Alex Neil promises transfers and Millwall squad changes after playoff bid falls just short

Millwall boss Alex Neil has said there will be a clear focus on the summer transfer window after the conclusion of the Championship regular season on Saturday. The Lions came up just short of the play-offs, needing to win to sneak into the top six on the last day, but they faced a tough task against a Burnley side that needed to win to have any chance of winning the title.

The Lions scored first at Turf Moor, but they ultimately fell short, and their play-off dreams ended there, while Burnley - who were already promoted - were denied the title by a stoppage time Leeds United goal elsewhere.

With the final table set, Millwall finished in eighth place, just two points off Bristol City in sixth place, with the Robins fortunate that Blackburn Rovers couldn’t find a late goal, a late goal that would have seen the Lancashire club leapfrog them at the death.

As for Millwall, it has been a very successful campaign regardless of missing out on the playoffs, and Neil is keen to build on his early work at the club. “The work for next year will start right now,” Neil told BBC Radio London. “Transfer windows will change things. People will come and go. From there, like any window, you want to make sure that by the end of it, you’re in a stronger position than what you were when you went into it.

“We have a lot of players still currently missing from the squad that would have a big effect in the team – they will be back for the start of next season. Along with additions we look to try to make in the summer.”

On the game itself and missing out on the top six, Neil added: “It’s one of them ones where we know coming here it’s going to be a tough game. They are playing for 100 points, playing for the title, playing for clean sheet records — it was like coming to a carnival.

“From our perspective, to try and win the game is very difficult. No-one so far has managed to do that here. The disappointing thing from our point of view is we score the first goal, then go and concede straight away — which is a cardinal sin in any game.”

He continued: “We took it to the last 45 minutes of the season — that’s what we’ve done. It was one each, the next goal was going to decide the game and I said that to the players. Equally, I knew — and I said this to the players — because we got the message that Leeds were losing, and I was thinking that’s the last thing we need because Burnley were going for the title.

“I knew that next 20 minutes was going to be important, and what I was hoping is we can weather that storm and nick a chance later on in the game and it goes in your favour. And we did get a chance before they scored the second goal but unfortunately we didn’t manage to capitalise on it — and those moments ultimately seal big games.”