Lee Gregory netted twice and Ryan Leonard once as Millwall comfortably beat the Blues 3-0 at the Den, highlighting the extent of the job now facing new manager Paul Lambert who was watching from the stands along with his staff. Gregory profited from Town’s set-piece frailties on 26 and 51 before Leonard made the most of a mix-up between skipper Luke Chambers and keeper Bartosz Bialkowski with 20 minutes left on the clock.

Andre Dozzell, Grant Ward and Trevoh Chalobah came back into the team for caretaker-manager Bryan Klug’s one game back in charge in a 3-5-2 system.

Ward returned to the right wing-back role he occupied in the first two games of Klug’s stint as caretaker-boss last season, having previously played there during the academy head of coaching and development’s time working at Spurs.

Chalobah lined up on the right of the centre of the defence with Matt Pennington on the left and skipper Luke Chambers in the centre with Jonas Knudsen the left wing-back.

In midfield, Dozzell joined Cole Skuse and Flynn Downes while Freddie Sears and Kayden Jackson were up front.

For Millwall, skipper Shaun Hutchinson returned from two months out for James Meredith, who dropped to sub, while Jiri Skalak came in for the injured Jed Wallace. Ex-Blues loanee Ryan Tunnicliffe was on the bench.

After a rather confused minute’s silence with the game Millwall’s Remembrance Day fixture, the Lions started the more positively and went close on six when Hutchinson nodded over from a corner having been given a free header after Knudsen had slipped.

Following a lengthy stoppage for an injury to Gregory the Blues, wearing their all orange away strip, began to make an impression in the Millwall half, Downes turning his man on the right but his cross deflected behind the Town players in the area.

On 15 Knudsen whipped over a low ball from the left which was cleared just ahead of Sears at the near post.

But Millwall continued to see most of the ball, although without seriously threatening. On 22 they claimed a penalty when Shaun Williams went to ground as he exchanged passes with Gregory in the area but referee Robert Jones wasn’t interested.

A minute later, Ryan Leonard chested down a loose ball and shot not too far wide and in the 27th minute the Lions went in front.

Jake Cooper nodded Williams's corner from the right back into the six-yard box from the far post having risne above Chalobah and Gregory turned home from four feet. Town claimed a foul - probably a push on Cole Skuse as the ball came back in - but referee Jones wasn’t interested.

Set-piece goals have been Town’s Achilles’ heel all season and in the 31st minute they almost conceded another. Hutchinson knocked Shane Ferguson's freekick from the left back across goal and Cooper was just unable to add the final touch at the post.

Aside from the two crosses around the 15-minute mark the Blues had been largely been pressed back in their half with Millwall well in control.

The home side again went close to their second of the game from another set piece in the 39th minute. Ferguson’s freekick whipped in from the right and Elliott’s header rather fortuitously flew straight to Bartosz Bialkowski.

Dozzell had seen little of the ball but on 42 he was twice involved in a move which saw Ward break down the right and cross but far too deeply.

As the half moved into two minutes of injury time Pennington nodded a ball over the top back to the advancing Bialkowski.

The Lions were well worth their lead at the break having been much the better side with the Blues fortunate that they had conceded only the one set-piece goal.

Millwall had been in charge from virtually the start with Town struggling to keep possession and only fleetingly able to get Dozzell on the ball.

Millwall keeper Ben Amos will rarely have had a quieter 45 minutes with the Blues not registering a shot on or off target. If he hadn’t prior to the half, incoming manager Lambert - pictured top with, from left to right, first-team coach Matt Gill, assistant manager Stuart Taylor and fitness coach Jim Henry - will have had a good idea idea of what his new job will entail by its end.

The Blues were put through their paces by academy physio Jimmy Reynolds on the pitch prior to the second half with Klug, who as last season was again being assisted by Chris Hogg and Gerard Nash, switching Skuse, who had gone into the game carrying an ankle knock, making way for Jordan Spence with Ward moving into midfield.

Six minutes after the restart Millwall doubled their lead and again the goal came from a set piece. Leonard’s long throw on the left was flicked on by Cooper and Gregory turned home his second of the afternoon from close range.

Given Town’s history this season a comeback looked hugely unlikely but on 54 they at least managed their first shot of the afternoon, however Downes scuffed his 20-yard effort well wide.

Jackson, who had hardly been involved, was replaced by Lankester two minutes later before Millwall swapped Elliott for Steve Morison, moments after Pennington had been yellow-carded for a foul on Williams. On 63 Aiden O’Brien came on for Skalak.

Skipper Chambers scraped a shot well wide from the left of the area in the 67th minute after Millwall had made heavy weather of clearing Town’s first corner of the afternoon and the Blues had worked an opening on the left.

But on 70 Millwall made it 3-0 with Town again the architects of their own downfall. Ferguson pumped a long ball from deep into the area from deep and Chambers got in Bialkowski’s way as the keeper punched. With the Polish international grounded, the ball fell to Leonard 30 yards out from where he looped it into the corner of the net. For once not a set piece but a goal equally as poor as the earlier two.

