Having finished in the top-half positions for three seasons running under Gary Rowett’s management, the 48-year-old will be keen to see Millwall make the next step into the playoffs this time around.
Losing talismanic figure Jed Wallace, who chipped in with 57 direct goal contributions across the last three campaigns, to West Bromwich Albion on a free transfer could prove a huge blow towards achieving those aspirations.
However, the Lions appear to have found a suitable replacement in the shape of Zian Flemming, who has joined from Fortuna Sittard for around £2.25m. The Dutchman bagged 12 goals in each of the last two Eredivisie seasons, suggesting that he can go some way to filling Wallace’s void.
Benik Afobe and George Honeymanrepresent shrewd permanent deals, too, with youngsters Charlie Cresswell and Jamie Shackleton both joining on loan from Leeds United.
After a 5-4 defeat to Premier League side Crystal Palace to open pre-season proceedings, Rowett’s side have been as solid as ever since, conceding only one goal in four games. They will likely look to keep things tight against Stoke on Saturday as they aim to make a positive start to the season.
In stark contrast to their forthcoming opponents, Stoke have finished in the bottom half in each of their four Championship campaigns since being relegated from the Premier League in 2018.
Their parachute payments are firmly gone now, meaning that the Coates family have had to gradually tighten the purse strings somewhat in order to avoid falling foul of the EFL’s strict financial fair play rules.
High earners such as Joe Allen, Tom Ince, James Chester, Steven Fletcherand Afobe have departed the club on free transfers this summer, with Dwight Gayle, Josh Laurent and Aden Flint arriving permanently at the bet365 Stadium.
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Still, Michael O’Neill must be a man under pressure to deliver having failed to provide a consistent impact since joining the club with a big reputation in November 2019.
The former Northern Ireland boss’ win rate stands at lower than 40% in his 137 games in charge of the Potters, despite presiding over a budget that many of his peers would be envious of during that time.
Only one win in five pre-season friendlies does not exactly scream of a side about to knock on the door of the playoffs, but the real work begins on Saturday with a tricky trip to East London.
