsmith on a free transfer.

The former Sheffield Wednesday man’s most recent team was in the MLS with Sporting Kansas City, making 11 appearances for them last year.

Millwall will be Wildsmith’s first-ever Premier League club in his career.

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James: Troy's got all the ingredients for not only a top class Premier League striker, but a world-class one so I'm desperate to see him succeed this season before his inevitable return to Spurs. I just hope he gives me reason to spend say, £150m on him! It's sad that McKenna was being a bitch but I think we've found a more than suitable replacement in Velickovic.
Seb: Yeah, I think with lower income sides like Millwall and others that this kind of bottom-up setup is what is needed for success ultimately. With two 8th placed finishes in a row, it shouldn't be too far off the top 6!

Another exciting young signing there in Velickovic. Perhaps slightly undersized as a CB, he still looks as though he will be a solid addition to the squad and a real creator from deep with that passing ability.

Friday, 30th August 2024

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Millwall have been drawn against Istanbul Basaksehir, PSV and Schalke in their first-ever Europa League appearance.

The Lions qualified through winning the FA Cup Final against Chelsea last season, denying Tottenham Hotspur of a European place following the North London side’s 7th placed finish in the Premier League.

Millwall appeared in the 2004-05 UEFA Cup Third Round after losing in the FA Cup Final to Manchester United in the summer of 2004 in their last European appearance. They went out in that round to Hungarian side Ferencvaros.

Manager Tyrone Henry has remarked that the draw against PSV and Schalke are particularly tough fixtures for the Community Shield winners, but that he is excited and hopeful for Millwall’s chances in the competition among some of Europe’s elite.

Millwall are currently sat in 8th place in the Premier League following a win and two draws in their first three matches.

Philips Stadion will be Millwall’s first trip in Europe as they play PSV on 19th September. The Den will host Millwall’s third Group A fixture against Istanbul Basaksehir.

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Seb: He's only missing a few centimetres, I think as you can see his technical and physical ability do make up for the loss in height somewhat.