Millwall denied Gregory a chance of a hat-trick by replacing him with Tom Bradshaw in the 75th minute. The striker was clearly not overly impressed to have been withdrawn. Gwion Edwards took over from Dozzell with nine minutes of the game remaining.

With the match over from a competitive perspective, the Blues saw more of the ball in the latter stages and on 88 Chalobah smashed a shot from a tight angle on the right which slammed against Amos’s left post and behind.

Another miserable afternoon for the 2,000-plus strong Town support was brought to a close with Millwall having settled for their three goals.

If new boss Lambert was unaware of the situation he is inheriting at Town he will now be well aware from watching another thoroughly lacklustre display.

Very much second best throughout, if anything the 3-0 scoreline flattered the Blues who looked like conceding from every set piece.

Town, now three points behind second-bottom Hull and five off safety, have shipped at least two goals in each of their away games this season barring the first two at Rotherham and Exeter.

The Lions, hardly one of the division’s top sides, although now up to 18th, were well in control throughout and cantered to what will be their easiest three points of the season.

"Chalobah’s late strike against the post, at a time when the match was already over as a contest and Millwall had essentially declared, was the only time the Blues, who now haven’t scored for three matches, came close to getting on the scoresheet.

Lambert is set to meet the players and staff tomorrow when he will begin what on today’s evidence looks the very tough job of rescuing Town’s season and preventing the Blues from dropping into the third tier for the first time in 62 years next May.

Millwall: Amos, Hutchinson (c), Cooper, Williams, Gregory (Bradshaw 75), Ferguson, Romeo, Elliott (Morison 57), M Wallace, Skalak (O’Brien 63), Leonard. Unused: Archer, McLaughlin, Meredith, Tunnicliffe.

Town: Bialkowski, Ward, Pennington, Chambers (c), Chalobah, Knudsen, Skuse (Spence 46), Downes, Dozzell (Edwards 81), Sears, Jackson (Lankester 56). Unused: Gerken, Nolan, Rowe, Nsiala. Referee: Robert Jones (Merseyside). Att: 15,386 (Town: 2,195).

Photo: Pagepix

Michael101 added 20:48 - Oct 27 Robsonwalk, agree what you say about chambers,but who else is there with so many players out on loan on on the sickbed,or as soon as you show any form Evans sells you.
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jonny100970 added 21:20 - Oct 27 Shut up all you doom and gloom merchants. Yes, we don't have the best squad, or budget in the league, but we have plenty of young talent, so let's hope PL can trust in them and give them a chance to show what they csn offer. If we go down fighring with a young team, i'll be content ans look forward to the future. Surely that's more exciting than mid table championship mediocrity again

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Lukeybluey added 21:33 - Oct 27 Can we recall players that we sent on loan? I believe I heard PH didn't put a recall clause in their loans which to me seems absurd! We should bring them all back, I dare say they could probably do a job for us atm. Gives PL all players to work with.
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warktheline added 22:00 - Oct 27 On a positive note, today's totally inept performance isn't masking over cracks! The new managerial team looked far from impressed and hopefully ‘the law' will be laid down in no uncertain terms! This club is viewed as ‘soft' and the majority of ‘regular first teamers' been ripping the a@#* for 5 years! We need a ‘no nonsense' manager ( McCarthy in first 2 seasons ) to leave no ‘stone unturned' and accept nowt less than 100% from all! Evans aside, the manager must take this club by the ‘throat' !

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ArnieM added 22:04 - Oct 27 I'd ditch the lot of them and bring in the U23's - they would have confidence, show no fear and actually be a TEAM! Wtf has Hurst done to this senior squad, God only knows. If Lambert managers to keep this lot in The Championship, it will be equally to gaining promition in terms of achievrment! Hi for it Oaul , you have my backing !
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GiveusaWave added 22:13 - Oct 27 Wasn't at the match...thankfully...but from reading all the reports.... We defended poorly CHECK We offered no creativity CHECK We offered no goal-threat CHECK None of the players look championship standard CHECK Huge job for Lambert to turn this around....do think we have to dip into the freebie market now. Two goal scorers and a winger/creative midfielder priorities....though we could do with about 15 players at this point. Whole squad is poor and not sure how anyone could sort this out.

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SickParrot added 22:23 - Oct 27 I am surprised that a manager of the calibre of Paul Lambert has agreed to take on the almost impossible task of trying to keep us in the Championship. He is inheriting a team that already looks doomed to relegation. We are 5 points from safety, having only gained 9 points in the first third of the season, with a squad of limited ability that is completely devoid of any confidence, and we can only sign free agents until January (unless we can recall a few of our young players that Hurst loaned to other clubs). I believe that Evans will make funds available to strengthen the team in January. If Paul Lambert has somehow kept us within catching distance of the team in 21st place, this will be in the hope of pulling off the great escape. If however we are already too far adrift to achieve safety, those funds will be used to begin to build a team to get us back up again. In either case, Evans would be making the investment because he intends to sell the club and a Championship club would be worth much more than a league 1 club. Regarding the issue of compensation to Hurst, I understand that no compensation will be paid because his contract included what was effectively a probationery period to the end of October. I am grateful to Paul Lambert for being brave enough to try to save us from relegation. If he does keep us it will be a great achievement which will surpass McCarthy's great escape in his first season, because the squad that McCarthy took over was stronger than the one that Lambert has inherited. If we go down, it is not Lambert's fault but I believe that he is capable of bringing us straight back up again (with the necessary investment from Evans).

