“Since Alex Neil came in" - Mihailo Ivanovic named in Millwall FC surprise debate | OneFootball

FLW's Millwall fan pundit has identified the club's most surprising players this season

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Millwall have had a season of ups and downs in the Championship so far.

The Lions are still in the mix for a play-off place at this stage of the campaign, but will need a great run of form in the final 11 games to overcome the gap to West Brom.

Alex Neil’s side are 12th, which is around where a lot of people might have expected them to be at the start of the campaign.

But their journey to this position has been quite surprising, with plenty of big moments along the way.

Millwall surprise identified in Mihailo Ivanovic

When asked which player has been the biggest surprise this year, FLW’s Millwall fan pundit Lucas Ball identified summer signing Mihailo Ivanovic.

He believes the forward has really found his footing under Alex Neil and is starting to show why the club paid a then-record fee to sign him last year.

"There’s a couple that spring to mind in terms of surprises this season, I’d say," Ball told Football League World.

"Mihailo Ivanovic probably being the biggest one, particularly given his struggles under Neil Harris, wanting game time and then in the games he did play he didn’t really seem to suit what we were trying to do, still adjusting to English football, all those kinds of things contributed to him now having too many goals at the turn of the year.

"Since Alex Neil came in, he’s made himself by far and away the first choice striker, added more goals to his game, a really nice catalogue of goals as well that he’s got this season.

"He’s led the line a lot better, his pressing looks better, he seems to be using his game intelligence a bit more and bringing people more into play, all those kinds of things we wanted from him.

"He’s a very young player as well.

"So, obviously, he came in for a club record fee at the time so there were expectations, but equally he’s a young kid moving from Serbia to the Championship, which is a league that continues to grow in quality, and you have to put certain limitations on those expectations at the time because that’s a big adjustment for anyone to make, let alone such a young man.

"So, I think he probably has been [the biggest surprise]."

Raees Bangura-Williams verdict

Ball also claimed that Raees Bangura-Williams has stepped up from the youth system quite well, and is following in the footsteps of Romain Esse.

“Obviously, Raees Bangura-Williams as well has been a really positive surprise since he broke into the team,” he continued.

“He’s done really well, and showed he’s not frightened to get involved in senior football.

“He’s quite small and slight, but he won’t be bullied or anything like that, and he’s got really good technical quality, good eye for a pass, good skill, quick feet.

“Which aren’t necessarily the players Millwall are renowned for producing either, but Romain Esse has just come through the academy and doing very well, but not necessarily the type of players you associate with our youth setup.

“Someone like Bangura-Williams wasn’t there as long as Esse, but those two have been the biggest surprises.”

Millwall are currently 12th in the Championship table, seven points adrift of the play-off places.

Millwall are developing an exciting and young squad

Both of these players picked as their best surprise this season are 20-years-of-age and are still developing and growing their game.

That’s an exciting prospect for supporters, with the club building a promising, young squad that can compete into the future.

While a play-off place might be just beyond them this year, they will feel confident of their prospects for next year if they can keep this squad together over the summer.

Neil has also made a positive impact since arriving as manager earlier this season, and he has the experience to know what it takes to compete at the level Millwall want to be at going forward.