ALEX Neil thought starting two strikers, Josh Coburn and Mihailo Ivanovic, worked well during Millwall’s 1-0 win against Sheffield United last night, with Coburn scoring the game’s only goal in the 21st minute.
The Lions have typically set up with one striker this season, and that was only the third game the duo have started together. In the previous two matches, a 1-0 win against Stoke and a 2-1 win against Portsmouth, Ivanovic had scored three goals.
They were an effective combination at Bramall Lane, with Coburn setting up two chances for Ivanovic either side of half-time.
When asked if he thought the two-striker formation worked, Neil said: “Yeah, it did. It’s not going to work every week.
“As the game wore on and Sheffield United came more and more into it right at the start of the second half, I was really questioning whether I should take one off because I’m thinking we need to have an extra man in the middle just to see this one slot on.
“But what I did feel is if we could get through that first fifteen minutes, we would get chances because we’d be one for one basically, and that’s what happened. Mihailo’s chance we get down the sides, Josh great ball across and we’ve just got to take it in a little bit further and slot it in the corner.
“It would take a little bit of pressure off that last ten, fifteen minutes where you need to defend for your life, get your bodies in, stop things coming across the box. Unfortunately we didn’t take the next chance, which meant we’re going to have to dig in, which we did.”
Coburn’s goal was really well taken, with the 22-year-old Middlesbrough loanee taking a touch then firing a powerful strike past Michael Cooper from a tight angle.
Neil thought his all-round play was effective.
“Physicality for Josh is something we’re getting into him in terms of being more physical and leaning in and being strong,” Neil said. “I thought that the lad [Jack] Robinson knew he was in the game tonight, so that was really pleasing for me.”
“But what he’s also got is got good feet for a big fella, he can take it and he can link it, he can score a goal, he’s good in the air.”
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