4

dirtydingusmagee added 22:44 - Oct 27 Marcus Evans ,Paul Hurst ,you have put last nails in the Town coffin, Paul Lambert best of luck,brave man !
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Bildestoned added 23:11 - Oct 27 I'm heartily fed-up with all this Evans out rubbish. First off, it's not going to happen so please focus your energies elsewhere! Secondly, did ME not do EXACTLY what me and many others asked of him, namely ditch those merry-go-round dinosaur manager appoinments and bring in a fresh, young, hungry bloke? Having done that he simply had to trust the new manager's judgement; he could do little else. Hurst to me simply got it all wrong BUT to now retrospectively suggest it's all ME's fault is both unfair and a false narrative. Me? I'll be making that 140 mile round trip next Saturday to get behind my team.

9

Kirbmeister added 23:39 - Oct 27 We need to face the fact that we haven't got a chance of staying up this season. January transfer window? We'll be miles behind by then. The season is already a third of the way gone. Prepare for league 1.
2

Tractorboy1985 added 23:42 - Oct 27 An ex Norwich manager does not sit well with me.. however I'll give him and his back room staff all the support however with an owner like Evans.. we could have sir Alex Ferguson as manager and pep guardiola as a number 2 and we would still be in this position! Evans you have constantly gone for the cheap option and never backed a proper manager! You were very happy to see Ipswich float in the championship and now not spending has finally bitten you on thee ar$e! Why give Keane/Jewell money then sit back and take pathetic transfer fees for our best players? You are the problem.. dust that cheque book off and sort it otherwise league 1 is an absolute certainty!

3

barrystedmunds added 01:26 - Oct 28 I would suggest we are doomed! We cannot score, defeend or create! If PL turns this around then a statue on Portman Walk would be the very least he should expect, probably along with a knighthood for good measure. It is without doubt, abysmal, 15 games in, and the worst team by far, in the championship! It pains me to say it, but relegation beckons! Sad days indeed. Hope I'm wrong, but..........

1

Carl2588 added 01:53 - Oct 28 Maybe short term pay as you play offers for Huth, Bent and Agbonlahor might be worth a punt.
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bluearmy4life added 07:29 - Oct 28 So so poor. This is the worst defence I've ever seen in many years. Paul Lambert has an incredible tough job on his hands. If Evans doesn't give Paul lambert some serious money in January 10 million + as a minimum, than you Evans will feel the brunt of our support. I can't see Evans lasting much longer at our club.
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loudnproud added 08:21 - Oct 28 Paul Lambert.s first team selection will tell us if he has the balls to turn us around......If you dont concede goals you dont loose games.....
1

tractorollson added 08:33 - Oct 28 One Paul ruined us, the other will be our saviour, should never of appointed a league one runner up manager
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Michael101 added 08:35 - Oct 28 Carl2588,yes good call but if they have seen us play (if you could call it that) the last few games o thick they may well say thanks but no thanks, Also throw morgan in the mix.
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dirtydingusmagee added 09:27 - Oct 28 how Paul Lambert is expected to turn things around with what he has is beyond me,.Wonder what ticket prices will be in Lge 1 ?
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DJ27 added 09:46 - Oct 28 Let's be realistic we are not cut adrift at the bottom yet. We are desperate tho, which makes Saturday's game absolutely huge. If and it's a big if we can pick up 3 points ON Saturday against a fellow struggler, it will be a huge confidence boost for both PL and the players. That is why I urge every single person who can make Saturday to turn up and support. Get PR rocking, we as fans need to play our part as well. Get 20k plus in the ground. It's our biggest game in years, it could be the kick start we need. COYB

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trncbluearmy added 12:58 - Oct 28 Who's the scary bloke to the right of PL hope he's the physio Good Luck PL. You are going to need it!
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osseyseleven added 13:03 - Oct 28 What a sad state of affairs when Ipswich Town are just playing with the hope of finishing 4th from bottom in the Championship...........so upsetting but reality unfortunately .......EVANS OUT
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dirtydingusmagee added 14:43 - Oct 28 trncbluearmy, its Mr Dead,
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ITFCsince73 added 18:06 - Oct 28 Sickparot...probably because he was offered a £1m per season contract. Plus hefty bonus on top to keep us up.
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Razor added 10:58 - Oct 29 Hurst has nearly destroyed this club in 5 months, a lot quicker than Roy Keane. Great support on Saturday yes but I too saw fans at it with each other----just ridiculous, please save your pathetic agression for supporting the team. New players in---they are about, Huth,Bent and Agbonlahur to name 3---we certainly need help and guess we will see some new faces by Saturday.

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