West Brom vs Millwall: Free-scoring Albion flying high at home

Ever since the shock opening-day defeat to Bolton Wanderers, The Hawthorns has become something of a fortress for Darren Moore’s men.

And they’re not just winning, they’re winning in style.

The Championship top scorers have hammered in a staggering 13 goals in their last three league games at home.

Millwall may provide slightly more stubborn opponents than QPR and Bristol City, but for the second game running Albion have an extra day than their opponents to prepare.

And midweek captain Craig Dawson believes the Baggies can make it six in a row.

“In this league it’s very important to have good home form,” said Dawson. “It’s great for the home fans to get behind us and see us playing well. We need to make sure that stays that way.

“It will be a tough game against Millwall, but I think lessons have been learned from earlier on in the season. Millwall will give everything they’ve got against us and as a group of players we’ve got to see each challenge as it comes.

“Hopefully we can continue to look dangerous going forward again on Saturday.”

It’s early days, but at this rate, Albion are going to break all sorts of scoring records this season.

Their attacking arsenal is the deadliest in the league, but Moore’s new insistence on playing it out from the back has caused problems in defence.

Dawson urged fans to stick with the process, because he believes the risk is worth the reward.

“We’re playing enjoyable football,” he added. “It’s new to us as players and we’re all learning and every training session we are developing.

“At times the fans will have to be patient with us, but I’m sure they will because we’re working hard to play exciting football. Hopefully that will result in lots of goals.

“Playing out from the back has already resulted in goals. Dwight (Gayle)’s great goal against Stoke came from Sam (Johnstone) throwing it out, so did his goal on Tuesday. It is an education for us.

“There will be times when we take a few risks and there will be errors and from those errors we will get better.

“That’s what we want to do as a group. There’s a real belief in the squad.”

There’s no denying that when it clicks, it can be breathtaking, and it seems to be clicking at home more often than not.

Moore will be tempted to keep the same team that put four past the Robins, but fatigue may play its part, particularly for 37-year-old Gareth Barry.

Sam Field and Chris Brunt will be favourites to replace him in the engine room if required but the rest of the team is unlikely to change because the first XI will be rested in the Carabao Cup next week.

The opposition: Neil Harris planning changes to get Millwall roaring

Boss Neil Harris is set to ring the changes as Millwall head to The Hawthorns looking for impetus in a season still yet to spark.

The Lions were considered dark horses to be challenging at the top end of the Championship this term, having narrowly missed out on a play-off spot last season.

But they have endured a difficult start, winning just one of their first eight games to sit 21st in the table ahead of their clash with the Baggies.

Closer inspection of their record reveals the win was over Derby, while they came within a whisker of beating both Middlesbrough and Leeds at The Den.

On the road, however, they have just one solitary point, picked up at Blackburn back on August 11.

Wednesday night’s 2-0 derby defeat at QPR was the third consecutive loss on their travels and Harris, who felt his team were out-worked by the R’s, has promised to pick a line-up more ‘Millwall-like’ at The Hawthorns.

“It’s a concern because we haven’t won for a few weeks,” Harris said. “I’ve not been concerned because there have been various factors to our disappointing results, from late goals to issues off the pitch around the transfer window.

“However, I was disappointed in the first half at QPR because my Millwall team doesn’t normally get out-run and out-fought and I thought first half we did. I look at it tactically rather than question individuals. What I do know moving forward is we will get better, we will get results because that is what we do every year. We start badly, and we kick on.

“I have to pick the right team Saturday at West Brom, in a difficult fixture. I will pick a team that is more Millwall-like.

“We need to get back to basics. We need to be as good and as reliable as we have been for the last three-and-a-half years.

“Let’s get it right: We should have beaten Middlesbrough first day of the season. We should have beaten Leeds on Saturday. We beat Derby. We should have been out of sight against Swansea against 10 men.

“We drew at Blackburn who have proved they are a really good side. We were disappointed to lose at Sheffield Wednesday.

“We’re not a million miles away and we showed that second half. I just got it wrong first half on Wednesday night.”

Veteran striker Steve Morison is likely to return to the starting line-up after being left on the bench at Loftus Road.

The 35-year-old, who is yet to find the net this term, replaced the ineffective Tom Bradshaw – who is also yet to score since moving from Barnsley last month – at half-time.

“We got out-competed against QPR and I told the players in the dressing room that that won’t happen with my teams,” added Harris. “That won’t happen up and down the country, north, south, London derby – I won’t accept that again.”

Likely Line-up:

Subs: Myhill, Adarabioyo, Field, Brunt, Hoolahan, Burke, Robson-Kanu.

Millwall: Amos, McLaughlin, M Wallace, Cooper, Meredith, J Wallace, Williams, Leonard, O’Brien, Gregory, Morison.

The Boss Says:

We want to win games but we are a club in transition. It won’t be perfect overnight, but we’ll continue to work ahead of another tough game against Millwall.

Memory Lane:

In October 1983, braces from Cyrille Regis and Garry Thompson helped Albion to a 5-1 win over Millwall in the League Cup. Gary Owen also scored.

Key Man:

Millwall will be tough to break down, but if Harvey Barnes can replicate his form from Tuesday night, Albion should be absolutely fine.

Dangerman:

Jed Wallace

The former Wolves winger joined Millwall last summer after two loan spells at the Lions, and he impressed for Neil Harris’s men.

Tony Pulis tried to take him to Middlesbrough on deadline day, but his £5million offer was rejected.

He grabbed his first goal of the season in a 1-1 draw against league leaders Leeds United.