Millwall find themselves in an all too familiar position as the January transfer window approaches: sitting just outside the Play-Off places, they are once again aiming to push on and solidify a place in the top six.
However, despite an exciting summer headlined by the arrival of marquee signing Zian Flemming, so far this season the Lions have huffed and puffed through ups and downs while trying to find a winning formula.
With nine goals already to his name, Flemming has successfully claimed the ‘talisman’ title left by Jed Wallace and has undoubtedly been the standout star of the side.
His fellow summer signings, on the other hand, haven’t had it so easy – George Honeyman, Jamie Shackleton, Callum Styles and Benik Afobe all being in and out of the team.
Andreas Voglsammer and Charlie Cresswell, despite being apparent fixtures in the XI, also have question marks over their performances.
Elsewhere, with Shaun Hutchinson’s frequent absences hurting performances and his injury record worsening, at some point manager Gary Rowett will need to find a long-term replacement for the 32-year-old.
Similarly, the on-going goalkeeper debate will also need to be tackled at some point as, while Bartosz Bialkowski is a fan favourite, he’s been dropped from the team and at 35 years-old, the Lions will need a permanent successor.
January could offer Millwall a chance to bolster the squad with one or two additions, yet given the summer spending, it is more likely there will need to be outgoings before any significant incomings.
And although Isaac Olaofe seems likely to leave on loan and George Evans could also be looking elsewhere for much-needed minutes, this window may be one too soon to make large wholesale changes.
It means both goalkeeping and defensive cover, as well as finding a younger left-back, will likely be addressed in the summer as for now, the priority has to be bringing dynamism to the forward line.
The Lions squad was built for Rowett’s favoured back five, prioritising central midfielders, narrow forwards and wing-backs yet with the Lions now shifting to a 4-2-3-1, the attack feels somewhat makeshift.
Flemming is at home as a 10, finding pockets of space, attacking the box with late runs and allowing others to play off of him. Out wide however, there is a real lack of threat and pace to create significant problems to opposition defences.
Voglsammer, while a hard worker off the ball, offers almost no attacking production and is yet to score. Likewise, George Honeyman, the second choice on the right, similarly offers more defensive work than attacking threat.
On the left, Mason Bennett is the favoured pick but, with his injury record, he’s managed fewer than 400 minutes this season.
That leaves Tyler Burey who, despite being one of the most productive forwards in the squad, clearly isn’t considered reliable due to his lack of defensive effort.
It means Millwall do not have a genuine ball carrier in the squad – a big miss for a side who look to play more of a counter-attacking style and the one aspect of Jed Wallace’s game that Rowett is yet to replace.
The signing of Shamrock Rovers youngster Aidomo Emakhu is promising though – a direct ball carrier, capable of working on both wings and potentially adding some dynamism and flair to a relatively pedestrian frontline.
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However, having just turned 19, a step-up from the League of Ireland to the Championship is a big transition.
Millwall could also look to bring in a wide player on loan, as they did last season with Sheyi Ojo and Oli Burke, just to add a spark to the attack.
A savvy loan signing or two could bring a new dimension to the team, but don’t expect signings for the sake of it which means Rowett will be reliant on his current squad to show improvement to push Millwall into the top six.